Hrólfs saga kraka

The Hrolfs Saga kraka belongs to the Old Icelandic Sagas. This epic tells about the adventures of a Danish king named Hrólfr Krake and his clan, the Skjöldungern. It was written probably in a period, which is dated to the years 1230-1450.

Background and content

The events, which form the basis of this story could go back to the late 5th or the 6th century. There are 38 known manuscripts, none of which was written before the 17th century. However, in the monastery Möðruvellir to Iceland a version existed from the year 1461, so that it can be assumed that the later versions are based on previous stories.

The saga resembles some other sagas from the Scandinavian tradition or the Anglo-Saxon poems Beowulf and Widsith. There are some identical or very similar names, or names in these stories. Hrólfr Kraki is referred to therein, for example, as Hroðulf, his father Helgi as Halga or his uncle Hroarr as Hroðgar. Your clan the Skjöldunger hot there Scyldinge.