Customer Reviews

The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki (Penguin Classics)

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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.

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.

This is an interesting saga featuring semi-legendary Norse characters. It is presented and translated by the distinguished scholar of Icelandic history, Jesse Byock. The saga is a series of linked tales related to the life of the legendary Danish monarch, Hrolf Hraki. It is an example of a form of Icelandic saga based on the legendary or semi-legendary Norse past rather that the family or historical basis of many well known Icelandic sagas. This saga is drawn from the same stock of legends and characters used by the Beowulf poet. The stories are definitely interesting, the translation reads well, and Byock's introduction and notes are excellent. Nonetheless, this saga is of greater intellectual than artistic interest. Unlike Beowulf, this is a compilation of tales, not a unified poetic work. While the tales are good reading, this saga lacks the focus and poetic majesty of Beowulf. This saga lacks also the intensely realistic qualities of the family sagas and the unity derived from concentration on a few characters. This book is short, reads smoothly and is well worth the time expended on reading it.

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.

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.

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.

This is an excellent translation of an interesting Viking saga that has many parallels with Beowulf. The original author of this saga is unknown. It tells the story of King Hrolf Kraki's family and how he became king. There are also tales about his champions, their families and how they came to be in the service of Hrolf. This is one of the shorter sagas, only 77 pages, and reads easily. The story is filled with battles, sorcery, greed and deception. There is also an excellent introduction and notes section at the end of the book.

I've yet to read a Saga I didn't enjoy and this is one of the better ones. Great for its entertainment value but not a whole lot as far as clues as to what the religious practices of Heathen Scandinavians were. There are lots of obvious similarities between Hrolf Krakis Saga and Beowulf but the story also goes in a lot of other directions that are not in Beowulf. Byocks introduction and notes are a great added bonus to this. I also like that where I live now is in close proximity to where all of this occured. The remains of what they believe may be the Hall of Hrolf Kraki is about a 45 minute train ride from here.

Like a lot of Norse literature it takes half the book to get to the central characters, which is fine if you are expecting it, but can be hard for a reader unfamiler with the genre. The later addition of Christian ideas to "The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki" didn't always work with the orginal ideas of the text (Odin is a "evil spirit" but they want to go to Valhalla? Not to mention the bashing the reader over the head with Christianity on the last page), making for a kind of muddled work in places. I would have liked the work more without this later addition. What appears to be the older parts are very interesting and reveal ideas of Norse peganism.

Hrolf Kraki's Saga has been somewhat controversial regarding its historical accuracy, but it is important to remember that the Sagas were as much "historical novels" as they were histories per se.

Also I know some people don't like Byock's translation style, but personally, I find it enjoyable.

This particular saga is remarkable for the numerous perspectives it offers on Norse religious and magical practices. Hrolf himself did not trust the gods (even after he meets Odin, he refuses Odin's gifts on this basis), but only his own might and main. Skuld (whose name she shares with one of the Norns) is a sorceress who is capable of causing the dead to rise up and continue to fight. And there are yet more magical events in this story.

In the end, I would recommend this saga to anyone studying older literature, the Vikings, beliefs in the supernatural, and the like.