Rydberg's Teutonic Mythology
Part 3
29.
EVIDENCE THAT HALFDAN IS IDENTICAL WITH HELGI
HUNDINGSBANI.
The main
outlines of Halfdan's saga reappear related as history, and more or less
blended with foreign elements, in Saxo's accounts of the kings Gram, Halfdan
Berggram, and Halfdan Borgarson (see No. 23). Contributions to the saga are
found in Hyndluljóð (14, 15, 16) and in Skáldskaparmál (chapter 80), in what
they tell about Halfdan Skjoldung and Halfdan the Old. The juvenile adventures
of the hero have, with some modifications, furnished the materials for both
the songs about Helgi Hundingsbani, with which Saxo's story of Helgo
Hundingicida (Hist., 80-110) and Völsungasaga's about Helgi Sigmundsson
are to be compared. The Grótta-song also (22) identifies Helgi Hundingsbani
with Halfdan.
For the
history of the origin of the existing heroic poems from mythic sources, of
their relation to these and to each other, it is important to get the original
identity of the hero-myth, concerning Halfdan and the heroic poems concerning
Helgi Hundingsbani, fixed on a firm foundation. The following parallels
suffice to show that this Helgi is a later time's reproduction of the mythic
Halfdan:
Halfdan-Gram, sent on a warlike expedition, meets Groa, who is
mounted on horseback and accompanied by other women on horseback (Saxo
26, 27). |
Helgi Hundingsbani, sent on a warlike expedition, meets Sigrun, who is
mounted on horseback and is accompanied by other women on horseback
(Helg. Hund. i. 16; Völs. ch. 9).
|
The meeting takes place in a forest (Saxo 26). |
The
meeting takes place in a forest (Völs. ch. 9).
|
Halfdan-Gram is on the occasion completely wrapped in the skin
of a wild beast, so that even his face is concealed (Saxo 26). |
Helgi is on the occasion disguised. He speaks frá úlfíði "from a
wolf guise" (Helg. Hund. i. 16), which expression finds its
interpretation in Saxo, where Halfdan appears wrapped in the skin of a
wild beast.
|
Conversation is begun between Halfdan-Gram and Groa. Halfdan
pretends to be a person who is his brother-at-arms (Saxo 27). |
Conversation is begun between Helgi and Sigrun. Helgi pretends to be a
person who is his foster-brother (Helg. Hund. ii. 6).
|
Groa asks Halfdan-Gram:
Quis, rogo, vestrum
dirigit agmen,
quo duce signa
bellica fertis?
(Saxo 27.) |
Sigrun asks Helgi:
Hverir láta fljóta
fley við bakka?
Hvar, hermegir
heima eiguð?
(Helg. Hund. ii. 5.)
|
Halfdan-Gram invites Groa to accompany him. At first
invitation is refused (Saxo 27). |
Helgi invites Sigrun to accompany him. At first the invitation is
rebuked (Helg. Hund. i. 16-17).
|
Groa's father had already given her hand to another (Saxo 26).
|
Sigrun's father had already promised her to another (Helg. Hund. i. 18).
|
Halfdan-Gram explains that this rival ought not to cause them
to fear (Saxo 28). |
Helgi explains that this rival should not cause them to fear (Helg.
Hund. i., ii.).
|
Halfdan-Gram makes war on Groa's father, on his rival, and on
the kinsmen of the latter (Saxo 32). |
Helgi makes war on Sigrun's father, on his rival, and on the kinsmen of
the latter (Helg. Hund. i., ii.).
|
Halfdan-Gram slays Groa's father and betrothed, and many
heroes who belonged to his circle of kinsmen or were subject to him
(Saxo 32). |
Helgi kills Sigrun's father and suitors, and many heroes who were the
brothers or allies of his rival (Helg Hund. ii.).
|
Halfdan-Gram marries Groa (Saxo 33). |
Helgi marries Sigrun (Helg. Hund. i. 56).
|
Halfdan-Gram conquers a king Ring (Saxo 32). |
Helgi conquers Ring's sons (Helg. Hund. i. 52).
|
Borgar's son has defeated and slain king Hunding (Saxo 362;
cp. Saxo 337). |
Helgi has slain king Hunding, and thus gotten the name Hundingsbane
(Helg. Hund. i. 10).
|
Halfdan-Gram has felled Svarin and many of his brothers.
