The Relation of the Hrólfs Saga Kraka and the Bjarkarímur to Beowulf: A Contribution To The History Of Saga Development In England And The; Scandinavian CountriesOlson, Oscar Ludvig
History
The Relation of the Hrólfs Saga Kraka and the Bjarkarímur to Beowulf: A Contribution To The History Of Saga Development In England And The; Scandinavian Countries
It may be urged that some of the material, such as the "seiðkona," said
in the foregoing to be derived from foreign sources, is recognized
saga-material. The point, however, is that it is not the material
itself, but the suggestion for the use of it, that in such an instance
is said to be derived from a foreign source.
_The Hroar-Helgi Story in the _SKJỌLDUNGASAGA_ and the _BJARKARÍMUR.
Thus far nothing has been said about the "short and chronicle-like form
in the Icelandic _Skjọldungasaga_, where the fratricide is called
Ingjald, not Frothi."[159] The story is, in substance, as follows.
Fridleif, King of Denmark, abducted Hilda, daughter of Ali, King of the
Uplands in Norway, and by her had a son who was named Ali; by another
woman he had a son who was named Frothi.
Frothi inherited his father's kingdom; but Ali, his half-brother, who
was a great warrior, conquered Sweden. Frothi's men feared Ali and
persuaded Frothi to try to have him put to death. Frothi yielded to
their entreaties, and Starkad, the famous warrior, was dispatched to
perform the deed. When an opportunity presented itself, he stabbed Ali
to death. "My brother has caused this," said Ali, and died laughing.
Later, Frothi defeated Jorund, King of Sweden, and made him a tributary
prince. He also defeated Swelling, a Swedish duke, and treated him in
the same manner. Frothi abducted Jorund's daughter, by whom he had a son
who was called Halfdan. But taking another woman to wife, a legitimate
heir was born to him, and this son was called Ingjald.
Starkad, however, was so filled with remorse for having killed Ali that
he did not wish to remain with Frothi. He went, therefore, soon after to
Russia and later to Sweden, but, disgusted with the idolatry of the
Swedes, returned to Frothi. Ingjald, son of Frothi, had in the meantime
married the daughter of Swerting, thus, as it seemed to all, effecting a
reconciliation with him.
Jorund and Swerting, however, formed a conspiracy against Frothi, and he
was slain one night while sacrificing to the gods. In the meantime,
Starkad was absent in Sweden, where, under the guise of friendship, he
was detained by gifts, in order that the plot against Frothi might be
the more easily executed.
Swerting placated Ingjald, Frothi's son and Swerting's son-in-law; but
Halfdan, Ingjald's half-brother, conquered Skåne and avenged his
father's murder by putting to death Swerting's twelve sons, who had
slain Frothi. At the instigation of Starkad, Ingjald put his wife,
Swerting's daughter, aside. He also granted Halfdan a third of the
kingdom. Swerting's daughter later bore Ingjald a son (Agnar); and by
his wife, Sigrith, Halfdan had a daughter, Signy, and two sons, Hroar
and Helgi.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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