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Anglo-Saxon Sagas

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Anglo-Saxon Sagas T H E N L O - X N A G S A O S A G A S . A N G L O - S A X O N S A G A S ; AN E XAM I NAT I O N O F T H E I R V A L U E A S A I D S T O H I S T O R Y ; BRIT AIN BY THE SAXONS . I I B Y D A N E L H . H A G H . Hic ra es o nlos ue vides uos e fa ti g p p q , q al a Extulit et ress it sed his metit a u ur . p , ab f t a — AS pice q uo devenere pote ntes ice ua mib ili si t h onor l ux loria mundi Asp q m , , g . N Y O N N HE R F HU TI GDO N . L O N D O N J O H N R E L L M I T U S S S H , 36 S S A . , O H O Q U R E 1 86 1 . T O JOSEPH MAYE R . M A SI R Y DE R , TRANGE as the theory which is advocated in th e followin g pages may appear, it is advanced In with an entire conviction of its truth . part, — as far as it relates to the Scyldings and their settlements Northu mbria —it the in , has been already submitted to - ou - a b Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle Tyne , and an t strac from my papers, accompanied by illustrative notes L n ff . o sta e a from the pen of their able secretary , Mr g , has p ar a re r pe ed in their Transactions . These notes incorpo ated in the present work , together with other valuable informa tion kindly furnished by him to me . Under any circumstances , we have reason to be proud of these noble remains of the poetry of our forefathers ; but our n i terest in them must be greatly increased, when we discover that they are based, not on mythological superstitions, but i on h storical facts ; that they relate to a period, not of inde a will find this little book , as a key to these sag your acceptance , I Sir remain, my dear , V ery faithfully yours, DANI EL H r J 27th 18 6 1 E dington , uly , . C N T N T O E S . CHAPT ER I . HE chronicled history of the fifth century is imper feet T he Anglo - Saxon sagas partly supply what is wanting T he r r poem of Beowulf. Opinions with ega d to its r n - r o igi , and subject matte Its r r r inte nal evidence p oves , that it was o iginally composed in orthumbr1a r N , about the middle of the sixth centu y ’ The r T r r T Lament of Deo , the avelle s ale, and the Saga of Wald re a r he , lso belong to England , and enable us to unde stand the later T eutonic sagas . T he er r r s latt appea to have been founded on t adition , which passed from England to the continent in the sixth century A parallel to this theory in the circumstances of the Heliand I n r a e dl r the Nibelungen se ies , old s gas have b en designe y transfo med into me re romances T he r r r r histo ic value ofBeowulf suppo ted , in one instance , by G ego y of T ours A II CH PTER . The story of Scyld Scefing r r r ZEthelwe ard r T his sto y app op iated by , William of Malmsbu y, ur Sceaf A and Simeon of D ham , to , the head of the nglo Saxon genealogy fin e to Scyld Sce g and Beowulf of the po m , have nothing do with cea f S celdw a Be aw a l S , , and , of the genea ogy H e al fden e o Beowulf, , and his sons , a c ntinuous descent CONT ENT S . r r A - The sto y of Scyld, pu ely nglo Saxon fde n e r r orthumb ria Scyld Beowulf and Heal , p obably eigned in N , , H r mod r Healfdene Si emu nd e e , (appa ently a son of ) , and g Heorogar and Hrothgar ’ r r r r Hrothga s esidence , at Ha t in Du ham Feud with the Beards Grendel ’ r s T he court of Hrothga , at the time of Beowulf visit Later fortunes of this family CHAPTER I II . The fight at Finnesh am CHAPT ER IV . Hre thel r a te , king of the Geats, p obably one of the ssocia s of Henc r for i Y r r ff gest, esided a t me in o kshi e, and then went to Su olk r Hereb eald Haeth c n H ela c His child en , , y and yg H l r n n Haethcyn and yge ac succeeded him . T hei feud with O ge theow and the Sweos ’ Hygelac s fall in battle with the Franks A CH PTER V . Waermu n d - An r r , king of the West gles, eigned at Wa wick T wo of his nobles endeavoured to set aside the succession of his son Of r r fa, on the g ound of physical incapacity , we e defeated in r r council , appealed to a ms , and pe ished in battle ’ T he r esult of this battle was an extension of Waarmu n d s territory . Its scene identified on the border s of Gloucestershire and Ox fordshir e 52 , ‘ e mu n d r r r fia i an d esigned the gove nment in favou of O , d ed, was buried at Gloucester ’ T h e story of Offa s queen A T CH P ER V I . T hree versions of the story of Hor n He atholaf r r Y r , his fathe , eigned in o kshire His death T he fortunes of Horn T CON ENT S . 1X A T I CH P ER V I . Beowulf adopted by Hrethel ; his a quatic contest with Brecca Accompanied Hygelac in his expedition against the Sw eos 1 Heort r e r rn His voyage to , conflict with G end l , and etu Was admitte d by Hygelac to partnership in th e kingdom ’ T ook part in Hygelac s expedition against the Fr anks i n the r e Refused to take the kingdom nto his own ha d, to p ejudic ’ hi s He ardr ed a ter H elac s of cousin , f yg death ’ e r r er Heardred s B came sole ule of the Geats, aft death At feud with the Wiwings ’ r r Sc ldin s r ro r Called to eign ove the y g , afte the fall of H thga s r T h rr E o I a ace . e a ival of ppa and d ’ Ida s r eig n in Bernicia ’ Beowu lf s adventure with a dragon his death T he scene of this adventure identified T he death of Beowulf immediately preceded the accession of JElle ; he was probably of the same race Wi laf Weoh stan g , the son of E ofer Wonred Wulf and , the sons of V h r r Ur Rhe ed l , the adve sa y of ien of g Connection of the heroes of the poem of B eowulf with the ancestors of five of the Anglo - Saxon royal dyn asties The succession of the first sovereign s of Deira and Bernicia (Note to pag e 7 5) I h e id th th e eed h ch th e co le ed on th e orks r co s av sa at sp at w i b s, us Y hi e a t, ” can ai ir i d i s o ei m e h our. i h or i e th e s l , with a fa w n , ab ut ght il s an E g t n n , was n er to u er on h i h e d ddres ed to rien d re de on th e co s wh o a sw a q y t s a , a s a f si nt a t, der ed h is in orm o rom th e fi sh er e h em e e i or to h om I iv f ati n f m n t s lv s ; but a sa l , w u t th e same a nd wh o w a s le like h th e fi h ermen to i e a o ra e e i p , ss ly t an s g v a f v u bl st m e of th e ilin o er of h eir cr d e e an d h i I hin k is r h e at sa g p w s t aft, sai s v n t s t at r u n der h e m k o e er ce th e o e to e 7 5 r ed I h t r . e me a H w v , sin n t pag was p int , av t w i h o e hi h ich I h a d re io s o er ooked an d h ch i e t s m t ng w p v u ly v l , w i w ll nable us to ’ i ud e h e d s e form a more prec se j gm nt as to t spee of Beowulf s ve s l .
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