Hygelac

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hygelac is the figure of the king of the Gauten , who appears in the old English heroic epic Beowulf , whose royal clan the hero of the epic, Beowulf, belongs to. Hygelac, acting as Beowulf's uncle and fatherly role model, is the only historically transmitted figure in Beowulf ; she gives the epic a real dimension. The historical events and people associated with Hygelac are consistent with the other traditions. A historical core is therefore considered to be proven for the epic Beowulf .

Historical research identifies Hygelac (reconstructed Germanic : * Hugilaikaz ) with the Viking prince Chlochilaicus , attested by Gregory of Tours , who invaded Gaul between the years 516 and 522 and died there. Hygelac is also associated with the Rex Getarum in the Liber Monstrorum .

Life and position

In the old English heroic epic Beowulf , King Hygelac is assigned to the Gauten tribe. The land of the Gauten is the second geographical center in Beowulf , next to the royal seat of Heorot . However, hardly any details about the Gauts are given; the poet could obviously assume that these were well known to the public.

Beowulf is the son of Ecgþeow and Hygelac's sister, that is, Hygelac is Beowulf's uncle. Hygelac, the third son of Gautenköngis Hreðel and married to Hygd , the daughter of Haereds , has the brothers Herebeald and Hæþcyn . His marriage to the son Hygd comes Heardred and a daughter with Eofor is married.

The Gauten are often involved in arguments with the Swedes . Its climax is the Battle of Rabenholz around 510, in which Hygelac takes part together with his brother Hæþcyn. When Hæþcyn is attacked, the wife of the King of Sweden Ongenþeow is captured. When his brother fights with the Swedes in Hrefnesholt , Hygelac arrives one day too late to save him: Hæþcyn is killed by the Swedes. But Hygelac succeeds in freeing the surviving Gauten, who are besieged by the Swedish King Ongenþeow. The Swedes flee to a fortress, where they are overwhelmed and their king Ongenþeow is slain by Eofor. After the death of his brother, Hygelac becomes king of the Gauts.

Later, Hygelac, with Beowulf as a follower, undertakes a Viking trip to Friesland as far as the Lower Rhine and from there to the North Sea coast, before reaching which he is defeated by the Franks, where he is killed. This move against the Franconian Frisians or Franks, the first ever documented move of the Vikings in Western Europe, is considered a historical fact. Hygelac functions in the Beowulf epic as a courageous, warlike king, who, however, lacks foresight and cleverness, which means that he cannot be considered an ideal king.

Viking trip to Friesland

According to the report in Gregory of Tours' Historia Francorum, historical research dated Hygelac's foray into Friesland to around 521. This Viking journey is the only information in the Beowulf that can be historically verified. The epic tells of an initially successful raid, which - with the murder of Hygelac and the victory of Hetware - ends in a fiasco for the Gauten, as well as Beowulf's revenge on Hygelac's death and his subsequent swimming escape. In the rear, Beowulf kills the standard bearer Daeghrefn , Hygelac's murderer, and returns to the Gauts with rich booty. As a reward, the Gauten offer him the orphaned throne of Hygelac.

Ordinary will to plunder is cited as the reason for Hygelac's attack, but the research also interprets the attack as a conscious intervention in the struggle for power in western Europe between the Ostrogoth Theodoric the Great and the Franks. The report on the Viking trip to Friesland lists four tribes against which Hygelac fought: the Franks, Friesians, Hetware and Hugas. It is unclear with which people the Hugas can be identified. In the Beowulf epic only a few geographical details exist.

In general, the Rhine delta is seen as the site of the attack. Hygelac's ships must have sailed through the Kattegat and then along the North Sea coast . Apparently they finally reached the IJssel through the Zuidersee . After the attack, Hygelac's followers easily escaped again on the Waal towards the North Sea. However, Hygelac himself waited too long, he was overwhelmed and killed by the hetware. Hygelac was buried on one of the islands near Friesland.

