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
{"title":"Aid from the Elf-Ruler: Line 1314a and the Pre-Christian Antecedents of Beowulf","authors":"Michael D. C. Drout, Caiden Kumar","doi":"10.1353/sip.2024.a923964","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Abstract:</p><p>Line 1314b of <i>Beowulf</i> is regularly emended to “alwalda” (Ruler of All) from the manuscript form “alf walda” (Ruler of Elves). But the other instances of “alwalda” in <i>Beowulf</i> do not have visible space between the <i>l</i> and the <i>w</i>, and no plausible motivation for the addition of an <i>f</i> 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 <i>Hleiðra</i> (“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 <i>Beowulf</i> and pre-Christian Germanic practices that appear to have been understood by one of <i>Beowulf’</i>s sources (and perhaps by the <i>Beowulf</i>-poet) but which were opaque to later scribes.</p></p>","PeriodicalId":45500,"journal":{"name":"STUDIES IN PHILOLOGY","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.2000,"publicationDate":"2024-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"STUDIES IN PHILOLOGY","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1353/sip.2024.a923964","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"0","JCRName":"LANGUAGE & LINGUISTICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0

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.

查看原文
分享 分享
微信好友 朋友圈 QQ好友 复制链接
本刊更多论文
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。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
求助全文
约1分钟内获得全文 去求助
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.
期刊最新文献
Recreating the Eye of the Beholder: Technopaegnia, Encrypted Reading, and a New Version of "Easter-wings" Motherhood, Building, and Dynasty in the Roman de Melusine Jealousy in Early Modern England Pearl and the Fairies of Romance: Hermeneutics and Intertextuality in a Fourteenth-Century Religious Dream Vision Aid from the Elf-Ruler: Line 1314a and the Pre-Christian Antecedents of Beowulf
×
引用
GB/T 7714-2015
复制
MLA
复制
APA
复制
导出至
BibTeX EndNote RefMan NoteFirst NoteExpress
×
×
提示
您的信息不完整,为了账户安全,请先补充。
现在去补充
×
提示
您因"违规操作"
具体请查看互助需知
我知道了
×
提示
现在去查看 取消
×
提示
确定
0
微信
客服QQ
Book学术公众号 扫码关注我们
反馈
×
意见反馈
请填写您的意见或建议
请填写您的手机或邮箱
已复制链接
已复制链接
快去分享给好友吧!
我知道了
×
扫码分享
扫码分享
Book学术官方微信
Book学术文献互助
Book学术文献互助群
群 号:481959085
Book学术
文献互助 智能选刊 最新文献 互助须知 联系我们:info@booksci.cn
Book学术提供免费学术资源搜索服务,方便国内外学者检索中英文文献。致力于提供最便捷和优质的服务体验。
Copyright © 2023 Book学术 All rights reserved.
ghs 京公网安备 11010802042870号 京ICP备2023020795号-1