SIDELIGHTS ON TEUTONIC HISTORY DURING THE MIGRATION PERIOD M. G. CLARKE ^=00 ICO 'CO GIRTON COLLEGE STUDIES No, III GIRTON COLLEGE STUDIES EDITED BY LILIAN KNOWLES, LITT.D., READER IN ECONOMIC HISTORY IN THE UNIVERSITY OP LONDON No. 3 SIDELIGHTS ON TEUTONIC HISTORY DURING THE MIGRATION PERIOD CAMBEIDGE UNIVERSITY PEESS Edition: FETTER LANE, E.G. C. F. CLAY, MANAGER 100, PRINCES STREET Btrlin : A. ASHER AND CO. leipjifi: F. A. BROCKHAUS #efo 8orh: G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS Bambap. anH Calcutta : MACMILLAN AND CO., LTD. All rights reserved SIDELIGHTS ON TEUTONIC HISTORY DURING THE MIGRATION PERIOD BEING BY M. G. CLARKE, M.A. Cambridge : SEEN BY at the University F ress 1 PRESERVATION 191 SERVICES \\ PR SI PRINTED BY JOHN CLAY, M.A. AT THE UNTVEKSITY PRESS PREFACE following chapters are the outcome of two periods THEof stud}7 undertaken during the tenure of research scholarships awarded by Girton College, and form an attempt to discover the amount of historical truth under lying the allusions to persons and events in the Old English heroic poems. The essay deals with an aspect of these poems, which I has not, so far as know, been treated systematically by- anyone who has previously written on the subject. Thus, in the absence of any model, I have had to work on independent lines, especially as regards the grouping and arrangement of different traditions, and the method of discussion followed in the several chapters. The actual arrangement has been adopted for convenience of discus sion, according to the nationality of the persons concerned, except in cases where a particular section forms a complete epic narrative with a personal (as opposed to a national) interest of its own: in these cases the tradition has been discussed under the heading of the poem in which it is contained, or that of the character round whom the narrative centres. vi PREFACE Each chapter is arranged thus : I. An account of the tradition respecting the nation or hero in question, pieced together from the scattered allusions in the poems. II. The evidence of other authorities dealing with the same traditions or with the same characters. III. A comparative view of the evidence of these authorities in its relation to the substance of the Old English poems. IV. A summary of the inferences as to historical truth which may justifiably be deduced from the allusions in the poems. The positive results obtained are often extremely meagre, and in no case do they make any claim to finality. Though much work has been done in this direction, much still remains: and any value which this study may possess lies chiefly in exploring new possibilities and in indicating the paths along which further research may in time lead to more definite conclusions. NOTE. In the first three chapters a certain amount of repetition has been inevitable owing to the close relations existing between Swedes, Gautar and Danes, and the frequent necessity of citing the same facts in connection with each. Some explanation must be added regarding the use of proper names, which may at times appear somewhat inconsistent : each name has, as far as possible, been given in the form in which it occurs in the particular authority under discussion at the moment, e.g. in dealing with English evidence the English form has been given, as 'Beowulf,' 'Offa,' while in citing Scandinavian evidence, ' ' the Scandinavian forms have been employed, as Bgdvar,' Uffo,' PREFACE Vll and so on. (The exceptions to this are well established English forms such as 'Swauhild,' 'Walther.' I have used these wherever possible, usually giving in brackets the particular forms employed by different authorities.) On more neutral ground, viz. sections in and iv of each chapter containing the comparison of evidence and probable historical value of the tradition in question, the most generally accepted form of the name where possible its English equivalent has been adopted. In Scandinavian personal names, it may be added, the final in flexional consonant has been discarded, except in the case of names ending in a vowel. The subject of the study was originally suggested to me by Mr H. M. Chadwick, Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge: I have been under constant obligation to Mr Chadwick for the help he has given me in the course of my work, and many valuable ideas, which I owe to him, are incorporated in the essay. My thanks are equally due to Professor Napier of Oxford University for assist ance especially in the latter stages of the work, including many useful criticisms and suggestions. Many facts regarding Icelandic literature and sociology have been brought to my notice by Miss B. S. Phillpotts, lately Librarian of Girton College. I have also to acknowledge the assistance which I have received from Miss Bentinck Smith, Headmistress of St Leonard's School, St Andrews, formerly Lecturer and Director of Studies in Mediaeval and Modern Languages at Girton College: Mr Eirikr Magniisson, late Assistant Librarian, Cambridge University Library; Sir W. M. Ramsay, Professor of Humanity in the University of Aberdeen; Mr H. J. C. Grierson, Professor of English Literature in the University of Vlll PREFACE Aberdeen Mr John Lecturer in ; my father, Clarke, Education in the University of Aberdeen, and others : as also the facilities for study and the courtesy and kindness extended to me by the Librarian and Assistants of the Cambridge University Library. M. G. CLARKE ST ANDREWS 28 January 1911 CONTENTS HAP. PA.OE LIST OF CHIEF ABBREVIATIONS ..... xi . 