The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki (Penguin Classics)
by Anonymous, Jesse L. Byock
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Book Summary Information
Author: Anonymous, Jesse L. ByockTranslator: Jesse L. Byock
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1999-02-01
ISBN: 014043593X
Number of pages: 144
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Book Reviews of The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki (Penguin Classics)
Book Review: An Essential Nordic Legend
Summary: 5 Stars
The mythology and legends of a people portray their philosophy, ideals, morality, and character. This saga takes place mainly in pre-Christian Scandinavia, and is a testament to the heroic nature, and high standards of personal honor idealized by the cultures of Northern Europe. The central character is King Hrolf Kraki, a Danish warrior-king of great status in his region. As is common in most Scandinavian Sagas, the story starts with the ancestors in previous generations, describing how the main characters came to be in the significant circumstances of the narrative. The saga contains the exploits of numerous people, good and evil, noble or corrupt, whose actions result in the plight of the primary heros. It is through the tale of one of these main characters, Bodvar, that we have an insight into the Heroic Ideal of ancient pre-Christian Scandinavians:
Bodvar was a warrior of abnormal strength and courage. He was one of three exceptional brothers, all born with abnormal supernatural attributes due to a spell upon their parents at the hands of an evil sorceress-queen. Bodvar went forth to become a warrior in the service of King Hrolf Kraki. At the court, he found that the favored means of entertainment by the king's champions, was to hurl bones at a week, clownish and pathetic man named Hot. They forced him nightly to sit in the bone-pile, where he was frequently injured by this abusive hazing. Bodvar's sensibilities are outraged by this vile behavior against a defensless person. The champions are mostly a clique of loud-mouthed braggarts. Bodvar enters the hall, speaking to no one. His first action, is to drag Hot out of the bone-pile, and sit him on the bench next to him. All the king's champions are outraged by this audacity, and after some tense silence and hard stares, one of them acquires the nerve to throw a large ox bone at Bodvar. Bodvar catches it, and hurls it right back at the instigator, killing him outright. At this point, the king inquires as to who he is, why he is there. After introductions, Bodvar is welcomed into the king's service. Bodvar retains Hot as a sidekick.
Later on, it has come the time of year when a monster makes his annual visit to kill and eat one of the king's warriors (echos of Beowulf). Bodvar takes Hot out to find this monster, and he kills it outright. Hot, being very mortal, is terrified. Bodvar forces Hot to drink the monster's blood, and then gives him arms, and trains him to fight. Hot undergoes a transformation. At the hall, king Hrolf renames him Hjalti the magnanimous. Together, Bodvar and Hjalti eventually kill off the remaining thugs in the king's service, and recruit better men to serve the king.
This, to me, is the measure of a true hero. A hero can not abide dishonorable behavior, and takes a stand against it. He helps a weak person to be strong, and doing so, creates yet another hero.
Summary of The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki (Penguin Classics)
Composed in medieval Iceland, Hrolf's Saga is one of the greatest of all mythic-legendary sagas, relating half-fantastical events that were said to have occurred in fifth-century Denmark. It tells of the exploits of King Hrolf and of his famous champions, including Bodvar Bjarki, the bear-warrior': a powerful figure whose might and bear-like nature are inspired by the same legendary heritage as Beowulf. Depicting a world of wizards, sorceresses and berserker' fighters originally members of a cult of Odin this is a compelling tale of ancient magic. A work of timeless power and beauty, it offers both a treasury of Icelandic prose and a masterful gathering of epic, cultic memory, traditional folk tale and myths from the Viking age and far earlier.Classics Books
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