Poul Anderson retold Hrolf Kraki's Saga and, as part of this, summarized the story of Beowulf. See here.
(ii) Tolkien wrote "Sellic Spell" -
"...an attempt to reconstruct the Anglo-Saxon tale that lies behind the folk-tale element in Beowulf -"
-JRR Tolkien, Beowulf A Translation And Commentary together with Sellic Spell Edited by Christopher Tolkien (London, 2014), p. 355.
Thus, he removed the link to "...the Historical Legend..." (p. 356)
Anderson, writing time travel historical fiction in "Star of the Sea," imaginatively reconstructed earlier stages of Northern European mythology. See here, here and here.
(iii) Both authors are significant successors to the Eddas, the sagas and William Morris.
1 comment:
Hi, Paul!
And I too have a copy of Tolkien's BEOWULF, even tho I've barely begun reading his son Christopher's prefatory material. I am reading as well Witt/Richards THE HOBBIT PARTY, a commentary on the political/economic thought of Tolkien that can be gleaned from his major works.
And I certainly agree both Tolkien and Anderson were hugely influenced and inspired in writing their own works by northern European legends and sagas.
Sean
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