Hrólfr Kraki

Hrólfr Kraki, "Hroðulf", "Rolfo", "Roluo", "Rolf Krage" (early 6th century [The dating has never been a matter of controversy. It is inferred from the internal chronology of the sources themselves and the dating of Hygelac's raid on Frisia to c. 516. It is also supported by archaeological excavations of the barrows of Eadgils and Ohthere in Sweden. For a discussion, see e.g. Birger Nerman's "Det svenska rikets uppkomst" (1925) (in Swedish). For presentations of the archaeological findings, see e.g. Elisabeth Klingmark's "Gamla Uppsala, Svenska kulturminnen 59", Riksantikvarieämbetet (in Swedish), or [http://www.raa.se/sites/ottarsmound.asp this English language presentation by the Swedish National Heritage Board] ] ) was a legendary Danish king who appears both in Anglo-Saxon and in Scandinavian tradition. His name would in his own language (Proto-Norse) have been *"Hrōþiwulfaz" [ [http://www.sofi.se/GetDoc?meta_id=1464 Lexikon över urnnordiska personnamn] PDF] (famous wolf).

Both traditions describe him as a Danish Scylding, the nephew of Hroðgar and the grandson of Healfdene. The consensus view is that Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian traditions describe the same people [ [http://www.mun.ca/mst/heroicage/issues/5/Shippey2.html#anchor349974 Shippey, T. A.: Wicked Queens and Cousin Strategies in Beowulf and Elsewhere, Notes and Bibliography. In The Heroic Age Issue 5 Summer 2001.] ] . Whereas "Beowulf" and "Widsith" don't go further than treating his relationship with Hroðgar and their animosity with Froda and Ingeld, the Scandinavian sources expand where the Anglo-Saxon sources end, i.e. on his life as the king at Lejre.

Scandinavian sources also expand on his relationship with Halga, King Hroðgar's brother. In "Beowulf" and "Widsith", it is never explained how Hroðgar and Hroðulf are uncle and nephew, but in the Scandinavian tradition, Halga conceived Hroðulf by raping Yrsa, not knowing that she was his own daughter.

"Beowulf"

The poem "Beowulf" introduces Hroðulf [lines 1011-1017] as Hroðgar's supporter and right-hand man; and we learn that Hroðulf is Hroðgar's nephew and that "each was true to the other" [lines 1162-1165] . Hroðgar and his brothers Heorogar and Halga, and their unnamed sister, are presented as the children of Healfdene [Lines 59-63] . They belong to the royal clan, known as the Scyldings [Lines 53-58] .

The poem does not explain whether it was Heorogar or Halga who was Hroðulf's father. The common piece of information that it was Halga who was Hroðulf's father is taken from Scandinavian tradition (see sections below).

Hroðgar and queen Wealhþeow had two young sons, Hreðric and Hroðmund, and Hroðulf would be their guardian in case Hroðgar dies. It appears, though, as though the queen does not trust Hroðulf and suspects that Hroðulf might claim the throne for himself:

This piece cannot refer to "Hrólfr Kraki's saga" where Froda was the half-brother of Healfdene because this Froda was killed by Hroðgar. It can, however, be interpreted through the "Skjöldunga saga" in which Hroðulf's uncle Hroðgar was murdered by his half-brother Froda.

"Gautreks saga

Hrólfr Kraki is mentioned briefly in "Gautreks saga", written around 1300, when the adventurer Ref comes to him with a gift consisting of two dogs. In return for this gift Hrólfr gives him a helmet and a chainmail, both made of red gold.

Modern references

Danish playwright Johannes Ewald wrote a play about "Rolf Krage" (1770), based on Saxo's version of the story in "Gesta Danorum". Danish poet Adam Oehlenschläger wrote a poem, "Helge: et Digt" (1814).

The American writer Poul Anderson used this story in his novel "Hrolf Kraki's Saga" (1973). Anderson's story begins in earlier generations and differs in some events from the account given here. The book was well received by many fantasy fans. However, it has been criticized on the grounds that its frequent explanations, especially of the characters' feelings and motives, are incompatible with the saga traditions.

