Origins for Beowulf and Hrólf Kraki

There are several characters in Beowulf that match to a large extent characters known from other ancient northern tales and sagas. A common identification is that Hrólf Kraki is the same as the character Hroðulf (Hroðgar's nephew) in Beowulf. There seems to be some foreshadowing in Beowulf that Hroðulf will attempt to usurp the throne from Hroðgar's sons Hreðric and Hroðmund, a deed that also seems to be referred to in Saxo Grammaticus's Gesta Danorum (Book 2), where we find: "... our king, who laid l ...

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Origins for Beowulf and Hrólf Kraki, Origins for Beowulf and Hrólf Kraki - Character alignments, Origins for Beowulf and Hrólf Kraki - Geographical definitions

Read more here: » Origins for Beowulf and Hrólf Kraki: Encyclopedia II - Origins for Beowulf and Hrólf Kraki - Character alignments

Hrólf Kraki Tradition Bödvar Bjarki is the hero appearing in tales of Hrólf Kraki in the Saga of Hrölf Kraki, in the Latin epitome to the lost Skjöldunga saga, and as Biarco in Saxo Grammaticus' Gesta Danorum. Some think he and the hero Beowulf in the Old English poem Beowulf were originally the same personage, while others reject this notion. Unlike Beowulf, Bödvar is said to have been Norwegian, which may be explained by the fact that his story was written by Ic ...

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The (English) saga , (German) Sage originates from (Icelandic) saga, pl. sögur and refers to (1) "what is said, statement" or (2) "story, tale, history". Icelandic sagas are based on oral traditions and much research has focused on what is real and what is fiction within each tale. The accuracy of the sagas is often hotly disputed, being both overestimated and underestimated by various scholars. Most of the manuscripts in which the sagas were originally preserved were taken to Denmark and Sweden in the 17t ...

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Norse saga, Norse saga - Background, Norse saga - On the plots and writing style, Norse saga - The saga as a literary technique, Norse saga - Modern parallels, Norse saga - Classification of sagas, Norse saga - Kings' sagas, Norse saga - Icelandic saga Íslendingasögur, Norse saga - Short stories of the Norse Saga technique Íslendinga þættir, Norse saga - Legendary sagas, Norse saga - Other Norse sagas

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Beowulf (c. 700-1000 AD), is a traditional heroic epic poem. 3,182 lines — longer than any other Old English poem — it represents about 10% of the extant corpus of Old English poetry. The poem is untitled in the manuscript, but has been known as Beowulf since the early 19th century. Beowulf - Background and origins. Beowulf is one of the oldest surviving epic poems in what is identifiable as an early form of the English language (the oldest surviving text in Old English is Caedmon's ...

Including:

• Beowulf - Background and origins
• Beowulf - Themes and story
• Beowulf - Old English glossaries and modern English translations
• Beowulf - Form
• Beowulf - Influence upon contemporary works and pop culture
• Beowulf - Literature
• Beowulf - Films
• Beowulf - Additional film television & music
• Beowulf - Games
• Beowulf - Comics

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Hrólf Kraki Tradition Eadgils was a 6th century king of Sweden who appears in the Old English epic Beowulf. Eadgils is generally considered to be the same king as Aðils, or Athisl, who appears in the Norse sagas and Gesta Danorum. This king was also the son of a king named Ohthere and just like in Beowulf, Adils killed a king named Onela (Ali) with foreign assistance (see also Origins for Beowulf and Hrólf Kraki). Eadgils - Name. The Norse forms are based ...

Including:

• Eadgils - Name
• Eadgils - Beowulf
• Eadgils - In the Hrólf Kraki traditions and Heimskringla
• Eadgils - Archaeology
• Eadgils - Gesta Danorum
• Eadgils - Primary sources
• Eadgils - Secondary sources

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Hrólf Kraki Tradition Onela, Proto-Norse *Anula, was according to Beowulf a Swedish king during the first half the 6th century. He was the son of Ongentheow and the brother of Ohthere. He usurped the Swedish throne but was killed by his nephew Eadgils, who won by hiring foreign assistance. In Scandinavian mythology exists a king by the same name, Áli (the Old Norse form of Onela, also rendered as Ole, Åle or Ale), who had the cognomen hinn Upplenzki ("from ...

Including:

• Onela - Beowulf
• Onela - Norse sagas
• Onela - Primary sources
• Onela - Secondary sources

Read more here: » Onela: Encyclopedia - Onela

Some Norse Sagas live between Christianity and Paganism (Njál's saga is an example; see also Norse mythology.) Aside from Christian influence, the world of the sagas is strongly pagan, and fate plays a central role, a key line in Njal's Saga (chapter 6, as translated by Magnus Magnusson; references below) is ... each must do as destiny decides. The civilization of Norse sagas is complex, many-layered, with often-contradictory agents sometimes acting as ...

