Flyting, or fliting, is a contest consisting of an exchange of insults between two parties, often conducted in verse. The practice flourished from the fifth through the sixteenth centuries across Celtic, Norse and English traditions, appearing in works from Beowulf to Shakespeare, with winners in Anglo-Saxon contexts determined by audience reaction and Scottish royal courts actively promoting flyting contests as entertainment.
Facts
Notable ExampleThe Flyting of Dunbar and Kennedy 1 Defining TraitA contest of exchanged insults between two parties, often in verse 1 Sources
1. Flyting, Wikipedia
Section on The Flyting of Dunbar and Kennedy
a contest between William Dunbar and Walter Kennedy in front of James IV
Lead section
a contest consisting of the exchange of insults between two parties, often conducted in verse
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