Finnesburg Fragment
Encyclopedia
The Finnesburg Fragment or Finnsburh Fragment is a fragment of an Old English
heroic poem about a fight in which Hnæf
and his 60 retainers are besieged at "Finn's fort" and attempt to hold off their attackers. The surviving text is tantalisingly brief and allusive, but comparison with other references in Old English poetry, notably Beowulf
, suggests that it deals with a conflict between Danes and Frisians
in Migration-Age Frisia
.
, the London
residence of the Archbishops of Canterbury
. This manuscript was almost certainly Lambeth Library MS 487. The British scholar George Hickes
made the transcript some time in the late 17th century, and published it in an anthology of Anglo-Saxon and other antiquities in 1705. This anthology also contained the first reference to the sole manuscript of Beowulf
. Since the time in which the copy was made, the original manuscript folio has been lost or stolen.
(lines 2 and 40), elsewhere known as a Danish prince (see below), is attacked at a place called Finnsburuh "Finn's stronghold" (line 36). To judge by Beowulf, this is apparently the hall of his brother-in-law Finn
, ruler of the Frisians
, where he has come to spend the winter (see below). The fragment begins with Hnæf's observation that what he sees outside "is not the dawn in the East, nor is it the flight of a dragon, nor are the gables burning". What he sees is the torches of approaching attackers. Hnæf and his sixty retainers hold the doors for five days, without any falling. Then a wounded warrior turns away to talk to his chief (it is not clear on which side) and the fragment ends. Neither the cause nor the outcome of the fight are described; Tolkien and Klaeber have the races of the vying parties as the Danes and the Frisians (the terms Frisians and Jutes
are used interchangeably throughout this work).
, and some of the characters, such as Hnæf
, are mentioned in other texts. The episode in Beowulf (lines 1068-1158) is about 90 lines long and appears in the form of a lay sung by Hrothgar's scop
at a feast in celebration of Beowulf's recent exploit. The lay identifies Hnæf's last struggle as the aftermath of a battle described as Fres-wæl ("Frisian slaughter"). The episode is allusive and is clearly intended for an audience that already knows the story. It describes the mourning of Hildeburh after a surprise attack by the Frisians on the Danes. Hildeburh, Hnæf's sister, was married to Finn, leader of the Frisians, in an effort to make peace between the two tribes though this attempt was unsuccessful and today is seen by many scholars as the source for tragedy in the piece. She mourned for the loss of her brother, Hnæf, whose funeral pyre was shared by the son of herself and Finn. After the battle, Finn and a character named Hengest
make a loyalty pact. Hengest is a leader among Hnæf's surviving warriors. The circumstances are obscure, but Hnæf's men are to stay in Finnesburgh, at least for the winter, and the Frisians are not to taunt them for following the slayer of their lord. In the end, Hengest is overcome by vengeance and slaughters Finn and his men in their own mead hall. He then loots the hall and takes Hildeburh back "to her people".
From the first glance we see many differences between the Finn Episode in Beowulf and the Finnsburg Fragment. One of the first and most prevalent differences is the absence of Hildeburh from the Finnsburgh Fragment. In the Finn Episode she is an integral character, one that is affected by all action of the piece, some would even consider her to be a tragic character for this very reason. From the beginning of the story she is in mourning at the loss of her brother, Hnæf, and her sons along with many Danes to whom she owed blood loyalty, and Frisians, to whom she owed loyalty through marriage. Some view Hildeburh's marriage as one of obligation, not one of love; she was not tied so strongly to Finn or the Frisians. She is a character that is heavily debated upon by critics and scholars who argue that she is either heavily romanticized, or an extremely sympathetic character. The view of Hildeburh as a tragic or romanticized character is often viewed by scholars as being an "unconvincing assessment" because of its “lack of textual proof and emotional tenor” and because it often fails to take into account the vast difference in time and culture between modern and Anglo-Saxon audiences. Her importance to the storyline in the Finn Episode makes her absence from the Finnsburgh Fragment all the more obvious. This is also true of Hengest. In the Finn Episode Hengest plays an extremely important role in the way the story plays out. He is a leader and instigates much of the action seen in the piece. Hengest is the character that “pledged” a “firm compact of peace” with the Frisians and killed Finn "in his own home". As with Hildeburh, his importance to the action in the Finn Episode makes his lack of mention in the Finnsburg Fragment all the more obvious. He is only seen once in the fragment and that mention is not one in which he represents an important role. His action in the piece does not represent that of a leader; instead he is simply mentioned in line 17 which reads that Hengest himself stepped in afterwards ("and Hengest sylf / hwearf him on laste"). This reading, it can be argued, does put emphasis on Hengest’s presence at the battle however it does not put him in a position of power as he is in The Finn Episode.