1 INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER . .... I. THE GEATAS. 25 I. The Geatas in Beowulf and Widsith ... ii. Evidence derived from Scandinavian literature regarding a. The person of Beowulf \r .... 31 b. The Geatas ...'.... 38 Historical references to the Geatas (Gotar) in foreign authorities 42 in, iv. Comparison of evidence, and summary of historical facts underlying the references to the Geatas (Gotar) in Beowulf and Widxith . 44 II. THE DANES. 58 I. The Danes in Beowulf . The Danes in Widsith .60 II. Other references to the Danes . .61 Historical references . s . 62 Hrolfssaga kraJca 63 Landndmabok ....... 68 Ynglingasaga ....... 69 Saxo 72 Skdldskapermdl 74 Arngrim Jonsson's epitome of Skjoldungasaga . 76 I CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE in. Comparison of evidence with regard to the Danes . 80 Yrsa and Hrolf Kraki 82 Heoroweard .90 Hrothgar and Hrothulf 91 The Hall Heorot -.93 Hrethric .95 Hrothgar's Warriors 101 The Heathobeardan in Beowulf . .103 The identity of Froda the Heathobeard . .114 Sigehere and Alevih .116 Heremod . ... 121 Scyld Scefing . .... .122 Healfdene . 130 Beowulf (cf. Beo. 1. 53 ff.) . / .134 The Ring Sviagris 136 iv. Summary of evidence on Danish tradition in the light of its historical value . .138 III. THE SWEDES . I. The Swedes in Beowulf II. References to the Swedes (1) in Latin historians . (2) in Scandinavian authorities .... in. Comparison of evidence with regard to the Swedes . iv. Historical facts underlying the Swedish traditions in Beowulf . 154_ IV. OFPA. I. Oft'a in Beoioulf and Widsith 157 ii. Other authorities for Oflfa 158 Vita Offae I . 159 Vita Offae II . 161 in. Comparison of evidence with regard to Ofta . 165 iv. Historical facts underlying references to Offa in Beowulf and Widsith . .174 CONTENTS XI CHAP. PAGE V. FINN. I and in. Discussion of the epic fragment Finn and of the Finn episode in Beowulf ... .177 iv. Historical background of the Finn saga . .184 VI. DEOR . , . .188 a. HILDE SAGA I. Hilde saga in the Old English poems . 190 II. Other authorities for the Hilde saga Skdldskapermdl 191 Saxo . 192 - Sorla]>dttr . 194 Mhg. epic Gudrun . ... 197 in. Comparison of evidence with regard to the Hilde saga ....... 199 iv. Historical value of the Hilde saga . 201 b. WELAND SAGA. i. Weland saga in Old English poems . 201 II. Other authorities for Weland saga Vqlundarqvida . 202 Thictrekssaga . 203 in and iv. Discussion of evidence regarding the Weland saga, and a consideration of its historical value . '. ... 206 VII. THE BURGUNDIANS AND WALDERE. a. THE BURGDNDIANS ...*... 209 I. References to the Burgundians in Old English poems . 209 II. Foreign authorities containing evidence with regard to the Burgundians .... 210 in, iv. The Burgundians in history . .211 The Burgundians in saga . 213 xil CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE 6. WALDERE. Classification of versions of the saga . .218 I. Alemannic version of Walthari saga A. S. Waldere 21& Waltharius of Ekkehart I . .221 II. Prankish version of Walthari saga Mhg. fragments of Walther und Hildegund . 225 .' . 225 Thiitrehsaga . in. Comparison of authorities dealing with Walthari saga 226 iv. Historical value of Walthari saga . 227 VIII. THE ERMANRIC SAGA a. ERMANRIC. i. Ermanric in Old English literature . II. Foreign references to the Ermanric saga . Ammianus Marcellinus Jordanes Hamdis-mdl Saxo . '..... Vglsuiigasaga in. Comparison of evidence regarding Ermanric . 6. ERMANRIC'S "!NNWEORUD" ... ." . East-Gota, Becca, etc. 241 Theodric 244 Heathoric and Sifecan, Hlithe and Incgen- theow, etc. ....... 246 Wudga and Kama 247 1 c. BROSINGA MENE 250 iv. Historical background of Ermanric saga . 253 Note to Chapter VIII. ". .255 CONCLUSION . ; . 257 APPENDIX I. NATIONS AND KINGS VISITED BY WIDSITH 260 APPENDIX II. LIST OP GENEALOGIES . 270 BIBLIOGRAPHY 275 LIST OF CHIEF ABBREVIATIONS Aarb.f. nord. Oldkynd. Aartyger for nordiske Oldkyndighed. Abh. d. Berl. Akad. Abhandlungen der Berliner Akademie. Acad. Academy. A.f.d.A. Anzeiger fur deutsches Altertum. Alp. Alpharfs Tod. Ammian. Ammianus Marcellinus. Angl. Anglia. Ann. Quedl. Annals of Quedlinburg. Archiv Archiv fur das Studium der neueren Sprachen und Litteratur. Ark. f. nord. Fil. Arkiv for nordisk Filologi. A. S. Chr. Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. B.B.Z.A. Bonner Beitrage zur Anglistik. Beo. Beowulf. Bit. Biterolf. Bjr. Bjarkarimur. Dfl. Dietrich's Flucht. D.H.D. Danmarks Heltedigtning. D.H.S. Deutsche Heldensage. E.E.T.S.