Sellic Spell
Mar. 15th, 2023 11:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bunnTolkien Gateway says that the short story Sellic Spell is "re-creating the (lost) folk-tale underlying the Norse Hrólfs saga kraka" which was translated by one of Tolkien's students and over that translation, there seems to be some copyright dispute.
But my copy of Beowulf, A Translation and Commentary together with Sellic Spell says Sellic Spell is a retelling of Beowulf, and indeed, that's how I took it when I read it, because it seemed to be directly derived from the Beowulf story.
I get that both stories are operating in a similar sort of space, and I haven't read Hrólfs saga kraka in translation (or original!) but the Wikipedia entry for Hrólfs saga kraka doesn't sound very Beowulfy, whereas Sellic Spell does. And Christopher Tolkien says 'Beowulf' and Tolkien's note about it also says 'Beowulf'.
On the other hand, 'no, this really isn't a retelling of a source I've never read, you've got it wrong, I am the correct one!' is an order of correction of Tolkien Gateway that I don't normally undertake, as a very non-studious fanwriter who is simply in the process of stealing ideas from Sellic Spell to mung it up with The Hobbit.
Does anyone know any more about this? Why would TG think it was Hrólfs saga kraka ?
But my copy of Beowulf, A Translation and Commentary together with Sellic Spell says Sellic Spell is a retelling of Beowulf, and indeed, that's how I took it when I read it, because it seemed to be directly derived from the Beowulf story.
I get that both stories are operating in a similar sort of space, and I haven't read Hrólfs saga kraka in translation (or original!) but the Wikipedia entry for Hrólfs saga kraka doesn't sound very Beowulfy, whereas Sellic Spell does. And Christopher Tolkien says 'Beowulf' and Tolkien's note about it also says 'Beowulf'.
On the other hand, 'no, this really isn't a retelling of a source I've never read, you've got it wrong, I am the correct one!' is an order of correction of Tolkien Gateway that I don't normally undertake, as a very non-studious fanwriter who is simply in the process of stealing ideas from Sellic Spell to mung it up with The Hobbit.
Does anyone know any more about this? Why would TG think it was Hrólfs saga kraka ?
no subject
Date: 2023-03-16 08:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-03-20 04:12 pm (UTC)It looks like the idea that Bee-wolf was a feral child raised by bears is the part that derives from Hrólfs saga kraka - I assumed that bit was just suggested by the name, but it seems to be the important connecting factor.