This thesis compares the Old English Battle of Maldon and the Old Norse Haraldskvæði to examine how early medieval poets adapted shared Germanic poetic traditions within different cultural contexts. Through analysis of textual transmission, narrative structure, metre, alliteration, poetic diction, and representations of heroism, the study argues that both poems are sophisticated literary constructions rather than passive survivals of oral tradition.
While Maldon presents a linear and chronicle-like narrative centred on loyalty and moral choice, Haraldskvæði employs a dialogic and episodic structure that frames royal authority within a mythic setting. Particular attention is given to metrical innovation, formulaic language, and foreign-derived vocabulary as reflections of cultural exchange during the Viking Age.
The thesis demonstrates that early medieval battle poetry functioned not only as artistic expression, but also as a means of shaping political legitimacy, cultural identity, and collective memory.
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- Michael Miener (Autor), 2026, Heroism in "The Battle of Maldon and Haraldskvæði", Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1730741