made a study of the surviving texts in an attempt to reconstruct what may have been the original story behind the Finnesburg Fragment and Beowulfs "Finnesburg Episode". This study was ultimately edited into the book Finn and Hengest
. Tolkien ultimately argues that the story is historical, rather than legendary, in character.
Tolkien argues that Finnsburuh is most likely an error by either Hickes or his printer, since that construction appears nowhere else, and the word should be Finnesburh. It is not clear whether this was the actual name of the hall or only the poet's description of it. Where exactly the hall was, or even whether it was in Frisia, is not known.
Uniquely in the surviving Old English corpus, the fragment contains no Christian references, and the burning of Hnæf is clearly pagan. It is short and about a battle, but the two fragments of the battle-poem Waldere
manage to be explicitly Christian in hardly more space.
and Hrothgar act in a way that is still moral without being explicitly Christian.
In contrast C. Tidmarsh Major took a different approach and examined the state of religion at the time the poem was likely written. In the Middle Ages he asserts that Christianity was not at all as uniform as it is now, and neither was Germanic paganism. In fact he simply argues that it is a literary example of the overlapping and melding of pagan and Christian beliefs as they encountered one another.
Both arguments are compelling and offer possible insight into why the seemingly conflicting theologies are seen in the poem and description of the heroes but absent from the purely historical account of the Finnesburg Fragment.
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
heroic poem about a fight in which Hnæf
Hnæf
Hnæf son of Hoc is a prince mentioned in the Old English poems Beowulf and the Finnsburg Fragment.According to the listing of tribes in the poem Widsith , Hnæf ruled the Hocings...
and his 60 retainers are besieged at "Finn's fort" and attempt to hold off their attackers. The surviving text is tantalisingly brief and allusive, but comparison with other references in Old English poetry, notably Beowulf
Beowulf
Beowulf , but modern scholars agree in naming it after the hero whose life is its subject." of an Old English heroic epic poem consisting of 3182 alliterative long lines, set in Scandinavia, commonly cited as one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature.It survives in a single...
, suggests that it deals with a conflict between Danes and Frisians
Frisians
The Frisians are a Germanic ethnic group native to the coastal parts of the Netherlands and Germany. They are concentrated in the Dutch provinces of Friesland and Groningen and, in Germany, East Frisia and North Frisia, that was a part of Denmark until 1864. They inhabit an area known as Frisia...
in Migration-Age Frisia
Frisia
Frisia is a coastal region along the southeastern corner of the North Sea, i.e. the German Bight. Frisia is the traditional homeland of the Frisians, a Germanic people who speak Frisian, a language group closely related to the English language...
.
Transmission
The extant text is a transcript of a loose manuscript folio that was once kept at Lambeth PalaceLambeth Palace
Lambeth Palace is the official London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury in England. It is located in Lambeth, on the south bank of the River Thames a short distance upstream of the Palace of Westminster on the opposite shore. It was acquired by the archbishopric around 1200...
, the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
residence of the Archbishops of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
. This manuscript was almost certainly Lambeth Library MS 487. The British scholar George Hickes
George Hickes
George Hickes was an English divine and scholar.-Biography:Hickes was born at Newsham, near Thirsk, Yorkshire, in 1642...
made the transcript some time in the late 17th century, and published it in an anthology of Anglo-Saxon and other antiquities in 1705. This anthology also contained the first reference to the sole manuscript of Beowulf
Beowulf
Beowulf , but modern scholars agree in naming it after the hero whose life is its subject." of an Old English heroic epic poem consisting of 3182 alliterative long lines, set in Scandinavia, commonly cited as one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature.It survives in a single...
. Since the time in which the copy was made, the original manuscript folio has been lost or stolen.
