Finally, I have to thank the Syndics of the University Press for undertaking the publication of the book, and the staff for the efficient way in which they have carried out the work, in spite of the long interruption caused by the war.
R. W. C.
April 6, 1921.
CONTENTS
| PAGE | |
| GENEALOGICAL TABLES | [xii] |
| PART I | |
| CHAPTER I. THE HISTORICAL ELEMENTS | |
| Section I. The Problem | [1] |
| Section II. The Geatas—their Kings and their Wars | [2] |
| Section III. Heorot and the Danish Kings | [13] |
| Section IV. Leire and Heorot | [16] |
| Section V. The Heathobeardan | [20] |
| Section VI. Hrothulf | [25] |
| Section VII. King Offa | [31] |
| CHAPTER II. THE NON-HISTORICAL ELEMENTS | |
| Section I. The Grendel Fight | [41] |
| Section II. The Scandinavian Parallels—Grettir and Orm | [48] |
| Section III. Bothvar Bjarki | [54] |
| Section IV. Parallels from Folklore | [62] |
| Section V. Scef and Scyld | [68] |
| Section VI. Beow | [87] |
| Section VII. The house of Scyld and Danish parallels—Heremod-Lotherus and Beowulf-Frotho | [89] |
| CHAPTER III. THEORIES AS TO THE ORIGIN, DATE AND STRUCTURE OF THE POEM | |
| Section I. Is Beowulf translated from a Scandinavian original? | [98] |
| Section II. The dialect, syntax and metre of Beowulf as evidence of its literary history | [104] |
| Section III. Theories as to the structure of Beowulf | [112] |
| Section IV. Are the Christian elements incompatible with the rest of the poem? | [121] |
| PART II | |
| DOCUMENTS ILLUSTRATING THE STORIES IN BEOWULF, AND THE OFFA-SAGA | |
| A. The early Kings of the Danes, according to Saxo Grammaticus: Dan, Humblus, Lotherus and Scioldus; Frotho's dragon fight; Haldanus, Roe and Helgo; Roluo (Rolf Kraki) and Biarco (Bjarki); the death of Rolf | [129] |
| B. Extract from Hrólfs Saga Kraka, with translation (cap. 23) | [138] |
| C. Extracts from Grettis Saga, with translation: (a) Glam episode (caps. 32-35); (b) Sandhaugar episode (caps. 64-66) | [146] |
| D. Extracts from Bjarka Rímur, with translation | [182] |
| E. Extract from Þáttr Orms Stórólfssonar, with translation | [186] |
| F. A Danish Dragon-slaying of the Beowulf-type, with translation | [192] |
| G. The Old English Genealogies. I. The Mercian Genealogy. II. The stages above Woden: Woden to Geat and Woden to Sceaf | [195] |
| H. Extract from the Chronicle Roll | [201] |
| I. Extract from the Little Chronicle of the Kings of Leire | [204] |
| K. The Story of Offa in Saxo Grammaticus | [206] |
| L. From Skiold to Offa in Sweyn Aageson | [211] |
| M. Note on the Danish Chronicles | [215] |
| N. The Life of Offa I, with extracts from the Life of Offa II. Edited from two MSS in the Cottonian Collection | [217] |
| O. Extract from Widsith, II. 18, 24-49 | [243] |
| PART III | |
| THE FIGHT AT FINNSBURG | |
| Section I. The Finnsburg Fragment | [245] |
| Section II. The Episode in Beowulf | [248] |
| Section III. Möller's Theory | [254] |
| Section IV. Bugge's Theory | [257] |
| Section V. Some Difficulties in Bugge's Theory | [260] |
| Section VI. Recent Elucidations. Prof. Ayres' Comments | [266] |
| Section VII. Problems still outstanding | [268] |
| Section VIII. The Weight of Proof: the Eotens | [272] |
| Section IX. Ethics of the Blood Feud | [276] |
| Section X. An Attempt at Reconstruction | [283] |
| Section XI. Gefwulf, Prince of the Jutes | [286] |
| Section XII. Conclusion | [287] |
| Note. Frisia in the heroic age | [288] |
| PART IV | |
| APPENDIX | |
| A. A Postscript on Mythology in Beowulf. (1) Beowulf the Scylding and Beowulf son of Ecgtheow. (2) Beow | [291] |
| B. Grendel | [304] |
| C. The Stages above Woden in the West-Saxon Genealogy | [311] |
| D. Grammatical and literary evidence for the date of Beowulf. The relation of Beowulf to the Classical Epic | [322] |
| E. The "Jute-question" reopened | [333] |
| F. Beowulf and the Archaeologists | [345] |
| G. Leire before Rolf Kraki | [365] |
| H. Bee-wolf and Bear's son | [365] |
| I. The date of the death of Hygelac | [381] |
| BIBLIOGRAPHY OF BEOWULF AND FINNSBURG | [383] |
| INDEX | [414] |
PLATES
| PLATE | ||
| I. | Drida (Thryth) reproached for her Evil Deeds | [FRONTISPIECE] |
| II. | Leire in the Seventeenth Century | TO FACE [16] |
| III. | Offa, miraculously restored, vindicates his Right. At the side, Offa is represented in Prayer | ,, ,, [34] |
| IV. | Drida (Thryth) arrives in the land of King Offa, "in nauicula armamentis carente" | ,, ,, [36] |
| V. | Riganus (or Aliel) comes before King Warmundus to claim that he should be made King in place of the incompetent Offa | ,, ,, [218] |
| VI. | Drida (Thryth) entraps Albertus (Æthelberht) of East Anglia, and causes him to be slain | ,, ,, [242] |
| VII. | The Gokstad Ship. The Oseberg Ship | ,, ,, [362] |
| VIII. | Southern Scandinavia in the Sixth Century. English Boar-Helmet and Ring-Swords | [At end] |