Free translation of J.Winkler, “History of Dutch Literature” 1907

I’m using this text to start my quest and am looking for evidence to support the thesis posed here. I’ve skipped a lot of things, and have not yet completed it, but I thought you’d like to see some progress.

 

 

Before the barbaric Frisians developed writing the Anglo Saxons crossed the north sea into England. And they had in writing a masterpiece of literature: The Beowulf Epos.

 

The Anglo Saxons had lived in the Netherlands a few centuries –at the time Frisia (1, red.) and it would not be hard to imagine that elements of the Beowulf Saga may have originated in those times when the Anglo-Saxons dealth a lot with Frisians.

 

It would be presumptious that the whole epic would be Frisian in origin, but it may have incorporated certain elements.

 

The version of Beowulf we know dates back to about the 7^th century. However, it exists out of three parts which are older than this version. Those three are separate parts which had been handed down for generations, as songs or tales.

 

The parts tell us of a gigantic wrestle of two Beowulfs, a hero of the Goths, and a Daenish King in their struggle with Graendel, Graendal’s mother and the dragon.

Here some fragments of Beowulf, and Chapter XVI, the Lay of Finnsburgh

In the first fragment the clearest reference to Friesland is “Frysum”.

hyne wyrd fornam,
syþðan he for wlenco         wean ahsode,
fæhðe to Frysum.         He þa frætwe wæg,
eorclanstanas         ofer yða ful,
rice þeoden;         he under rande gecranc.

Gehwearf þa in Francna fæþm         feorh cyninges,
breostgewædu         ond se beah somod;
wyrsan wigfrecan         wæl reafedon
æfter guðsceare,         Geata leode,
hreawic heoldon.         Heal swege onfeng. (2)

And in the second fragment, “Freslondum” is mentioned but also “Hygelac” (which I will explain later on)

No þæt læsest wæs

hondgemota,         þær mon Hygelac sloh,
syððan Geata cyning         guðe ræsum,
freawine folca         Freslondum on,
Hreðles eafora         hiorodryncum swealt,
bille gebeaten.         þonan Biowulf com

sylfes cræfte,         sundnytte dreah;
hæfde him on earme         ana XXX
hildegeatwa,         þa he to holme beag.
Nealles Hetware         hremge þorfton
feðewiges,         þe him foran ongean

linde bæron;         lyt eft becwom
fram þam hildfrecan         hames niosan. (3)

The third fragment mentions “Frysum”, “Fresna land” and again “Hegelac”

Nu ys leodum wen
orleghwile,         syððan underne
Froncum ond Frysum         fyll cyninges
wide weorðeð.         Wæs sio wroht scepen
heard wið Hugas,         syððan Higelac cwom

faran flotherge         on Fresna land,
þær hyne Hetware         hilde genægdon,
elne geeodon         mid ofermægene,
þæt se byrnwiga         bugan sceolde,
feoll on feðan,         nalles frætwe geaf

ealdor dugoðe.         Us wæs a syððan
Merewioingas         milts ungyfeðe. (4)

and of course, chapter XVI of “Beowulf”, known as “the lay of Finn”

1050

Ða gyt æghwylcum         eorla drihten
þara þe mid Beowulfe         brimlade teah
on þære medubence         maþðum gesealde,
yrfelafe,         ond þone ænne heht
golde forgyldan,         þone ðe Grendel ær

1055

mane acwealde,         swa he hyra ma wolde,
nefne him witig god         wyrd forstode
ond ðæs mannes mod.         Metod eallum weold
gumena cynnes,         swa he nu git deð.
Forþan bið andgit         æghwær selest,

1060

ferhðes foreþanc.         Fela sceal gebidan
leofes ond laþes         se þe longe her
on ðyssum windagum         worolde bruceð.
þær wæs sang ond sweg         samod ætgædere
fore Healfdenes         hildewisan,

1065

gomenwudu greted,         gid oft wrecen,
ðonne healgamen         Hroþgares scop
æfter medobence         mænan scolde
be Finnes eaferum,         ða hie se fær begeat,
hæleð Healfdena,         Hnæf Scyldinga,

1070

in Freswæle         feallan scolde.
Ne huru Hildeburh         herian þorfte
Eotena treowe;         unsynnum wearð
beloren leofum         æt þam lindplegan,
bearnum ond broðrum;         hie on gebyrd hruron,

1075

gare wunde.         þæt wæs geomuru ides!
Nalles holinga         Hoces dohtor
meotodsceaft bemearn,         syþðan morgen com,
ða heo under swegle         geseon meahte
morþorbealo maga,         þær heo ær mæste heold

1080

worolde wynne.         Wig ealle fornam
Finnes þegnas         nemne feaum anum,
þæt he ne mehte         on þæm meðelstede
wig Hengeste         wiht gefeohtan,
ne þa wealafe         wige forþringan

1085

þeodnes ðegna;         ac hig him geþingo budon,
þæt hie him oðer flet         eal gerymdon,
healle ond heahsetl,         þæt hie healfre geweald
wið Eotena bearn         agan moston,
ond æt feohgyftum         Folcwaldan sunu

1090

dogra gehwylce         Dene weorþode,
Hengestes heap         hringum wenede
efne swa swiðe         sincgestreonum
fættan goldes,         swa he Fresena cyn
on beorsele         byldan wolde.

1095

ða hie getruwedon         on twa healfa
fæste frioðuwære.         Fin Hengeste
elne, unflitme         aðum benemde
þæt he þa wealafe         weotena dome
arum heolde,         þæt ðær ænig mon

1100

wordum ne worcum         wære ne bræce,
ne þurh inwitsearo         æfre gemænden
ðeah hie hira beaggyfan         banan folgedon
ðeodenlease,         þa him swa geþearfod wæs;
gyf þonne Frysna hwylc         frecnan spræce

1105

ðæs morþorhetes         myndgiend wære,
þonne hit sweordes ecg         seðan scolde.
Ad wæs geæfned         ond icge gold
ahæfen of horde.         Herescyldinga
betst beadorinca         wæs on bæl gearu.

1110

æt þæm ade wæs         eþgesyne
swatfah syrce,         swyn ealgylden,
eofer irenheard,         æþeling manig
wundum awyrded;         sume on wæle crungon.
Het ða Hildeburh         æt Hnæfes ade

1115

hire selfre sunu         sweoloðe befæstan,
banfatu bærnan         ond on bæl don
eame on eaxle.         Ides gnornode,
geomrode giddum.         Guðrinc astah.
Wand to wolcnum         wælfyra mæst,

1120

hlynode for hlawe;         hafelan multon,
bengeato burston,         ðonne blod ætspranc,
laðbite lices.         Lig ealle forswealg,
gæsta gifrost,         þara ðe þær guð fornam
bega folces;         wæs hira blæd scacen.  (5)

(1) Details of the migration have yet to be sorted out
(2) Béowulf vs. 1206-1215
(3) Béowulf vs. 2355-2367
(4) Béowulf vs. 2911-2922
(5) Béowulf chapter XVI