The bible explicitly states that people mistakenly look at outward appearances and don't appreciate inner abilities. Samuel 1 16:7. When Samuel goes to find Saul's replacement, he is explicitly told:
But the LORD said to Samuel, “Pay no attention to his appearance or his stature, for I have rejected him. For not as man sees [does the LORD see]; man sees only what is visible, but the LORD sees into the heart.”
And after Jesse presents his first seven sons, Samuel needs to ask (Samuel 1 16:11)
Then Samuel asked Jesse, “Are these all the boys you have?” He replied, “There is still the youngest; he is tending the flock.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send someone to bring him, for we will not sit down to eat-b until he gets here.”
About the connection between the Beowulf epic and Hroþulf / Hrólf Kraki saga, an article on Wikipedia (and I heard it before as well), links Beowulf to the Bödvar Bjarki character in the saga.
At least both of them are Geats who arrive in the Denmark and kill a beast that has been plaguing the land for two years. Well, that beast flies and doesn't seem to reason as Grendel does, and there's no haunted mere with the monster's mother to combat, and no dragon -- but there the similarity in themes is perhaps a lot stronger than Rudolf the Reindeer ;-)
While I realize this isn't exactly what was meant by link between the two, it is none the less connection that deserves a mention.
You're right — Bǫðvarr Bjarki is one of the big Beowulf analogues. If you've read Beowulf but haven't read Hrólfs Saga Kraka yet, even just reading Bǫðvarr's section is very intriguing.
Years ago, I read a historical novel that was about Hrolf Kraki, written (if I recall correctly) by an author named Paul Anderson, but his treatment was semi-historical, so no shape shifting bear characters. I should read it, but I'll have to get a translation; fortunately there are a few. Ideally, I should try to learn Old Norse, but I'm concentrating on Old English.
The bible explicitly states that people mistakenly look at outward appearances and don't appreciate inner abilities. Samuel 1 16:7. When Samuel goes to find Saul's replacement, he is explicitly told:
But the LORD said to Samuel, “Pay no attention to his appearance or his stature, for I have rejected him. For not as man sees [does the LORD see]; man sees only what is visible, but the LORD sees into the heart.”
And after Jesse presents his first seven sons, Samuel needs to ask (Samuel 1 16:11)
Then Samuel asked Jesse, “Are these all the boys you have?” He replied, “There is still the youngest; he is tending the flock.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send someone to bring him, for we will not sit down to eat-b until he gets here.”
That's a fantastic parallel — thank you for sharing it!
About the connection between the Beowulf epic and Hroþulf / Hrólf Kraki saga, an article on Wikipedia (and I heard it before as well), links Beowulf to the Bödvar Bjarki character in the saga.
At least both of them are Geats who arrive in the Denmark and kill a beast that has been plaguing the land for two years. Well, that beast flies and doesn't seem to reason as Grendel does, and there's no haunted mere with the monster's mother to combat, and no dragon -- but there the similarity in themes is perhaps a lot stronger than Rudolf the Reindeer ;-)
While I realize this isn't exactly what was meant by link between the two, it is none the less connection that deserves a mention.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hr%C3%B3lfr_Kraki
You're right — Bǫðvarr Bjarki is one of the big Beowulf analogues. If you've read Beowulf but haven't read Hrólfs Saga Kraka yet, even just reading Bǫðvarr's section is very intriguing.
Years ago, I read a historical novel that was about Hrolf Kraki, written (if I recall correctly) by an author named Paul Anderson, but his treatment was semi-historical, so no shape shifting bear characters. I should read it, but I'll have to get a translation; fortunately there are a few. Ideally, I should try to learn Old Norse, but I'm concentrating on Old English.
It still is amusing to me that OE uses "slēac" in much the way we use "slacker"
Hahaha, I hadn't thought of that but you're absolutely right!
This is great. The name, Cinderella is also derived from the idea of ashes or cinders.