Historical sources

The raid of Hygelac on the land of the Frankish Frisians mentioned in Beowulf is identified by historical research with the same foray that Gregory of Tours reported in the Historia Francorum . The Danish king Chlochilaicius undertook a foray into the Frisians, which ended with the defeat and death of Chlochilaicius through the intervention of the designated Austrasian heir to the throne Theudebert . Ian N. Wood sees the equation of Chlochilaich with Hygelac as a historical process, which Morten Axboe further confirms with the strength of the Danish people who emerged in the 6th century, emphasized by Prokopios and Jordanes .

The Historia Francorum , written around 576, is the earliest source to report this raid. In 1817 Nikolai Grundtvig was the first to accept the Chlochilaicius of the Historia Francorum as being identical to the Hyelac in Beowulf and thus dated the events in the Beowulf epic between the years 515 to 530.

Hygelac is also passed down as Chochilaicus in the anonymous Liber Historiae Francorum , which was written around 727 and was also known under the name Gesta Regum Francorum . Likewise, the character Hygelac from the Liber Monstrorum , from Snorri Sturluson's Ynglinga saga and from the Gesta Danorum of Saxo Grammaticus is known.

First Jacob Grimm identified the Huiglauc or Hunclac des Liber Monstrorum . The Liber Monstrorum tells of a king of the Geten who went on a foray into the land of the Attuarii ( Hattuarias ). At that time, the Attuarii were a North Sea Germanic tribe who settled between the Lower Rhine and Zuidersee under the protection of the Merovingian king . Hygelac himself stayed on board his ship, where he was ambushed and killed by Theudebert's Frankish troops. His gigantic body was buried on one of the islands near Friesland in the mouth of the Rhine.

In Beowulf and Liber Monstrorum , Hygelac appears as a Gaute, but in both the Historia Francorum and the Gesta Danorum he is referred to as a Dane. The concurring reports of the attack and death of Hygelac in the Frankish sources and in Beowulf undoubtedly refer to the same historically verifiable event. However, the Scandinavian sources dealing with Hygelac - the Gesta Danorum and the Ynglinga saga - do not report anything about Hygelac's Viking trip to the Franks.

Apart from the Huglec in Saxo, there is no other Gaute in Scandinavian literature. So it is doubtful whether the Gauts in the Beowulf were a real people who then disappeared in the dark, or whether they never existed or are identical with the Danes.

The battle area mentioned in the Liber Historiae Francorum , but not mentioned in the older historiography of Gregory of Tours, is controversial because of its apparently receptive dependence on Beowulf - insofar as its geographical reliability is concerned. Richard A. Gerberding sums up that the Anglo-Saxon epic was more likely to have been accessible to the author of Liber HF than to the poet the Franconian historical work. In addition to the narrative, however, all historical contextual features point more to a Lower Rhine-Frisian area than, as advocated by Walter A. Goffart as an anachronistic design feature. B. Invasion quando Saxones vastaverunt terram Chatuariorum noted in the Annales sancti Amandi for the year 715 ; an area that other Carolingian sources refer to as Burgundian pago Athoariorum or, as in Liber HF , as pago Attoarius .

Nomenclature

Hygelac, whose name is in alliteration to some of the names of his relatives (Hreðel, Herebeald, Hæþcyn and Heardred), is the only historically verifiable person in the Beowulf . His name is historical, not fictional. Nevertheless, the name Hygelac has a narrative meaning, as it corresponds to the character of Hygelac. The two-part Germanic name contains the first link hyge (Old English "thoughts, heart, soul") and the second link lac (Old English "game, fight, confusion").

The component - lac is a common name element, for example the names Cuthlac, Ealac, Hadulac have this component, but - lac does not always have to have the same meaning here. After læc (Old English "lack"), hugr (Old Icelandic "sense, heart, desire") and leikr (Old Icelandic "game, sport"), the name Hygelac can be interpreted as "mind game" or "emotional struggle" or "lack of conscience" . He thus corresponds to Hygelac's character, as he is described in Beowulf .

The modern English noun lack has no equivalent in Old English. It is usually understood as a loan form from the oral lac ("error, loss") or the Central German lak , which is associated with the Middle English - lac , the Old Frisian lek ("damage, loss") as well as the old Danish and Central Swedish lak ( "Error") is to be interpreted.

