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APPENDIX C Two Scandinavian Analogues of Beowulf Beowulf has a number of possible sources and analogues for the historical references, religious allusions, and descriptions of monsters in the poem, but no direct source for the story of Beowulf and his battles with the Grendelkin and dragon. Some of the history in the poem is “poeticized” or slanted in ways to fit the story. Many of the relevant materials, especially the Nordic sagas, postdate Beowulf, though both may be based in part on earlier oral traditions. Readers interested in learning more about the historical or legendary materials should consult Andersson’s “Sources and Analogues,” in chapter 7 of A Beowulf Handbook (Bjork and Niles), Orchard’s “Myth and Legend,” in chapter 4 of his book, A Critical Companion to Beowulf, and Sections III and IV of the Introduction and Appendix A of Klaeber 4. Limitation of space here makes it impossible to discuss all of the possible sources and analogues of Beowulf, but I want take up briefly portions of two important Nordic tales in relation to the poem—the battle between Grettir and the monsters in Grettis Saga, and the battle between Sigurd and the dragon Fafnir in Fafnismal and Volsunga Saga. Klaeber 4 notes that “a genetic relation of some kind seems to exist between Beowulf and particular Scandinavian stories, including the one attached to Grettir the Strong” (xxxviii). Since the composition date of Grettis Saga is probably much later than that of Beowulf, it may have been influenced by the Old English poem. Another scenario is that both stories may owe something to a Nordic oral folktale, which was retold and reshaped as it moved westward into Iceland and AngloSaxon England. The story of Grettir’s battles with Beowulf-like monsters is translated in Garmonsway and Simpson (all quotations below are taken from their text) and can be summarized as follows: 224 | A PPENDIX C The owner of a haunted farmstead has trouble hiring shepherds because they are always savagely killed by a monster on Christmas Eve. They are discovered with their bones smashed up in landscapes that look as though there has been “some pretty violent wrestling there” (304). Grettir hears about this and decides to visit the farmstead, even though his uncle warns him of the danger. Grettir says, “Where there’s trouble in my neighbor’s house, there’s trouble knocking at my door” (304). Grettir goes to the farmstead house and beds down there in his clothes, pretending to sleep, till the monster Glamr enters and grabs hold of him. Their savage battle nearly destroys the hall. Almost dead, Glamr puts a curse on Grettir, saying that he must live the life of an outlaw, his strength will never increase, and all his “deeds shall turn to ill-luck” (312). Then Grettir cuts off Glamr’s head. In a later story in the saga, Grettir comes to another farmstead called Sandhauger , which is being similarly haunted on Christmas Eve. He comes in disguise because he has become an outlaw as Glamr predicted. Again he sleeps in his clothes, playing possum and waiting for his attacker. A she-troll comes into the hall with a trough in one hand and a knife in the other. They battle all night, and she drags him out of the hall, tearing down the hall-door and frame, and carries him down to a river gorge, where he cuts off her right arm. Dying, she escapes under a waterfall, and he returns to the hall, where he is nursed back to health. After he recovers, Grettir and a priest return to the river gorge and the waterfall . There is a cave behind the waterfall that goes sixty feet down. Grettir anchors a rope for his return climb and tells the priest to guard it. He then dives down through the water into the cave, where he finds a great giant sitting by a fire. The two begin fighting ferociously. The giant takes down a sword hanging on the cave wall, but Grettir guts him so that his entrails fall into the river. The priest sees the guts in the water and flees, believing Grettir to be dead. Grettir explores the cave, finding human bones and some treasure. Because the priest has fled, Grettir is forced to climb hand over hand up the rope without help. He brings the bones to the church along with a wooden rune stick inscribed with a poetical account of his adventure. This account indicates...

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