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Hlǫðskviða and Wīdsīð: A Comparative Analysis of Oral-Literate Networks and Medieval Memory of the Migration Period Samuel R. Levin Master’s Thesis in Viking and Medieval Norse Studies MAS4091 (30 Credits) Spring 2020 Department of Linguistics and Scandinavian Studies (ILN) University of Oslo © Samuel R. Levin 2020 Hlǫðskviða and Wīdsīð: A Comparative Analysis of Oral-Literate Networks and Medieval Memory of the Migration Period Samuel R. Levin https://www.duo.uio.no Printing: Reprosentralen, Universitetet i Oslo Summary Hlǫðskviða and Wīdsīð are two Germanic alliterative poems whose current forms are attested in texts written in separate languages, periods, and regions: the former in Old Norse- Icelandic from late-medieval Iceland, and the latter in Old English from later Anglo-Saxon England. Despite these differing contexts, several parallels in the poems’ content—many of which they share with that of other early-medieval continental and insular sources as well as Old Norse saga and Eddic literature—indicate that these narratives did not emerge in isolation. Within this complex of source material, the prevalence of concepts such as the Goth-Hun conflict, the reign and fall of the Gothic king Ermanaric, and the movements and conflicts of early-medieval peoples and their leaders suggests that the events of the Migration Period gave rise to a wider tradition of legends and folklore that spread across early-medieval Northern Europe, evolving both independently and through contact across vast tracts of time and space. This inquiry is driven by an interdisciplinary approach to a comparison between Hlǫðskviða and Wīdsīð, drawing on linguistic, literary, historical, archaeological, runological, folkloristic, and philological evidence. Its emphasis is firmly on the content of the poems, although discussion of the poems’ form is undertaken when pertinent to the notions of tradition and relative periodization. This wider approach allows for the demonstration of both means and motives—political, economic, social, and cultural—for the transmission and use of this tradition throughout the Baltic and North Sea regions, as well as the identification of firmer, more salient links between the poems than a mere comparison of the two texts could achieve. Furthermore, this study proposes that a similar approach, if applied on a considerably larger scale, could be instrumental in shedding further light on a relatively obscure regional period of human history. i This page intentionally left blank ii Foreword First and foremost, my sincerest gratitude is owed to my thesis supervisor, Professor Karl-Gunnar A. Johansson, whose thoughtful and diligent input as this project took shape consistently provided perspective without being prescriptive. In challenging me to consider the various points of perception within the vast world of scholarship and always being available for conversation, you were central to an ardent student’s continuous enthusiasm and motivation. Despite the irregularities with which the past months have bombarded the world, I could not have asked for a better experience throughout this thoroughly rewarding process. I also cannot begin to express my appreciation for the faculty and visiting scholars at Háskóli Íslands (the University of Iceland) and Universitetet i Oslo (the University of Oslo) with whom I have had the privilege to interact over the past two years. Haraldur Bernharðsson, Torfi H. Tulinius, Viðar Pálsson, Anita Sauckel, Terry Gunnell, Hélène Tétrel, Julia Zimmermann, Jon Gunnar Jørgensen, Kristin Bech, Andrea Freund, Mikael Males, Lotte Hedeager, Anna Catharina Horn, Katharina Heinz, and Michelle Waldispühl, you all have my utmost thanks for your consistent willingness to field the inquiries of an enthusiastic student. My deepest thanks also go to present and past faculty members at Bates College, especially Michael E. Jones, Laurie O’Higgins, Gerald Bigelow, and Sylvia Federico, for years of wise advice and support. Each day I feel quite lucky for my time at Bates and beyond. To my mother, father, sister, and the rest of my family back home: thank you for your continued interest in my vast array of pursuits in life, and for your unyielding positivity, especially over the past months. I feel thoroughly fortunate to hear your constant encouragement. iii I am immensely grateful to my friends back home, as well as those that I have made over these incredible past two years overseas, for being a constant source of joy and inspiration. Though far too many to name here, you are all very near to my heart and a second family to me. Meg Morrow and Alex Casteel: I will not soon forget your superb intellectual company, nor the many games of cards in the Ránargata kitchen. Elliot Jones and Robert Erickson: our Sunday night football sessions were a piece of home away from home for me. Elliot Loosemore: your keen, albeit occasionally distracting sense of humor livened our Oslo flat these past months. Christian Lyons: cheers for your company and a kind welcome to Oslo this past autumn. Skautafélagið Björninn and Hasle-Løren Idrettslag, thank you for allowing me to pursue my undying passion for the thrilling and perilous game of ice hockey while studying abroad. iv Table of Contents Summary ................................................................................................................................ i Foreword ............................................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ................................................................................................................... v Illustrations ........................................................................................................................... vi A Note on the Text ............................................................................................................... vii Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 1 1. Hlǫðskviða: The Battle of the Goths and Huns ................................................................. 9 1.1. Background ............................................................................................................................... 9 1.2. Literary context ...................................................................................................................... 11 1.3. Evidence of age ....................................................................................................................... 18 1.4. Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 21 2. Wīdsīð: The Sċop as a Vessel of Tradition ........................................................................ 23 2.1. Background ............................................................................................................................. 23 2.2. Evidence of age ....................................................................................................................... 24 2.3. Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 28 3. Into the Mere: The Rök Stone, Runes, and Germanic Poetry .......................................... 29 3.1. Background ............................................................................................................................. 29 3.2. The problem ............................................................................................................................ 31 3.3. Germanic alliterative poetry: origins, development, and commonalities ............................... 33 3.4. The Rök stone and Migration Period memory ....................................................................... 37 3.5. The elusive, obscure figure of Óðinn ....................................................................................... 40 3.6. Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 46 4. Tangible Tradition: Trade and Materiality in Northern Europe ..................................... 47 4.1. Background ............................................................................................................................. 47 4.2. Poetry, tradition, and Migration Period materiality ............................................................... 48 4.3. Material culture, trade networks, and political legitimacy ..................................................... 56 4.4. Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 61 5. Conclusion: Tradition and the Construction of Varied Identities .................................... 62 Bibliography ........................................................................................................................ 67 v Illustrations Chapter 3 1. The runestone at Rök, Östergötland, Sweden (Ög 136). Copyright: page 30 Encyclopædia Britannica, 2009. 2. The first page of the ninth century Hildebrandslied manuscript. Copyright: 34 Historiek, 2017. 3. Recasts of the lost golden horns from Gallehus, Sønderjylland, Denmark. 35 Copyright: Nationalmuseet i København, Denmark, 2020. Chapter 4 1. A fifth century bracteate from Tjurkö, Blekinge, Sweden. Copyright: Tineke 50