Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.06.1999, Page 198

178
Part One
this period are the Helgi poems. Arguing on the evidence of literary
loans, de Vries maintained that Helgakvida Hundingsbana I can be fair-
ly exactly dated to around 1070 (de Vries 1941: 278). In its character
it is really not a heroic poem, however, as it completely lacks the tragic
attitude towards existence that Germanic heroic poetry is imbued with.
Instead it is a rejoicing exaltation of a young leader whose victorious
deeds are crowned with romantic love. It is Viking poetry: rather than an
Eddie poem in the old sense of the term, it is a song of praise to a king.117
Helgakvida Hundingsbana II is less homogeneous than Helgakvida
Hundingsbana /, but parts of it may belong to the same period.
The Bråvallapula, which is known only in prose renderings (Saxo,
SQgubrot) is taken as proof that the heroic epic flourished also in Nor-
way and Denmark in the 1 lth century. The core of it is constituted by an
old Swedish poem, but it is thought to have given rise to a Norwegian
version in the 1 lth century, comparable to Helgakvida Hundingsbana I
(de Vries 1941: 285-86). Also GrottasQngr is based on a mueh older
poem, remnants of which may be built into the new version, which in its
present State is assigned to the 1 lth century (de Vries 1941: 289).
The remaining parts of the Helgi poems are supposed to have been
composed in the 12th century. The younger parts of Helgakvida Hund-
ingsbana II (st. 1-13, 30-38,40-51) may belong to different poets from
the same period, as they all exhibit the same romantic spirit, where fairy
tale features have supplanted the old heroism (de Vries 1942: 55-56).
Helgakvida HjQrvardssonar, as we know it, has rather a Christian
conciliatory outlook than a heroic one. It is an example of an old heroic
poem which has been reworked to fit the spirit of a new age, but without
success. The new spirit is wrestling with the old matter in a way that
Dichtung der Lebensnerv durchgeschnitten. Sie war nur Abbild einer reckenhaften Ver-
gangenheit, die man bewundem aber nicht mehr zu neuem Leben erwecken konnte. Da-
durch heftet sich das Interesse immer starker an den Inhalt der Sagenstoffe als an ihren
Geist; die epische Poesie ist nicht mehr vorbildlich fur eine erstrebte Lebenshaltung, son-
dem nur wegen der darin erzahlten Heldenschicksale interessant” (de Vries 1941: 293).
117 “Es ist seinem Charakter gemaB eigentlich gar nicht ein eddisches Heldenlied. Die
tragische Lebenshaltung der germanischen heroischen Kunst fehit hier durchaus; das
Helgilied ist vielmehr eine jauchzende Verherrlichung eines jungen Heerfiihrers, dessen
siegreiche Taten durch eine romantische Liebe gekront werden. Heldenlied konnen wir
das kaum mehr nennen; es ist Wikingerpoesie, die mit stolzer Lebensbejahung Krieg und
Kampf verherrlicht. [...] Denn dieses Eddagedicht ist eigentlich ein Furstenpreislied, aber
in romantischer Verkleidung [...]” (de Vries 1941: 279).