A Comparison of William Morris' The Story of Sigurd the Volsung and the Fall of the Niblungs and J. R. R. Tolkien's The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún
Abstrakt
In the thesis, an attempt will be made to investigate and analyse the formal and stylistic features of William Morris' The Story of Sigurd the Volsung and the Fall of the Niblungs and J. R.
R. Tolkien's The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún (which comprises two poems: "Völsungakviða en nýja", or "The New Lay of the Völsungs", and "Guðrúnarkviða en nýja", or "The New Lay of Gudrún") in regard to the two Old Norse sources on which their works are based, i.e. the Elder Edda and the Völsunga Saga.
The thesis will strive to point out notable similarities and differences between Morris' and Tolkien's texts in connection with the original Old Norse sources and the impact created by these contrasts and parallels. Special focus in the analysis will be laid on elements such as the use of metre and the use of various poetic devices, as well as archaization (both lexical and syntactical), in the case of either author.
In addition, apart from comparing the two works of modern literature with their Old Norse models, the relation between Morris' and Tolkien's adaptations themselves will be explored as well. However, the aim of the analysis is not only to list specific formal and stylistic features in either text, but to observe and examine in what ways these features illustrate the authors' attempts at reawakening Old Norse literature and conveying its "spirit".
Overall, through the analysis, the thesis will endeavour to address Morris' and Tolkien's works in the context of reception of Old Norse culture (especially literature) in Britain in the authors' respective eras. In the initial part of the thesis, the texts by Morris and Tolkien will be introduced, as well as the Old Norse texts, and an approximate outline of their individual historical placement will be provided, along with some key formal features.
The main body of the thesis will consist of the analysis of Morris' and Tolkien's works in connection with the original sources, with a focus on formal and stylistic aspects.