The Danish Navy's first ironclad warship was named "Rolf Krake"

Notes

Bibliography and external links

* English translations of the Old Norse "Hrólfs saga kraka ok kappa hans" :
** "The Saga of Hrolf Kraki and his Champions". Trans. Peter Tunstall (2003). Available at [http://freespace.virgin.net/o.e/egd/Hrolf.html Norse saga: The Saga of Hrolf Kraki] and [http://www.northvegr.org/lore/oldheathen/034.php Northvegr: The Saga of Hrolf Kraki] .
** "The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki". Trans. Jesse L. Byock (1998). London: Penguin. ISBN 014043593X. Selection from this translation are available at [http://www.viking.ucla.edu/hrolf/maincontents.html The Viking Site: Excerpts from "The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki"] .
** "King Hrolf and his champions" included in "Eirik the Red: And Other Icelandic Sagas". Trans. Gwyn Jones (1961). Oxford: Oxford World's Classics, Oxford University Press. ISBN 0192835300.
* Original texts:
** [http://www.heimskringla.no/original/fornaldersagaene/hrolfsagakraka.php Hrólfs saga kraka ok kappa hans in Old Norse from heimskringla.no]
** [http://server.fhp.uoregon.edu/IRE/Document.ire/Norse/html/0201i.html University of Oregon: Norse: Fornaldarsögur norðurlanda: Hrólfs saga kraka ok kappa hans]
** [http://saga.library.cornell.edu/saganet/?MIval=/ManuscriptSagasB&language=english&STitle=Hr%F3lfs%20saga%20kraka Sagnanet: Hrólfs saga kraka]
* Anderson, Poul (1973). "Hrolf Kraki's Saga". New York: Ballantine Books. ISBN 0345235622. New York: Del Rey Books. ISBN 0345258460. Reprinted 1988 by Baen Books, ISBN 0671654268.
* [http://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=13133 Literary Encyclopedia entry]
*Birger Nerman, 1925, "Det svenska rikets uppkomst" (in Swedish)
*"Beowulf":
* [http://www.engl.virginia.edu/OE/Beowulf.Readings/Beowulf.Readings.html Beowulf read aloud in Old English]
** " [http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/981 Modern English translation] " by Francis Barton Gummere
** " [http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/16328 Modern English translation] " by John Lesslie Hall
** [http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/Literature.RinglBeowulf Ringler, Dick. "Beowulf: A New Translation For Oral Delivery"] , May 2005. Searchable text with full audio available, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Libraries.
** [http://alliteration.net/beoIndex.htm Several different Modern English translations]
*"Chronicon Lethrense" and "Annales Lundense":
** [http://www.oe.eclipse.co.uk/nom/lejre.html "Chronicon Lethrense" and "Annales Lundense" in translation by Peter Tunstall]
** [http://www.northvegr.org/lore/oldheathen/048.php The same translation at Northvegr]
* [http://omacl.org/DanishHistory/book2.html Book 2 of "Gesta Danorum" at the Online and Medieval & Classical library]
* [http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/14878 "The Relation of the Hrolfs Saga Kraka and the Bjarkarimur to Beowulf" by Olson, 1916, at Project Gutenberg]
* [http://www.northvegr.org/lore/heim/001_06.php the "Ynglinga saga" in translation by Samuel Laing, 1844, at Northvegr]
* [http://www.northvegr.org/lore/poetic2/042.php The "Gróttasöngr" in Thorpe's translation]
*Skáldskaparmál:
** [http://www.heimskringla.no/original/snorre/index.php Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda in the original language]
** [http://www.cybersamurai.net/Mythology/nordic_gods/LegendsSagas/Edda/ProseEdda/ContentsEnglish.htm#skaldse CyberSamurai Encyclopedia of Norse Mythology: Prose Edda - Skáldskaparmál (English)]
** [http://www.cybersamurai.net/Mythology/nordic_gods/LegendsSagas/Edda/ProseEdda/ContentsIcelandic.htm#skaldse CyberSamurai Encyclopedia of Norse Mythology: Prose Edda - Skáldskaparmál (Old Norse)] s-ttl|title=Legendary king of Denmark
years=
###@@@KEYEND@@@###