Poetic Genesis of Old Icelandic Literature

"This book assesses the importance of poetry for the Old Icelandic literary flowering of c.1150-1350. It addresses the paradox that an extremely conservative form of literature, namely skaldic poetry, was at the core of the most innovative literary and intellectual experiments of the period. The book argues that a blend of old forms and new methods was a necessary precondition for the creation of much of Old Icelandic literature."--Back cover.