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Norse saga, Norse saga - Background, Norse saga - On the plots and writing style, Norse saga - The saga as a literary technique, Norse saga - Modern parallels, Norse saga - Classification of sagas, Norse saga - Kings' sagas, Norse saga - Icelandic saga Íslendingasögur, Norse saga - Short stories of the Norse Saga technique Íslendinga þættir, Norse saga - Legendary sagas, Norse saga - Other Norse sagas

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Tolkien's name Gandalf is found in the Edda; indeed, Gandalf is reminiscent of Odin, the principal Norse god, though in the Edda the name belongs to a dwarf, Gandálfr. Tolkien's name Middle-earth comes from an Old and Middle English term for that society's "known world" for which cognates exist in Old Norse and other Germanic languages. Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen drew inspiration from sources including the Norse Saga, Edda, Volsunga saga ...

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Norse saga, Norse saga - Background, Norse saga - On the plots and writing style, Norse saga - The saga as a literary technique, Norse saga - Modern parallels, Norse saga - Classification of sagas, Norse saga - Kings' sagas, Norse saga - Icelandic saga Íslendingasögur, Norse saga - Short stories of the Norse Saga technique Íslendinga þættir, Norse saga - Legendary sagas, Norse saga - Other Norse sagas

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The saga is not strictly a Norse literary technique. Similar styles around the world were either independently developed or were derived from the style of the Norse sagas. For example: The epic Western genre of the Western, a romanticised history of America's west. Some Westerns have plots drawn directly from Norse sagas. An epic Western such as Once Upon a Time in the West may be regarded a revenge saga. The Song of Roland as a French saga, as all their Chansons de geste. Beowulf and Si ...

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Norse saga, Norse saga - Background, Norse saga - On the plots and writing style, Norse saga - The saga as a literary technique, Norse saga - Modern parallels, Norse saga - Classification of sagas, Norse saga - Kings' sagas, Norse saga - Icelandic saga Íslendingasögur, Norse saga - Short stories of the Norse Saga technique Íslendinga þættir, Norse saga - Legendary sagas, Norse saga - Other Norse sagas

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Norse Sagas are generally classified as: Norse saga - Kings' sagas. These tell of the lives of Scandinavian kings. They were composed in the 12th to 14th centuries. See List of Kings' sagas Norse saga - Icelandic saga Íslendingasögur. These are heroic prose narratives written in the 12th to 14th centuries of the great families of Iceland from 930 to 1030. These are the highest form of the classical Icelandic saga writing. See List of Icelandic sagas Norse saga - Short stories of the No ...

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Norse saga, Norse saga - Background, Norse saga - On the plots and writing style, Norse saga - The saga as a literary technique, Norse saga - Modern parallels, Norse saga - Classification of sagas, Norse saga - Kings' sagas, Norse saga - Icelandic saga Íslendingasögur, Norse saga - Short stories of the Norse Saga technique Íslendinga þættir, Norse saga - Legendary sagas, Norse saga - Other Norse sagas

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According to the oldest source, Beowulf, he was captured by the Geats together with his mother and his younger brother Onela. They were saved by his father Ongenþeow who killed the Geatish king Hæþcyn and besieged the Geats in a forest named Raven's wood (wið Hrefnawudu and in Hrefnesholt 1). However, Geatish reinforcements arrived led by the Geatish prince Hygelac w ...

See also:

Ohthere, Ohthere - Beowulf, Ohthere - Scandinavian sources, Ohthere - Comments, Ohthere - Note, Ohthere - Primary sources, Ohthere - Secondary sources

Read more here: » Ohthere: Encyclopedia II - Ohthere - Beowulf

Beowulf is one of the oldest surviving epic poems in what is identifiable as an early form of the English language (the oldest surviving text in Old English is Caedmon's hymn of creation). The precise date of the manuscript is debated, but most estimates place it close to 1000. There is no general agreement on when the poem was originally composed. Some scholars argue that archaic forms of words that appear in the text suggest that the poem comes from the early 8th century, while others place it as late as the 10th century, near the t ...

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Beowulf, Beowulf - Background and origins, Beowulf - Themes and story, Beowulf - Old English glossaries and modern English translations, Beowulf - Form, Beowulf - Influence upon contemporary works and pop culture, Beowulf - Literature, Beowulf - Films, Beowulf - Additional film television & music, Beowulf - Games, Beowulf - Comics

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The poem Beowulf reads (lines 59–63): 59  Ðæm feower bearn    forðgerimed 60  in worold wocun    weoroda ræswa 61  heorogar. 7 hroðgar    7 halga til 62  hyrde ic þ    elan cwen 63  heaðo-Scilfingas    healsgebed ...

See also:

Halfdan, Halfdan - Various Accounts, Halfdan - The Children of Halfdan, Halfdan - Traditions of Harold Fródi and Halfdan possibly related or confused with the above, Halfdan - Reference

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In the Hrólf Kraki tradition, Adils (Eadgils) captured and married Yrsa (Yrs), the mother of Hrólf Kraki (Hrothulf). Not long after Hrólf became king, Eadgils requested his assistance against his uncle Áli (Onela). Hrólf sent his twelve companions, led by Bödvar Bjarki (who it is often remarked has similarities with Beowulf), Áli was defeated in the Battle on the Ice and Adils gained the kingdom. But when Adils refused to pay Hrólf's men the expected tributes for their help, Hrólf Kraki set off to Gamla Uppsala. As Adils was away, g ...