Synopsis
The fragment is only about 50 lines long and does not specify the tribal identities of those involved. It describes a battle in which HnæfHnæf
Hnæf son of Hoc is a prince mentioned in the Old English poems Beowulf and the Finnsburg Fragment.According to the listing of tribes in the poem Widsith , Hnæf ruled the Hocings...
(lines 2 and 40), elsewhere known as a Danish prince (see below), is attacked at a place called Finnsburuh "Finn's stronghold" (line 36). To judge by Beowulf, this is apparently the hall of his brother-in-law Finn
Finn (Frisian)
Finn, son of Folcwald, was a legendary Frisian lord. He is mentioned in Widsith, in Beowulf, and in the Finnsburg Fragment. There is also a Finn mentioned in Historia Brittonum....
, ruler of the Frisians
Frisians
The Frisians are a Germanic ethnic group native to the coastal parts of the Netherlands and Germany. They are concentrated in the Dutch provinces of Friesland and Groningen and, in Germany, East Frisia and North Frisia, that was a part of Denmark until 1864. They inhabit an area known as Frisia...
, where he has come to spend the winter (see below). The fragment begins with Hnæf's observation that what he sees outside "is not the dawn in the East, nor is it the flight of a dragon, nor are the gables burning". What he sees is the torches of approaching attackers. Hnæf and his sixty retainers hold the doors for five days, without any falling. Then a wounded warrior turns away to talk to his chief (it is not clear on which side) and the fragment ends. Neither the cause nor the outcome of the fight are described; Tolkien and Klaeber have the races of the vying parties as the Danes and the Frisians (the terms Frisians and Jutes
Jutes
The Jutes, Iuti, or Iutæ were a Germanic people who, according to Bede, were one of the three most powerful Germanic peoples of their time, the other two being the Saxons and the Angles...
are used interchangeably throughout this work).
Battle according to Beowulf
The context for the poem is obscure, but a version of the story also appears in a passage of the epic poem BeowulfBeowulf
Beowulf , but modern scholars agree in naming it after the hero whose life is its subject." of an Old English heroic epic poem consisting of 3182 alliterative long lines, set in Scandinavia, commonly cited as one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature.It survives in a single...
, and some of the characters, such as Hnæf
Hnæf
Hnæf son of Hoc is a prince mentioned in the Old English poems Beowulf and the Finnsburg Fragment.According to the listing of tribes in the poem Widsith , Hnæf ruled the Hocings...
, are mentioned in other texts. The episode in Beowulf (lines 1068-1158) is about 90 lines long and appears in the form of a lay sung by Hrothgar's scop
Scop
A ' was an Old English poet, the Anglo-Saxon counterpart of the Old Norse .As far as we can tell from what has been preserved, the art of the scop was directed mostly towards epic poetry; the surviving verse in Old English consists of the epic Beowulf, religious verse in epic formats such as the...
at a feast in celebration of Beowulf's recent exploit. The lay identifies Hnæf's last struggle as the aftermath of a battle described as Fres-wæl ("Frisian slaughter"). The episode is allusive and is clearly intended for an audience that already knows the story. It describes the mourning of Hildeburh after a surprise attack by the Frisians on the Danes. Hildeburh, Hnæf's sister, was married to Finn, leader of the Frisians, in an effort to make peace between the two tribes though this attempt was unsuccessful and today is seen by many scholars as the source for tragedy in the piece. She mourned for the loss of her brother, Hnæf, whose funeral pyre was shared by the son of herself and Finn. After the battle, Finn and a character named Hengest
Hengest
Hengist and Horsa are figures of Anglo-Saxon, and subsequently British, legend, which records the two as the Germanic brothers who led the Angle, Saxon, and Jutish armies that conquered the first territories of Great Britain in the 5th century AD...
make a loyalty pact. Hengest is a leader among Hnæf's surviving warriors. The circumstances are obscure, but Hnæf's men are to stay in Finnesburgh, at least for the winter, and the Frisians are not to taunt them for following the slayer of their lord. In the end, Hengest is overcome by vengeance and slaughters Finn and his men in their own mead hall. He then loots the hall and takes Hildeburh back "to her people".
