Fate, Sexual Desire, and Narrative Motivation in Hrólfs Saga Kraka

Abstract

This article discusses how fate and sexual desire are used for narrative motivation in Hrólfs saga kraka (oldest manuscripts from the seventeenth century). In the analysed examples, focus is put on final and causal motivation. In the saga, an attempt was made to include final motivation understood as predetermination, when Hrólfr’s defeat in battle is explained by his not being Christian. The concept of auðna is more ambiguous. It seems to be perceived as a (divine) causal force and a stronger one than Óðinn. Causal motivation is especially prominent in the section about Hrólfr’s father, Helgi. His unsuccessful attempt to marry Ólǫf causes a ‘domino effect’: by raping Ólǫf, he fathers Yrsa, and later with Yrsa he fathers Hrólfr. The revelation of the incest and the separation of Helgi and Yrsa likewise leads to a chain of cause and effect, culminating in the confrontation between Skuld and Hrólfr in the final battle.