Viking Sagas Essay, Research Paper
January 18, 2001
The Viking sagas usage an unbelievable trade of symbolism and sarcasm. They besides pay a great trade of attending to 1s? actions instead than one’s words. In the narrative of Frothi, the male monarch that defeated his brother in a annihilating fire, there is a character Regin, who demonstrates great symbolism. Regin is an ideal character who is true to himself and being a good individual. When he attempts to make all that is right, he helps the male childs out of the forests and back to their proper societal position.
? Then Regin turned his Equus caballus in their way a 2nd clip, glowering as though he would assail them at that place and then. ? Regin’s actions guide the male childs back towards the hall where he hints to them that they are to put it on fire. Once the fire is set, Regin helps them to get the better of the male monarch, without really killing him himself. ? King Frothi turned off from the door to the oral cavity of his belowground hiding-place, trusting to get away so to the forests and salvage his life. but when he came underground there was Regin confronting him, and none excessively peaceable looking either. ?
Here, Regin’s actions are noted as honest and true every bit good as symbolic. He did non physically take the life of the male monarch, yet by standing in his manner, symbolically saved the male childs and destroyed the reign of king Frothi. It was besides noted that Regin warned the male monarch. While he can be seen as person who tries to play both sides, I see Regin as a strong character that is loyal to himself and what should be.
Frothi’s dream of traveling to hell is besides symbolic, as he can see his ain decease coming. This symbolism is of import because it is dry and lets the reader cognize what is traveling to go on before it really does, yet it does non destruct the suspense.
Sarcasm comes into drama when King Frothi himself dies by fire. It
is dry because in
the beginning, he came into power by taking over the throne and holding his brother burned.
I think that the most influential character nevertheless, in the Viking sagas is Queen Yrsa. As awful yesteryear, named after a Canis familiaris and innocently married to her male parent so away to an atrocious male monarch, she displays great influence and power. While she is non a beast or a queen of bloodshed, she at times is seen to be more powerful that King Athilis. She is the driving force of many conflicts and is oblique and cunning. While she is pure of bosom and loyal to her true feelings, she knows how to pull strings and be the voice in king Athilis’s caput. She openly threatens him and warns him that she will revenge her male parent’s decease first alteration she gets. ? And for this same ground I shall ne’er be loyal to you if you clash with king Helfi’s kinsmen, I will plan the decease of your berserk’s merely every bit shortly as I can, should at that place be any so courageous as to make that for my interest and of their ain art? ( pg 250 ) . This the queen in fact does. While it is subsequently in the narrative at an unexpected clip, she in fact takes the will of Svipdag and uses his enthusiasm and illustriousness to profit herself. She foremost has him excellently wipe out the berserks, under the male monarch’s order and so help the male monarch’s determination in the berserk’s ostracism. As they come to assail, the male monarch puts Svipdag in charge and direct the ground forces out to get the better of them. The queen has at this point managed to turn the berserks against the male monarch which they were one time so loyal to, by replacing them with this Svipdag hero. She has managed to destruct the male monarchs? ground forces under his ain bid. Old ages subsequently when Svipdag joins up with King Hrolf they meet up with King Athulis and finally kill him, through craft and fraudulence and the assistance of Queen Yrsa. She kept her promise and lives to cognize of the terminal of King Athilis.
