Essay Comparing Beowulf and The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki

Beowulf and The Saga of force Hrolf Kraki There are so many similarities amid the hero of the poem Beowulf and The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki, an Iceland saga representing 1000 years of oral traditions prior to the 1300s when it was written, that these similarities cannot be attributed solely to coincidence. The Cambridge History of position and American Literature states that the hero of the poem, Beowulf himself, may be the analogous person as Bodvar Biarki, the chief of Hrolfr Krakis knights (v1, ch3, s3, n13). George Clark in The Hero and the Theme mentions The form of Beowulf taken as a whole suggests both the Bears Son folktale type (especially as we find it in Scandinavia) and the combat myth. . . . (286). In The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki, Bodvar is the grandson of a king (Hring) in Beowulf the hero is the grandson of a king (Hrethel). Bodvars father has been expelled from his country, Gautland Beowulfs father Ecgtheow has been expelled from Geatland. Bodvars father is dea d Beowulfs father is dead (Hrothgar says,his father, now dead, was named Ecgtheow) (373). Bodvar as a boy was so strong that he was not permitted to take part in the kings games past the age of twelve because he injured similarly many of his opponents Beowulf as a young man was so strong that he was the strongest of all living men (196). Bodvar was huge Beowulf was noble and huge (198). Bodvar was much noble than the people around him Beowulf refused to accept the kingship from Queen Hygd upon Hygelacs death, risked his life various times for the benefit of others, put his own welfare last instead of first, and distributed his wealth generously when it was warranted. Though Beowulf is careful to collect his winnings, ... ...en and the gentlest, the kindest to his people (3181). The Iceland saga, The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki, written in the 1300s, represents about 1000 years of oral traditions. The remarkable similarities between this sagas main character and Beowulfs main char acter are just too astounding to dismiss as mere coincidences. BIBLIOGRAPHY Chickering, Howell D.. Beowulf A dual-Language Edition. sassy York Anchor Books, 1977. Clark, Gorge. The Hero and the Theme. In A Beowulf Handbook, edited by Robert Bjork and John D. Niles. Lincoln, Nebraska Uiversity of Nebraska Press, 1997. The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki, translated by Jesse L. Byock. New York Penguin Books, 1998. Ward & Trent, et al. The Cambridge History of English and American Literature. New York G.P. Putnams Sons, 190721 New York Bartleby.com, 2000