From the first glance we see many differences between the Finn Episode in Beowulf and the Finnsburg Fragment. One of the first and most prevalent differences is the absence of Hildeburh from the Finnsburgh Fragment. In the Finn Episode she is an integral character, one that is affected by all action of the piece, some would even consider her to be a tragic character for this very reason. From the beginning of the story she is in mourning at the loss of her brother, Hnæf, and her sons along with many Danes to whom she owed blood loyalty, and Frisians, to whom she owed loyalty through marriage. Some view Hildeburh's marriage as one of obligation, not one of love; she was not tied so strongly to Finn or the Frisians. She is a character that is heavily debated upon by critics and scholars who argue that she is either heavily romanticized, or an extremely sympathetic character. The view of Hildeburh as a tragic or romanticized character is often viewed by scholars as being an "unconvincing assessment" because of its “lack of textual proof and emotional tenor” and because it often fails to take into account the vast difference in time and culture between modern and Anglo-Saxon audiences. Her importance to the storyline in the Finn Episode makes her absence from the Finnsburgh Fragment all the more obvious. This is also true of Hengest. In the Finn Episode Hengest plays an extremely important role in the way the story plays out. He is a leader and instigates much of the action seen in the piece. Hengest is the character that “pledged” a “firm compact of peace” with the Frisians and killed Finn "in his own home". As with Hildeburh, his importance to the action in the Finn Episode makes his lack of mention in the Finnsburg Fragment all the more obvious. He is only seen once in the fragment and that mention is not one in which he represents an important role. His action in the piece does not represent that of a leader; instead he is simply mentioned in line 17 which reads that Hengest himself stepped in afterwards ("and Hengest sylf / hwearf him on laste"). This reading, it can be argued, does put emphasis on Hengest’s presence at the battle however it does not put him in a position of power as he is in The Finn Episode.
Scholarly reception
The scholar J. R. R. TolkienJ. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
made a study of the surviving texts in an attempt to reconstruct what may have been the original story behind the Finnesburg Fragment and Beowulfs "Finnesburg Episode". This study was ultimately edited into the book Finn and Hengest
Finn and Hengest
Finn and Hengest is a study by J. R. R. Tolkien, edited by Alan Bliss and published posthumously in book form in 1982.Finn and Hengest are two Anglo-Saxon heroes appearing in the Old English epic poem Beowulf and in the fragment of "The Fight at Finnsburg". Hengest has sometimes been identified...
. Tolkien ultimately argues that the story is historical, rather than legendary, in character.
Tolkien argues that Finnsburuh is most likely an error by either Hickes or his printer, since that construction appears nowhere else, and the word should be Finnesburh. It is not clear whether this was the actual name of the hall or only the poet's description of it. Where exactly the hall was, or even whether it was in Frisia, is not known.
Uniquely in the surviving Old English corpus, the fragment contains no Christian references, and the burning of Hnæf is clearly pagan. It is short and about a battle, but the two fragments of the battle-poem Waldere
Waldere
Waldere or Waldhere is the conventional title given to two Old English fragments from a lost epic poem, discovered in 1860 by E. C. Werlauff, Librarian, in the Danish Royal Library at Copenhagen, where it is still preserved. The parchment pages had been reused as stiffening in the binding of an...
manage to be explicitly Christian in hardly more space.
Religious elements
Though the Finnesburg Fragment itself has little mention of religious elements the text of Beowulf does. In recent times several critics have offered explanations for the Christian elements of the poem. Christopher M. Cain specifically suggests that the Christian author wrote the poem with parallels to the Old Testament to show the pre-Christian world that the epic takes place in. This unique approach highlights the fact that the characters such as BeowulfBeowulf
Beowulf , but modern scholars agree in naming it after the hero whose life is its subject." of an Old English heroic epic poem consisting of 3182 alliterative long lines, set in Scandinavia, commonly cited as one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature.It survives in a single...
and Hrothgar act in a way that is still moral without being explicitly Christian.
In contrast C. Tidmarsh Major took a different approach and examined the state of religion at the time the poem was likely written. In the Middle Ages he asserts that Christianity was not at all as uniform as it is now, and neither was Germanic paganism. In fact he simply argues that it is a literary example of the overlapping and melding of pagan and Christian beliefs as they encountered one another.
Both arguments are compelling and offer possible insight into why the seemingly conflicting theologies are seen in the poem and description of the heroes but absent from the purely historical account of the Finnesburg Fragment.