Middle English - lac often occurs as a second link with pejorative meaning. The hyge is often put together as the first term with a second derogatory component and forms an abstract noun or adjective that describes a negative attitude. This typical combination shows that lac as a second link often has the meaning "play" and "confusion" and, together with hyge, can mean "frivolity" or " worry ". In Völuspá , verse 28, the old Icelandic Hugleikr is included as a name and also passed down as an adjective hugleikin (" confused with meaning").

It corresponds to the negative drawing of Hygelac's character in Beowulf that Snorri tells of Hugleikr in the Ynglinga saga as someone who is always looking for pleasure and diversion. Saxo even describes Hugletus or Huglecus as a disinterested ruler.

In the Beowulf , the name Hygelacs is duplicated with that of its queen, Hygd. This name Hygd is hardly documented outside of the Beowulf and obviously not historical, but rather a name artificially based on Hygelac . Here, too, the meaning of hyge ("thoughts") fits in with the wise and intelligent character of Hygd ( Sapientia versus Fortitudo ), antipodal to the king .

Richard A. Gerberding transfers the name of Hygelac's murderer Daeghrefn to a Merovingian Dagobert . With reference to the old Germanic name research by Henry B. Woolf and a text-critical Beowulf dating analysis by Walter A. Goffart , Gerberding suggests a dating allusion from the epic author to a contemporary Frankish king who ruled under the same name. On the other hand, however, the northernist Hans-Jürgen Hube, based on the almost noisy old Scandinavian form daeg (r) -hrafn, assumes a Franconian warrior who is apparently mythologized and transfers this analogously as day raven .

For the interpretation of the merewíoingas appearing in line 2921, opposing views are represented on the historical milieu of Hygelac . Levin Ludwig Schücking is one of the first voices who do not want to have recognized the Merovingians , but those mere-wícingas as narrative sea ​​Vikings . In contrast, however, Hans-Jürgen Hube points out that the Viking expeditions for this collective term, which apparently applies to cultural history, were probably not yet widespread at the level of events dated to the 6th century and that in the narrative context, “one more concluding remark about the hostile relationship with the Franks than another Characterization of the Hygelac as a "pirate" expected. "

