Aid from the Elf-Ruler: Line 1314a and the Pre-Christian Antecedents of Beowulf

IF 0.2 3区 文学 0 LANGUAGE & LINGUISTICS STUDIES IN PHILOLOGY Pub Date : 2024-04-06 DOI:10.1353/sip.2024.a923964
Michael D. C. Drout, Caiden Kumar
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Abstract

Abstract:

Line 1314b of Beowulf is regularly emended to “alwalda” (Ruler of All) from the manuscript form “alf walda” (Ruler of Elves). But the other instances of “alwalda” in Beowulf do not have visible space between the l and the w, and no plausible motivation for the addition of an f and a space has been proposed if the exemplar read “alwalda.” We contend, therefore, that MS “alf walda” is correct, and that the compound refers to the pre-Christian deity Yngvi-Freyr (to use the more familiar Norse name) rather than to the Christian God. We note that in the same passage in which “alf walda” appears, the Danes are called the “Ingwine” (friends/followers of Ing) and that later in the poem Hrothgar’s daughter is named “Freawaru” (watchful care of Freyr). Connecting this material with archaeological finds at Gamle Lejre that indicate the sacrifice of pigs (Freyr’s sacred animal), the place name Hleiðra (“the place of the tent”), and the statement in line 175 that the Danes made sacrifices “æt hærgtrafum” (at the pagan tabernacles), we argue that “alf walda” is part of a larger pattern of connections between the Danes in Beowulf and pre-Christian Germanic practices that appear to have been understood by one of Beowulf’s sources (and perhaps by the Beowulf-poet) but which were opaque to later scribes.

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来自精灵统治者的援助:第 1314a 行和《贝奥武夫》的基督教前身
摘要:《贝奥武夫》第 1314b 行经常被修正为 "alwalda"(万物之主),而手稿形式则为 "alf walda"(精灵之主)。但是,《贝奥武夫》中其他 "alwalda "的例子中,l 和 w 之间并没有明显的空格,而且如果范例读作 "alwalda",也没有人提出添加 f 和空格的合理动机。因此,我们认为 MS 中的 "alf walda "是正确的,这个复合词指的是基督教之前的神灵 Yngvi-Freyr(使用更熟悉的北欧名称),而不是基督教的神灵。我们注意到,在出现 "alf walda "的同一段落中,丹麦人被称为 "Ingwine"(英的朋友/追随者),在诗歌的后面,赫鲁斯加尔的女儿被称为 "Freawaru"(弗雷尔的看护)。将这些材料与在 Gamle Lejre 的考古发现联系起来,这些发现表明曾有人用猪(弗雷尔的圣物)献祭,地名 Hleiðra("帐篷的地方"),以及第 175 行中关于丹麦人在 "æt hærgtrafum"(异教帐篷)献祭的说法、我们认为,"alf walda "是《贝奥武夫》中的丹麦人与基督教之前的日耳曼习俗之间更大关联模式的一部分,《贝奥武夫》的一位资料来源(或许还有《贝奥武夫》诗人)似乎了解这些习俗,但后来的抄写员却不清楚这些习俗。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
0.30
自引率
0.00%
发文量
20
期刊介绍: Founded in 1903, Studies in Philology addresses scholars in a wide range of disciplines, though traditionally its strength has been English Medieval and Renaissance studies. SIP publishes articles on British literature before 1900 and on relations between British literature and works in the Classical, Romance, and Germanic Languages.
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