The Relation of the Hrolfs Saga Kraka and the Bjarkarimur to Beowulf Part 8

Finally, let it be stated that not all has been said about the Hroar-Helgi story that one would like to say. One would like to be able to trace still more in detail the development of the story and account for all the variations between the two versions. Such knowledge is, however, vouchsafed in very few instances. But if what has been said is substantially correct, a little has been added to what was known before about this interesting story.

III

_GENERAL SUMMARY._

From what has been said, it will be seen that the origin of the dragon in the _B?varsattr_ of the _Hrolfssaga_ has. .h.i.therto been unperceived and the story of Bjarki's fight with the dragon has not been understood. Neither of the two has any connection with _Beowulf_.

The _Bjarkarimur_ throw no light on the _Beowulf_ problem, for the story of Bjarki's slaying the wolf and that of Hjalti's slaying the bear are later than the story of Bjarki's slaying the dragon and were written by one who had the story of Bjarki's fight with the dragon in mind. Moreover, the story told in the _rimur_ in connection with Hjalti's slaying the bear is merely an adaptation of the story told in the _Hrolfssaga_ about Bjarki's father.

The _Froaattr_ of the _Hrolfssaga_ embodies an earlier form of the Hroar-Helgi story than is found in the _Skj?ldungasaga_ and the _Bjarkarimur_; and this confirms the idea that the story in the _Hrolfssaga_ of Bjarki's fight with the winged monster is earlier than the corresponding stories in the _Bjarkarimur_. Aside from the influence exerted by the Hamlet story, the _Froaattr_ version and Saxo's version of the Hroar-Helgi story are the result of influences emanating from the "exile-return" type of story in England, and, nore particularly, the Meriadoc story and the Macbeth story, which were well known to Scandinavians in Great Britain.

The version of the Hroar-Helgi story which we find in the _Skj?ldungasaga_ and the _Bjarkarimur_ is the result of an attempt to harmonize conflicting traditions emanating from events about which we now find the first account in _Beowulf_ and _Widsith_, as is also Saxo's treatment of the same matter in his sixth and seventh books.

The change of names in Saxo's version of the Hroar-Helgi story is the result of arbitrary action on his part in order to conceal the fact that he introduces into his history the Hroar-Helgi group of kings a second time, namely in his seventh book, and gives an account of them that conflicts with the account already given of them in his second book.