Origins for Beowulf and Rolf Krake
Beowulf and
Rolf Krake (Hrolf Kraki) are two well-known characters in the myths and sagas of ancient
Scandinavia.
Both are supposed to have lived sometimes around 450 - 550 AD, and much have been discussed over the years regarding the origin of them both.
Character alignments
There are several characters in Beowulf that apparently match the names
known from other ancient northern tales and Sagas.
- A common assumption is that Rolf Krake, would be the 'same' as the character of Hrothulf in Beowulf (Hrothgar's nephew).
There seems to be some foreshadowing in Beowulf that Hrothulf will attempt to usurp the throne from Hrothgar's sons, and there is another reference to the future burning of the hall of Heorot in the beginning of the poem - which is the legendary death of Rolf Krake, who is believed to have been burnt to death by his brother-in-law Hjorvard, over a matter of taxes.
- Then, the standard view seems to be that -- if Beowulf himself indeed does have a 'cognate' character in Rolf Krakes Saga -- it is Bodvar Bjarke (Bodvar Biarki), who also has a younger companion, Hjalte (Hialti) - perhaps matching the Beowulf character Wiglaf.
- Both Beowulf and Bodvar Bjarke have brothers who are kings of Geatland. Morever, like Beowulf, Bodvar Bjarke arrives to Denmark from GÃÂötaland (Geatland), and upon arriving to Denmark he kills a beast that has been ravaging the Danish court for two years.
- According to this theory, also the name of Beowulf is assumed to origin from:
beo (bee) + wulf (wolf), i.e. Bee-Wolf, i.e. a kenning for Bear (the wolf/hunter of bees).
This is another reason why people see Biarki as Beowulf's 'cognate' (because of the names).
- As for the king of the Danes, Hrothogar, he is consequently identified as Ro, or Roar, an uncle of Rolf Krake who have been known to reign in England at the time when Rolf's father Helge ruled Denmark.
- Furthermore, the Swedish kings referenced in Beowulf is adequately matched with the 5th and 6th century Svea kings in Ubsola:
In Rolf Krake's saga, Bodvar Bjarke aides Adils in defeating his uncle Ale. In Beowulf, Beowulf aides Eadgils and kills Onela. As far as the Swedish adventure is concerned, Beowulf and Bodvar Bjarke are one and the same.
This match supports the hypothesis that the adventure with the dragon is also originally the same story.
It is thus likely, that Beowulf and Rolf Krake's saga are two versions of the same original Germanic heroic epic. Like the Saga of the Volsungs and Nibelungenlied, there are similar patters and corresponding personalities. It is also possible that Beowulf and Rolf Krake's saga are based on real events in the same way as the the Saga of the Volsungs and Nibelungenlied.
Geographical definitions
The geographical placements of Beowulf's Weder-Geats as well as the
other geograhically referenced places in Beowulf are subject to
much debate.
- The identity of the Geats has been contested. From a linguistic point of view, the question has a simple answer since Geat is plainly the Anglo-Saxon form of Old Norse Gaut and modern Swedish GÃÂöt. This is also the generally accepted view. Moreover, in the Liber Monstrorum, Chlochilachus or Huiglaucus who is identified with Hygelac (Hugleikr) is described as rex Getarum. However, the Geats have been identified with quite a number of different peoples and areas, by different authors for various purposes - such as the Gotlanders, the Goths, the Jutes, etc., etc. However, in Beowulf, there is no such confusion. The Geats, the Danes and the Jutes (Eotenas) are described as three distinct nations (for good review of relevant discussion see the Chambers book referenced below). And as a learned fiction (see the Leake ref. below).
- Whereever the Weder-Geats place their origin, it is supposedly (according to Beowulf) located only two nights sail-way from the Danes great hall Heorot. This distance corresponds well to the distance between Själland and the estuary of GÃÂöta ÃÂälv (the narrow riverine gate of the traditional GÃÂötaland between Viken (a former Norwegian province) and Halland (belonged formerly to Denmark)). However, this distance is just as well thought of to be a distance not totally reliable - which in turns leave the field open for various interpretations that accommodates the different views on where to place the Geats.
- Roar is supposed to have founded Roskilde (e.g. Saxo Grammaticus Gesta Danorum), by which modern and middle age town in northern Själland (Zeeland), Denmark, also the ancient kingdom seat Leire was located. This then would seem appropriate a place for Hrothogar to have built the great hall of Heorot.
References
Alignment of characters in the Sagas
There has been some work on possible equivalences between the Beowulf
characters and the characters from the various Norse sagas and king-lists,
etc.
Here are some references:
- Malone, Kemp. Studies in Heroic Legend and in Current Speech. S. Einarsson & N.E. Eliason, eds. Copenhagen: Rosenkilde & Bagger, 1959.
- Lukman, Niels Clausen. Skjoldunge und Skilfinge. Hunnen- und Heruler-könige in Ostnordischer Überlieferung. Classica et mediaevalia, dissertationes III. Copenhagen: Gyldendalske Boghandel Nordisk Forlag, 1943.
- Hemmingsen, Lars. By Word of Mouth: the origins of Danish legendary history - studies in European learned and popular traditions of Dacians and Danes before A.D. 1200. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Copenhagen (Dept. of Folklore), 1995.
- Anderson, Carl Edlund. Formation and Resolution of Ideological Contrast in the Early History of Scandinavia. Ph.D. thesis, University of Cambridge, Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse & Celtic (Faculty of English). [1]
General Beowulf discussions
For other references on Beowulf, see the page for Beowulf. Also the
following sources are of interest.
- Chambers, Raymond W. Beowulf: an introduction to the study of the poem with a discussion of the stories of Offa and Finn. Cambridge: Cambridge Uni. Press, 1921 (2nd rev. ed., 1932).
- Leake, Jane Acomb. The Geats of Beowulf: a study in the geographical mythology of the Middle Ages. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1967.
- Smithers, George V. 'The Geats in Beowulf'. Durham University Journal 63.2 (1971).