Remarks

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Cf. Corinne Susanek:  Hygelac. In: Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde (RGA). 2nd Edition. Volume 15, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 2000, ISBN 3-11-016649-6 , pp. 298-300. (on-line)
  2. ↑ Cf. Geata , Geaten and Götaland
  3. ↑ Cf. Beowulf , verse 2922 ff.
  4. ↑ Cf. Martin Heinzelmann :  Gregor von Tours. In: Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde (RGA). 2nd Edition. Volume 12, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 1998, ISBN 3-11-016227-X , pp. 612–615.
  5. ↑ See Fred C. Robinson: The Tomb of Beowulf and the other Essays on Old England . Wiley 1993, ISBN 0-631-17328-5 . Historian John Haywood dates the move to 528.
  6. ↑ See Godfrid Storms: The Significance of Hygelacs Raid . In: Nottingham Medieval Studies, 14. 1970, pp. 3–26.
  7. ↑ Cf. Francis P. Magoun: The Geography of Hygelacs Raid on the Land of the West Frisian and Hætt-ware, approx. 530 AD In: English Studies 34. 1953, pp. 160-163; see. Godfrid Storms: The Significance of Hygelacs Raid . In: Nottingham Medieval Studies, 14. 1970, pp. 3–26.
  8. ↑ See Godfrid Storms: The Significance of Hygelacs Raid . In: Nottingham Medieval Studies, 14. 1970, pp. 3–26.
  9. ^ Gregory of Tours , Historia Francorum 3.5; see. Kemp Maloune: Hygelac . In: English Studies 21. 1939, pp. 108-109.
  10. ^ At that time Theudebert was not yet king, but general under his father Theuderich I.
  11. ↑ See Ian. N. Wood: The Merovingian Kingdoms 450-751. Harlow 1994, pp. 50, 269.
  12. ↑ See Morten Axboe: Danish Kings and Dendrochronology. In: G. Ausenda (Ed.): After Empire. Woodbridge 1995, pp. 217 f.
  13. ↑ a b c Cf. Curt Weibull : The Geaten of the Beowulf epic and the Danish Trelleburgen . In: Humaniora 10. 1974, pp. 8-25.
  14. ^ RGA Nikolai Grundtvig
  15. ↑ manuscript c. 19 with Hygelac as Chochilaicus ; see. Jane Acomb Leake: The Geats of Beowulf . Wisconsin 1967, pp. 121-127.
  16. ↑ identical to the De Monstris et de Belluit ; written in the 8th century; contained name form Huiglauc or Hunclac
  17. ↑ manuscript c. 22 contains the name variant Hugleikr
  18. ↑ Contains the name variant Huglec .
  19. ↑ See Kemp Maloune: Hygelac . In: English Studies 21. 1939, pp. 108-109.
  20. ↑ Cf. Hetware des Beowulf : see verses 2363 to 2916.
  21. ↑ See Gwyn Jones : Kings, Beats and Heroes . London 1972.
  22. ↑ See Jane Acomb Leake: The Geats of Beowulf . Wisconsin 1967, pp. 121-127; see. Adelaide Hardy: Historical Perspective and the "Beowulf-Poet" . In: Neophilologus 63. 1979, pp. 430-440.
  23. ↑ See Jane Acomb Leake: The Geats of Beowulf . Wisconsin 1967, pp. 121-127.
  24. ↑ See Richard A. Gerberding: A Critical Study of The Liber Historiae Francorum. Dissertation, University of Oxford 1982, pp. 82-86.
  25. ↑ See Walter A. Goffart: Hetware and Hugas: Datable Anachronisms in Beowulf. In: Colin Chase (ed.): The Dating of Beowulf. Toronto 1981, p. 87.
  26. ↑ See Robert Earl Kaske: Hygelac and Hygd . In: Studies in Old English Literature in Honor of Arthur G. Brodeur . 1963, pp. 200-206; see. Fred C. Robinson: The Significance of Names in Old English Literature . In: Anglia 86, 1968, pp. 52-57.
  27. ↑ See Robert Earl Kaske: Hygelac and Hygd . In: Studies in Old English Literature in Honor of Arthur G. Brodeur . 1963, pp. 200-206.
  28. ↑ See Robert Earl Kaske: Hygelac and Hygd . In: Studies in Old English Literature in Honor of Arthur G. Brodeur . 1963, pp. 200-206.
  29. ↑ See Fred C. Robinson: The Significance of Names in Old English Literature . In: Anglia 86, 1968, pp. 52-57.
  30. ↑ See Kemp Maloune: Hygelac . In: English Studies 21. 1939, pp. 108-109.
  31. ↑ See Fred C. Robinson: The Significance of Names in Old English Literature . In: Anglia 86, 1968, pp. 52-57.
  32. ↑ See Robert Earl Kaske: Hygelac and Hygd . In: Studies in Old English Literature in Honor of Arthur G. Brodeur . 1963, pp. 200-206.
  33. ↑ See Beowulf , verse 1925-1931
  34. ↑ See Richard A. Gerberding: A Critical Study of The Liber Historiae Francorum. Dissertation, University of Oxford 1982, p. 82.
  35. ↑ Cf. ders .: The Rise of the Carolingians and the Liber Historiae Francorum . Oxford 1987, p. 40.
  36. ↑ See Henry B. Woolf: The Old Germanic Principles of Name-Giving. Baltimore 1939, p. 193.
  37. ↑ See Walter A. Goffart: Hetware and Hugas: Datable Anachronisms in Beowulf. In: Colin Chase (ed.): The Dating of Beowulf. Toronto 1981, pp. 83-100.
  38. ↑ See Hans-Jürgen Hube: Beowulf . Wiesbaden 2005, pp. 302, 499 (note 234).
  39. ↑ Cf. Levin Ludwig Schücking: The basics of sentence linking in Beowulf. 1st chapter. Studies in English Philology, Book XV, p. 59.
  40. ↑ See Hans-Jürgen Hube: Beowulf . Wiesbaden 2005, pp. 375, 382, ​​505 (note 314).

literature

Web links