The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki

By Anonymous

Book Overview

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.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 014043593X
• ISBN13: 9780140435931
• Release Date: February 1999
• Publisher: Penguin Classics
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 0.61 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.1" x 7.8"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

An Essential Nordic Legend

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.

A Tale of Great Warriors and the Supernatural

This saga tells much the same story as BEOWULF -- 500 years later and from half an ocean away. In their volcanic fastnesses, the Icelanders not only told and retold the famous Sagas of Icelanders, but also sagas of kings, warriors, and saints -- even when they had little or nothing to do with Iceland. As the Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus wrote around 1200, Icelanders "take great pleasure in discovering and commemmorating the achievements of all nations; in their view, it is as enlightening to discourse on the prowess of others as to display their own." Fortunately, this book is translated and edited by Professor Jesse L Byock of UCLA, whose VIKING AGE ICELAND is a model introduction to the subject of the Icelandic saga. In addition to providing an excellent translation, Byock's introduction is both thorough and enlightening; and, typical of his work, there are illustrative maps, drawings, genealogies, notes, charts and tables, and a useful glossary of characters. If you've read BEOWULF, why bother cracking Kraki? For one thing, the Icelanders are great story-tellers, and the saga is a great read. I found it interesting that while the saga was written some 350 years into the Christian era, it is every bit as pagan as the Anglo-Saxon story. Odin appears in disguise twice in the story, with nary a bishop or saint in the offing. (Only a few oblique references toward the end point to some inkling of Christianity.) It has long been my contention that Christianity sat ever so lightly on the mailed shoulders of the Icelanders. The grim gods of the Asatru never quite disappeared. In fact, it would not be surprising if the SAGA OF KING HROLF KRAKI were written by Christian monks at Skalholt or Holar or some other monastic community.Picture the long dark Arctic winter nights in those scattered sod huts with their grass roofs. There was nothing like good food and drink punctuated with a story of great warriors and the supernatural to make the time pass quickly. Funny thing, it still reads well today.

Before Star Wars.....there were the Sagas.....

Wow! What a book! This was my first experience reading one of the Icelandic Sagas and I must admit, this was really a treat of a find. The story is compelling. Numerous Kings, Queens, Sorceresses, Wizards, and other larger-than-life characters populate this archaic text translated by Jesse Byock. Not only is the story good, but it actually has an interesting introduction as well as relevant and easy-to-follow footnotes. The map, genealogical charts, and the glossary of names are very user-friendly and interesting as well. I have heard that the Sagas are difficult to read because of the style of prose. Maybe some of them are, however, this one grabbed a hold of my imagination until I ripped through the mere 77 pages of main story text. If you are looking for a good place to start with the sagas and do not want something that is overly long, this is a good place to start. King Hrolf Kraki has everything you would wish for in an adventure story. Not only that, but what a cool name for a King.

An Incredible Work

Having had the incredible opportunity to attend a class in Norse mythology at the University of California, Los Angeles with Mr. Byock, I wholeheartedly encourage anyone with the slightest bit of interest in the area of Scandinavian literature and Norse mythology to read Byock's translation of THE SAGA OF KING HROLF KRAKI. The translation is accurate and detailed, and Byock's introduction and notes are elucidating and easy to read.THE SAGA OF KING HROLF KRAKI is probably derived from the same oral stories as the Anglo-Saxon classic, BEOWULF. Byock details the many similarities in one section of the book, showing the uncanny parallels. The saga recounts the tragic life of King Hrolf, the king of Denmark, his lineage, and of his companions. Thoroughly entertaining, THE SAGA OF KING HROLF KRAKI features berserks and wizards, the dooming love of Hrolf's father for his daughter, and the villainous King Adils of Sweden in an engrossing narrative.Byock is a leader in his field and tells the story like no other, readable and informed. Readers who enjoyed BEOWULF or THE PROSE EDDA will find nothing but joy in reading THE SAGA OF KING HROLF KRAKI, and there is enough between its covers to be recommended to everyone.

One of the most adventurous sagas I have read.

Hrolf's Saga is written in a style that most closely resembles Saga of the Volsungs about Sigurd the Dragon Slayer (the source of the Wagner opera). Although difficult to summarize, this saga set in Denmark has better characters and pacing than the longer ones set in Iceland (Njal's Saga, Laxdaela Saga, Egil's Saga, Eyrbyggja Saga) and the story possibly dates back to the 6th century AD. It is also noted that it shares some kinship with Beowulf. Although only 78 pages, the story moves quickly and is a good trial book for those who have never read an Icelandic Saga before. As with the other sagas was written in the Christian era, in the 14th century, but still remembers older traditions.