Svarin was viceroy under Groa's father (Saxo 32). |
Helgi's rival and the many brothers of the latter dwell around Svarin's
grave-mound. They are allies or subjects of Sigrun's father.
|
Halfdan-Gram is slain by Svipdag, who is armed with an Asgard
weapon (Saxo 34, to be compared with other sources. See Nos. 33, 98,
101, 103).
|
Helgi is slain by Dag, who is armed with an Asgard weapon (Helg. Hund.
ii.). |
Halfdan-Berggram's father is slain by his brother Frode, who
took his kingdom (Saxo 320).
|
Helgi's father was slain by his brother Fróði, who took his kingdom
(Hrólfs Saga Kraka). |
Halfdan Berggram and his brother were in their childhood
protected by Regno (Saxo 320).
|
Helgi and his brother were in their childhood protected by Reginn
(Hrólfs Saga Kraka). |
Halfdan Berggram and his brother burnt Frode to death in his
house (Saxo 323).
|
Helgi and his brothers burnt Fróði to death in his house (Hrólfs Saga
Kraka). |
Halfdan Berggram as a youth left the kingdom to his brother
and went warfaring (Saxo 320 ff.). |
Helgi Hundingsbani as a youth left the kingdom to his brother and went
warfaring (Saxo 80).
|
During Halfdan's absence Denmark is attacked by an enemy, who
conquers his brother in three battles and slays him in a fourth (Saxo
325). |
During Helgi Hundingsbani's absence Denmark is attacked by an enemy, who
conquers his brother in three battles and slays him in a fourth (Saxo
82).
|
Halfdan, the descendant of Scef and Scyld, becomes the father
of Rolf (Beowulf poem). |
Helgi Hundingsbani became the father of Rolf (Saxo 83; compare Hrólfs
Saga Kraka).
|
Halfdan had a son with his own sister Yrsa (Grotta-song 22;
mun Yrsu sonr við Halfdana hefna Fróða; sá mun hennar heitinn verða
bur ok bróðir).
|
Helgi Hundingsbani had a son with his own sister Ursa (Saxo 82). The son
was Rolf (compare Hrólfs Saga Kraka). |
A glance
at these parallels is sufficient to remove every doubt that the hero in the
songs concerning Helgi Hundingsbani is originally the same mythic person as is
celebrated in the song or songs from which Saxo gathered his materials
concerning the kings, Gram Skjoldson, Halfdan Berggram, and Halfdan Borgarson.
It is the ancient myth in regard to Halfdan, the son of Skjold-Borgar, which
myth, after the introduction of Christianity in Scandinavia, is divided into
two branches, of which the one continues to be the saga of this patriarch,
while the other utilises the history of his youth and tranforms it into a new
saga, that of Helgi Hundingsbani. In Saxo's time, and long before him, this
division into two branches had already taken place. How this younger branch,
Helgi Hundingsbani's saga, was afterwards partly appropriated by the
all-absorbing Sigurdsaga and became connected with it in an external and
purely genealogical manner, and partly did itself appropriate (as in Saxo) the
old Danish local tradition about Rolf, the illegitimate son of Halfdan
Skjoldung, and, in fact, foreign to his pedigree; how it got mixed with the
saga about an evil Frode and his stepsons, a saga with which it formerly had
no connection; - all these are questions which I shall discuss fully in a
second part of this work, and in a separate treatise on the heroic sagas. For
the present, my task is to show what influence this knowledge of Halfdan and
Helgi Hundingsbani's identity has upon the interpretation of the myth
concerning the antiquity of the Teutons.
