Editing Beowulf (section)

=== International folktale sources ===

{{ill|Friedrich Panzer (Germanist)|de|lt=Friedrich Panzer}} (1910) wrote a thesis that the first part of ''Beowulf'' (the Grendel Story) incorporated preexisting folktale material, and that the folktale in question was of the [[Bear's Son Tale]] (''Bärensohnmärchen'') type, which has surviving examples all over the world.{{sfn|Panzer|1910}}{{sfn|Andersson|1998|p=130}} This tale type was later catalogued as international [[folklore|folktale]] type 301 in the [[Aarne–Thompson–Uther Index|ATU Index]], now formally entitled "The Three Stolen Princesses" type in Hans Uther's catalogue, although the "Bear's Son" is still used in Beowulf criticism, if not so much in folkloristic circles.{{sfn|Andersson|1998|p=130}} However, although this [[Folkloristics|folkloristic]] approach was seen as a step in the right direction, "The Bear's Son" tale has later been regarded by many as not a close enough parallel to be a viable choice.{{sfn|Andersson|1998|pp=137, 146}} Later, Peter A. Jorgensen, looking for a more concise frame of reference, coined a "two-troll tradition" that covers both ''Beowulf'' and ''Grettis saga'': "a [[Viking art|Norse]] '[[ecotype]]' in which a hero enters a cave and kills two giants, usually of different sexes";{{sfn|Andersson|1998|p=134}} this has emerged as a more attractive folk tale parallel, according to a 1998 assessment by Andersson.{{sfn|Andersson|1998|p=146}}{{sfn|Vickrey|2009|loc=p. 209: "I shall continue to use the term ''Bear's Son'' for the folktale in question; it is established in Beowulf criticism and certainly Stitt has justified its retention".}}

The epic's similarity to the Irish folktale "The Hand and the Child" was noted in 1899 by [[Albert Stanburrough Cook|Albert S. Cook]], and others even earlier.{{Efn|[[Ludwig Laistner]] (1889), II, p. 25; [[Stopford Brooke (chaplain)|Stopford Brooke]], I, p. 120; [[Albert Stanburrough Cook|Albert S. Cook]] (1899) pp. 154–156.}}{{sfn|Puhvel|1979|p=2–3}}{{sfn|Andersson|1998|p=135}}{{Efn|In the interim, {{interlanguage link|Max Deutschbein|de}} (1909) is credited by Andersson as the first person to present the Irish argument in academic form. He suggested the Irish ''[[Bricriu|Feast of Bricriu]]'' (not a folktale) as a source for ''Beowulf''—a theory  soon denied by [[Oscar L. Olson|Oscar Olson]].{{sfn|Andersson|1998|p=135}}}} In 1914, the Swedish folklorist [[Carl Wilhelm von Sydow]] made a strong argument for parallelism with "The Hand and the Child", because the [[folklore|folktale]] type demonstrated a "monstrous arm" [[Motif (narrative)|motif]] that corresponded with Beowulf's wrenching off Grendel's arm. No such correspondence could be perceived in the Bear's Son Tale or in the ''Grettis saga''.{{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|von Sydow was anticipated by Heinz Dehmer in the 1920s, besides the 19th century authors who pointed out "The Hand and the Child" as a parallel.{{sfn|Andersson|1998|p=136}}}}{{sfn|Andersson|1998|p=136}}{{sfn|Puhvel|1979|p=2–3}}
[[James Carney (scholar)|James Carney]] and [[Martin Puhvel]] agree with this "Hand and the Child" contextualisation.{{Efn|Carney also sees the ''[[Táin Bó]]'' ''[[Fráech]]'' story (where a half-fairy hero fights a dragon in the "Black Pool (Dubh linn)"), but this has received little support.}} Puhvel supported the "Hand and the Child" theory through such motifs as (in Andersson's words) "the more powerful giant mother, the mysterious light in the cave, the melting of the sword in blood, the phenomenon of battle rage, swimming prowess, combat with water monsters, underwater adventures, and the bear-hug style of wrestling."{{sfn|Andersson|1998|p=137}}
In the [[Mabinogion]], [[Teyrnon]] discovers the otherworldly boy child [[Pryderi]], the principal character of the cycle, after cutting off the arm of a monstrous beast which is stealing foals from his stables.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Baudiš |first=Josef |title=Mabinogion |journal=Folklore |date=31 March 1916 |volume=27 |issue=1 |pages=31–68 |doi=10.1080/0015587X.1916.9718909 |jstor=1254884|url=https://zenodo.org/record/2430235 }}</ref> The medievalist R. Mark Scowcroft notes that the tearing off of the monster's arm without a weapon is found only in ''Beowulf'' and fifteen of the Irish variants of the tale; he identifies twelve parallels between the tale and ''Beowulf''.<ref name="Scowcroft 1999">{{cite journal |last=Scowcroft |first=R. Mark |title=The Irish Analogues to Beowulf |journal=Speculum |date=January 1999 |volume=74 |issue=1 |pages=22–64 |jstor=2887269 |doi=10.2307/2887269|s2cid=161115254 }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Scowcroft's "Hand and Child" parallels in ''Beowulf''<ref name="Scowcroft 1999"/>
|-
! "Hand and Child"<br/>Irish tale !! [[Grendel]]<br/>&nbsp; !! [[Grendel's mother|Grendel's<br/>Mother]]
|-
| 1 Monster is attacking King each night || 86 ff || —
|-
| 2 Hero brings help from afar || 194 ff || —
|-
| 3 At night, when all but hero are asleep || 701–705 || 1251 
|-
| 4 Monster attacks the hall || 702 ff || 1255 ff
|-
| 5 Hero pulls off monster's arm || 748 ff || —
|-
| 6 Monster escapes || 819 ff || 1294 ff
|-
| 7 Hero tracks monster to its lair || 839–849 || 1402 ff
|-
| 8 Monster has female companion || 1345 ff || —
|-
| 9 Hero kills the monster || — || 1492 ff
|-
| 10 Hero returns to King || 853 ff || 1623 ff
|-
| 11 Hero is rewarded with gifts || 1020 ff || 1866 ff
|-
| 12 Hero returns home || — || 1888 ff
|}