See also:

Eadgils, Eadgils - Name, Eadgils - Beowulf, Eadgils - In the Hrólf Kraki traditions and Heimskringla, Eadgils - Archaeology, Eadgils - Gesta Danorum, Eadgils - Primary sources, Eadgils - Secondary sources

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In the Norse sagas, which were mostly based on Norwegian versions of Scandinavian legends, Onela seems to appear as Áli of Uppland, but is called Norwegian. This is generally regarded as a late confusion between the Swedish Uppland, the core province of the Swedes, and its namesake, the Norwegian Oppland). The part about Onela concerns the Battle on the Ice. In the Ynglinga saga, Snorri relates that king Adils (who corresponds to Eadgils) fought hard battles with the Norwegian king who was called Áli hin upplenzki. The ...

See also:

Onela, Onela - Beowulf, Onela - Norse sagas, Onela - Primary sources, Onela - Secondary sources

Read more here: » Onela: Encyclopedia II - Onela - Norse sagas

The earliest mention of the Geats may appear in Ptolemy (2nd century A.D.), where they are referred to as Goutai. In the 6th century, they were referred to as Gautigoths and Ostrogoths (the Ostrogoths of Scandza) by Jordanes and as Gautoi by Procopius. In the Norse Sagas they are referred to as Gautar, and in Beowulf and Widsith as Geatas. The Geats were formerly politically independent of the Swedes, whose old name was Svear (Sweon or Sweonas in OE). However ...

See also:

Geat, Geat - History, Geat - On Geats and Goths, Geat - On Gautar and Geatas

Read more here: » Geat: Encyclopedia II - Geat - History

The number, names, and order of the Skjöldung kings vary greatly in different texts until one comes to Halfdan/Healfdene. All Old English texts call Scyld's son and successor Beaw or some similar name. (The name was expanded to Beowulf in the poem Beowulf, probably in error by a scribe who thought it was an abbreviation for the name of the poem's hero, who is quite a different person). Halfdan/Healfdene seems to be the direct son of Beaw in the poem. But all Scandinavian sources that mention both Skjöld and Halfdan put Halfda ...

See also:

Scylding, Scylding - From Skjöld to Halfdan, Scylding - Halfdan and his descendants, Scylding - Other Skjöldungar

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According to Arngrim, Hereoweard was succeeded by Rörek (called Hredric in Beowulf), the cousin of Hrólf's father, but he was attacked by Valdar. They shared the kingdom so that Rörek kept Zealand, whereas Valdar took Skåne. This version does not fit Bjarkimal as it relates that Rörik had been killed by Hrólf. According to Hrólf Kraki's saga, Skuld inherited the kingdom but was killed by the Geatish king Thorir Houndsfoot and by Yrsa's men. The kingdom then passed into the hands of Hrólf's daughters. According to Saxo, it is Hod, Adils' brother who be ...

See also:

Heoroweard, Heoroweard - Succession, Heoroweard - Comments

Read more here: » Heoroweard: Encyclopedia II - Heoroweard - Succession

Later Yrsa married Adils (Eadgils) the king of Sweden, the son of Ottar (Ohthere), Helgi died and was succeeded by his brother Hróar (Hrothgar) since Hrólf was still a young boy. After Hróar's death, Hrólf became the king of the Danes. Many heroes came to advise and fight for Hrólf, most notably Bödvar Bjarki (bödvarr means "battle"), who may be the Scandinavian version of Beowulf. Twelve in particular were recognized as his best men. Not long after Hrólf became king, Adils requested his assistance in battle against his uncle, ...

See also:

Hrólf Kraki, Hrólf Kraki - Parentage, Hrólf Kraki - Kingship, Hrólf Kraki - Death by burning, Hrólf Kraki - Origins of the tale, Hrólf Kraki - A modern version, Hrólf Kraki - Alternate Anglicizations

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According to the latest source, Ynglinga saga, Ottar refused to pay tribute to Frodi. Then Frodi sent two men to collect the tribute, but Ottar answered that the Swedes had never paid tribute to the Danes and would not begin with him. Frodi then gathered a vast host and looted in Sweden, but the next summer he pillaged in the east. When Ottar learnt that Frodi was gone, he sailed to Denmark to plunder in return and went into the Limfjord where he pillaged in Vendsyssel. Frodi's jarls Vott and Faste attacked Ottar in the fjord. The battle was ...

See also:

Ohthere, Ohthere - Beowulf, Ohthere - Scandinavian sources, Ohthere - Comments, Ohthere - Note, Ohthere - Primary sources, Ohthere - Secondary sources

Read more here: » Ohthere: Encyclopedia II - Ohthere - Scandinavian sources