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.
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.
- According to this theory, also the name of Beowulf is assumed to origin from:
beo (bee) + wulf (wolf), i.e.
Bee-Wolf, i.e. 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 alleged 5th and 6th century Svea kings in Ubsola:
| Beowulf | Rolf Krake, Heimskringla etc. | Relation |
| Ongentheow | Egil (Angantyr) |
father of Ottar and Ale |
| Othere | Ottar |
brother of Ale |
| Onela | Ale |
brother of Ottar |
| Eadgils | Adils |
son of Ottar |
The geographical placements of Beowulf's
Weder-Geats as well as the
other geograhically referenced places in Beowulf are subject to
much debate.
- A lot of the various names seemed to be used and re-used by different
peoples. The Geats have been identified with quite a number of different
peoples and areas - the Goths, the Jutes, the Gauts, etc., etc.
(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, however, is just as well thought of to be a distance
not totally reliable - which in turns leave the field open for various
interpretations that accomodates 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[?].
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).
available online at http://www.carlaz.com/phd/
-
For other references on Beowulf, see the Wiki
page. 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).