<< Previous Page
Next
Page >>
© 2004-2007 Northvegr.
Most of the material on this site is in the public domain. However, many people have worked very hard to bring these texts to you so if you do use the work, we would appreciate it if you could give credit to both the Northvegr site and to the individuals who worked to bring you these texts. A small number of texts are copyrighted and cannot be used without the author's permission. Any text that is copyrighted will have a clear notation of such on the main index page for that text. Inquiries
can be sent to info@northvegr.org.
Northvegr™ and the Northvegr symbol are trademarks and service marks
of the Northvegr Foundation.
|
> Northvegr™ Foundation
>> About Northvegr Foundation
>> What's New
>> Contact Info
>> Link to Us
>> E-mail Updates
>> Links
>> Mailing Lists
>> Statement of Purpose
>> Socio-Political Stance
>> Donate
> The Vík - Online Store
>> More Norse Merchandise
> Advertise With Us
> Heithni
>> Books & Articles
>> Trúlög
>> Sögumál
>>
Heithinn Date Calculator
>> Recommended Reading
>>
The 30 Northern Virtues
> Recommended Heithinn Faith Organizations
>> Alfaleith.org
> NESP
>> Transcribe Texts
>> Translate Texts
>> HTML Coding
>> PDF Construction
> N. European Studies
>> Texts
>> Texts in PDF Format
>> NESP Reviews
>> Germanic Sources
>> Roman Scandinavia
>> Maps
> Language Resources
>> Zoëga Old Icelandic Dict.
>> Cleasby-Vigfusson Dictionary
>> Sweet's Old Icelandic Primer
>> Old Icelandic Grammar
>> Holy Language Lexicon
>> Old English Lexicon
>> Gothic Grammar Project
>> Old English Project
>> Language Resources
> Northern Family
>> Northern Fairy Tales
>> Norse-ery Rhymes
>>
Children's Books/Links
>> Tafl
>> Northern Recipes
>> Kubb
> Other Sections
>> The Holy Fylfot
>> Tradition Roots
Please Visit Our Sponsors
- Référencement
- Alfaleith.org - Heithni, Viðartrú
- Odin's Journey
- Baman - Iceland/Aboriginal Australia
- Biker's Booty
- Création site Internet Paris
- Pagan T-shirts
- Appartements
- Chalets au Québec
- Logo Designers
- Web Design
- Appartements Montreal
- Espace Bureau Montreal
- London Tours
- Spanish Property Legal Advice
- Multi Pret Hypotheque
- Company Logo Design
- Wiccan T-shirts
- Art Gallery, Painting artists
- free logo design reviews
- Heathen, Heathenism, Norse Pagan
- Logo design by LogoBee
- Pagan Shirts
- Norse Pagan Religion
- Triumph, BSA, Norton, Euro Motorcycles - Accessories
- Logo Maker
- Logo Design - Business Logos, Inc.
- Logo Design - Logo Maker
- Create A Website
- Wiccan Shirts
- Mortgages
- Multi-Prêts Hypothèques
- Viking T-shirts
- Hewlett Packard Ink Cartridges
- Indian Recipes
- Logo Design London
- Logo Design
- Logo Design UK
- Subvention et financement PME
- Heathen T-shirts
- Medical Alert, Emergency response
- orlando hotels
- Slot Machines for Vikings
- Norse Pagan Clothing and Merchandise
- New Homes
- Branding Irons
- Bachelor Degree Online
- Online Degree
- College Degree
- Heathen, Viking and Norse Texts
- Création site Internet
- Montreal Web Design
- Free Dish Network Satellite TV
- Discount ink cartridge & laser cartridge
- DUI Lawyers & DWI Attorneys
- Promotional Products
- Ready-Made Company Logos
- Canadian Art Dealer
- Best CD Rates
- Laser Toner Cartridge
- Logotyper & Grafiska Profilprogram
- Banner Design
- Custom Logo Design
Web site design and coding by Golden Boar Creations
|
|