Beowulf and Lejre

John D. Niles

Featuring contributions by • Tom Christensen and Marijane Osborn

Translations by Faith Ingwersen, Carole E. Newlands, and William Sayers Foreword by John Hines Afterword by Tom Shippey

Edited by John D. Niles and Marijane Osborn

ACMRS (Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies) Tempe, Arizona 2007 CONTENTS

Foreword vii Abbreviations xiii Introduction 1 Maps 1 & 2 • 8

Part I. Lejre—Fact and Fable, with a New Chapter 11 Tom Christensen, Lejre: Fact and Fable (1991) 21 Holger Schmidt, "Reconstruction of the Lejre Hall" (1991) 103 Tom Christensen, "A New Round of Excavations at Lejre (to 2005)" 109

Part II: Lejre as Seen by Other Contemporary Archaeologists 127 Harald Andessen, "The Capital of the Realm" (1960) 129 David M. Wilson, "Hiberno-Saxon Imports at Lejre" (1960) 139 Steen Wulff Andersen, "Lejre: Ship Settings, Viking Graves, Grydeh0j" (1993) 143 Nicolai Garhoj Larsen, "Virtual Reconstruction: The Viking Hall at Lejre" 159

Part III. Beowulf and Lejre 167 John D. Niles, "Beowulf And Lejre" 169 Marijane Osborn, "Legends of Lejre, Home of Kings" 235 John D. Niles, "Was There a 'Legend of Lejre'?" 255 John D. Niles, "Lejre in the Modern Era: The Rise and Fall of a Myth" 267 Marijane Osborn, "The Lejre Connection in Beowulf Scholarship" 287

Part IV. Some Medieval Sources for the Legendary History of Lejre 295 Thietmar of Merseburg, Chronicon 297 Grottasongr 301 The Lejre Chronicle 311 SvenAggesen, A Short History of the Kings of Denmark . . 329 Skjoldunga saga, in Arngrimur Jonsson's Latin paraphrase 333 Saxo Grammaticus, History of the Danes 341 Snorri Sturluson, Ynglinga saga 363 Snorri Sturluson, "Hrolf Kraki and Vogg" 375 The Saga of Hrolf Kraki 379 CONTENTS

Part V. Some Impressions of Lejre 1643-2005 389 Ole Worm, "On the Danes' Ancient Sacrifices" (1643) 391 Erich Pontoppidan, from The Danish Atlas (1764) 401 Francisco de Miranda, "A Tour of Ledreborg and Lejre" (1788) 405 Frederik Miinter, from "Lejre in Zealand at the Beginning of the 411 Nineteenth Century" (1805) N.F.S. Grundtvig, "Echo-Song of the Bjarkamal" (1817) 423 B.S. Ingemann, selection from Holger Danske: Et Digt (1837) 431 Gregor Sarrazin, three studies relating to Beowulf and Lejre (1886-1910) 435 Maurice P. Dunlap, "Leidra: The Early Viking Capital of Denmark" (1923) 449 Sigurd Vasegaard, four illustrations to Danmarks Riges Krenike (1970) 455 John D. Niles, "Land of Contrasts: The Lejre Experimental Centre" 461

Afterword (by Tom Shippey) 469

Acknowledgments 481 List of Maps 483 Index of Modern Scholars 485 General Index 489