426
THE SAXONS IN ENGLAND.
[book I
over the Anglosaxon poet alone mentions it in con-
nection with Eormanric. This peculiar feature is
as little known to the other Germanic nations as
the beautiful legend of Scyld Scéfing, the loves of
Geat and Mre1Shild, the dragon-slaughter of Sig-
mund, the wars of Hengest and Finn Folcwalding,
or the noble epos of Beowulf itself: unfortunately
we have no detail as to the circumstances under
which the necklace of the goddess came into the
possession of Eormanric.
The Traveller’s Song however has traces of many
heroes who are closely connected with the tradi-
tional cyclus of Eormanric : among these arc Sifeca
(the false Sibich of Germany) and Becca, the Bikki
of the corresponding Norse versions, whom it
makes chieftain of the Baningas, perhaps the “ sons
of mischief” from Bana. Hama, already named,
and Wudga, the Wittich and Heime of Germany,
occur in the same poem : so also the terrible Ætla,
Attila the Hun, the Ætli of Scandinavia, the Etzel
of the Nibelungen cycle. In the same composi-
tion we find Gii1Shere, king of the Burgundians, the
Norse Gunnar, and German Gunther ; and Hagena,
probably the Norse Hδgni, and Hagen the mur-
derer of Sigfried. The Traveller’s Song, and the
Scop’s Complaint contain no mention of the great
hero of the Norse and German epos, Sigurdr Fafnis-
bani, Sigfried, the betrothed of the Shieldmay Bry-
hyldur, the husband of the fairhaired ChriemhiIt.
All the more welcome to us is the episode in
Beowulf, which not only records the tale of Sigurdr,
though under the name of his father Sigmund, and
CH. XII∙]
HEATHENDOM. BEO'WULF.
427
makes particular mention of the dragon-slaughter
(Fafnis-bani)—which is a central point in the Norse
tradition, although hardly noticed at all in the Ni-
belungen Lied,—but also refers to the fearful ad-
ventures which the Edda relates of the hero and
his kinsman Sinfiotli (Fitela) which appear totally
unknown in Germany.
Having said thus much of the heroic personages
to whom so large a portion of Northern and Ger-
manic tradition is devoted, it becomes possible for
me to refer to the great work of James Grimm on
German mythology for a demonstration of the con-
nection between these heroes and the gods of our
forefathers. I regret that my own limits render it
impossible for me to enter at greater length upon
this part of the subject ; but it requires a ʌvork of
no small dimensions, and devoted to it exclusively :
and it is therefore sufficient to show the identity
of our own heroic story and that of Scandinavia and
the continent, and thus enable the English reader
to adapt to his own national traditions the conclu-
sions of learned enquirers abroad, with respect to
their own1.
ɪ I would particularly call attention to W. Grimm’s Deutsche Hel-
densage, P. Muller’s Sagabibliotliek, and J. Grimm’s Deutsche My-
thologie ; the last, a very storehouse of all that bears upon this
nɪost interesting and important subject, important whether we consider
ɪt merely in a literary point of view, or in the far higher one of a reve-
lation of the creed of our forefathers, the sources of their hope and fear,
the basis of their moral being and directing motive of their actions. If
ɪt be true that nothing human can be without interest for a man, surely
that which tell- of the religious belief of our forefathers must be of the
deepest and nearest interest. It has had something to do with making
Hs what we are.