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
From what has been said, it will be seen that the origin of the dragon
in the _Bọðvarsþáttr_ of the _Hrólfssaga_ has hitherto been
unperceived and the story of Bjarki's fight with the dragon has not
been understood. Neither of the two has any connection with _Beowulf_.
The _Bjarkarímur_ throw no light on the _Beowulf_ problem, for the
story of Bjarki's slaying the wolf and that of Hjalti's slaying the
bear are later than the story of Bjarki's slaying the dragon and were
written by one who had the story of Bjarki's fight with the dragon in
mind. Moreover, the story told in the _rímur_ in connection with
Hjalti's slaying the bear is merely an adaptation of the story told in
the _Hrólfssaga_ about Bjarki's father.
The _Fróðaþáttr_ of the _Hrólfssaga_ embodies an earlier form of the
Hroar-Helgi story than is found in the _Skjọldungasaga_ and the
_Bjarkarímur_; and this confirms the idea that the story in the
_Hrólfssaga_ of Bjarki's fight with the winged monster is earlier than
the corresponding stories in the _Bjarkarímur_. Aside from the influence
exerted by the Hamlet story, the _Fróðaþáttr_ version and Saxo's version
of the Hroar-Helgi story are the result of influences emanating from the
"exile-return" type of story in England, and, nore particularly, the
Meriadoc story and the Macbeth story, which were well known to
Scandinavians in Great Britain.
The version of the Hroar-Helgi story which we find in the
_Skjọldungasaga_ and the _Bjarkarímur_ is the result of an attempt to
harmonize conflicting traditions emanating from events about which we
now find the first account in _Beowulf_ and _Widsith_, as is also Saxo's
treatment of the same matter in his sixth and seventh books.
The change of names in Saxo's version of the Hroar-Helgi story is the
result of arbitrary action on his part in order to conceal the fact
that he introduces into his history the Hroar-Helgi group of kings a
second time, namely in his seventh book, and gives an account of them
that conflicts with the account already given of them in his second
book.
INDEX
Ågesön, Svend, 65.
abbreviations, 5, 6.
Agnar, 17, 51, 52, 82, 83, 93, 96.
Ali, 81, 94.
"Angler," 90.
Anglo-Saxons, 80.
Arcadia, 67.
Arglud, 71.
Arngrim, 92, 95.
Arthur, King, 43, 71-73.
Arthurian romances, 46.
Athils, 83.
Balder-cult, 8.
"Baldersagn," 66.
Banquo, 79.
bear, 13, 16, 20, 23, 35, 49, 50, 55, 57.
bear in _Bjark._, 7, 10-12, 47-55, 57, 58, 60, 95, 98.
bear in _Gest. Dan._, bk. two, 7, 10, 19, 51, 52, 59, 60.
bear in _Hrs._, 55, 59.
bear-ancestry, 10, 14, 16, 19, 20, 56, 59.
Beaw, 9, 10.
Beorn, 14, 16.
Beowulf, 7-12, 30, 41, 43, 60, 89.
Beowulf (Danish king), 9, 10.
_Beowulf_, 3, 7-12, 34, 35, 38, 40, 41, 43, 58, 59, 61, 65-67, 88-91,
94, 96-98.
Bera, 16, 56.
Beresun, 14, 16.
Berki, 9.
Bern, 13.
Bernicia, 13, 78.
Biár, 11.
bibliography, 5, 6.
Biörn, 13.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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