Talk:Beowulf and Hrólf Kraki

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Feel free to add references, links and your thoughts on this subject, email me at [[1]].

(Wilmer Thomas)

2003 June 18th, Göteborg

Discussion on Beowulf equalling Rolf Krake

Question: Do you have any opinions on the alignments of the Beowulf poem and the charcter of Rolf Krake, known from Snorre's Edda and Saxo's Gesta Danoru (amongst others)?

I have read the old english texts (in a few different versions, I should say, e.g. ('Beowulf in hypertext') and ('Beowulf on Steorarume') as found online, and I am struck by the similarities for which I have not yet found any "official" comments regarding this mentioned similarities of the two characters, Beowulf and Rolf Krake.

- I see an alignment of Beo, in Beowulf, as of beorh (mountain, huge rock etc.), and Wulf, as being the basic name, with the Beo-prefix added as a "nickname" of a sort. This corresponds, in my opinion, to the nickname of Rolf; Krake, perhaps in the same adversed way that the Robin Hood companion John is called Little John, although he is supposedly of great statutes and build. As is Rolf Krake, wether the term "krake" means a small being (crow) or some huge built tree or rock, both explanations which I have found to be mentioned as an explanation of the name Rolf Krake. (Accidentally, "krake" in swedish is a synonym for poorly built and weak.)

- I see the description of fighting, and loosing, to a fire-throwing dragon, and the loss of great fortunes in a funeral pyre, in Beowulf to be an adequate description of how a person is burned to death within his house, in a huge fire. This corresponds, in my opinion, very much to the story of how Rolf Krake is burnt to death over a matter of taxes and fortunes.

- The companion of Beowulf, Wiglaf, is most similar to Rolf Krakes companion Vögg, or Wig, who revenges the death of Rolf Krake by killing the brother-in-law Hjorvard who has killed Rolf.

- The description of Beowulf people as Weder Geats, to me has a very interesting association with a known name on the swedish (of today) west coast; where the island of 'Hallands Väderö', in the meaning of county Halland, Weather-island, very well might indicate some former region in Geatland - Götaland, Gothland; the Wedera Geats This, then becomes a very adequate situation given the orientation of geography, naming Hrothogars people (both) West and South-Danes, wheras Beowulf is called (both) East, and at a time, North Danes. An explanation of this, naturally, would be that the Geatland/Gothland territory at times have been incorporated in either Swiorice, or Denum - the Svea kingdom, or the Dane kingdom - whereas the people of West, East and South Gothland originally and basically consider themselves to be 'geats', or goths, or 'götar'.

2003 June 20th, Göteborg

Discussion on Beowulf equalling Bodvar Bjarke, herdman of Rolf Krake

Question: Do you have any opinions on the alignments of the Beowulf poem and the character of Bodvar Bjarke, herdman of Rolf Krake and known from Snorre's Edda and Saxo's Gesta Danorum (amongst others)?

Bodvar Bjarke is known from a separat story, Bjarkamal, relating his life and deeds.

- In the Rolf Krake saga, the story of how Bodvar Bjarke (sonson of Norwegian king Ring) came to Rolf's court in Leire includes an episode where Bodvar fights and kills a monsterous beast that for two years have come raiding both men and cattle, exactly around christmas.

- I see an alignment here for the story of Beowulf, who comes to the court of Hrothogar to defeat the monster Grendel, that have been raidng the country for twelve years.

Kenning

Could we call that "Bee-Wolf" etimology a kenning? If so, please write it in the article.

Absolutely, this would explain why Beowulf and Bodvar Bjarke are equivalents. There is nothing odd in having two names for the same character in different stories. We see the same in Niebelunglied (Siegfried) and the Volsunga saga (Sigurd). Kennings were a literary technique that would not have confused a contemporary audience. Bodvar Bjarke means "battle bear" and "bee-wolf" should have been a transparent kenning for this probably very famous "bear". Wiglaf