Ancestral Ethos in the Saga of King Hrolf

Attestations of King Hrolf occur in several ancient literary sources, including the Prose Edda (Skaldskarparmal), the Poetic Edda (Grottasongr), and the Ynglinga Saga (Of King Adil's Death and Death of Rolf Krake). Although there may be some historical basis for the stories told of him, these sources are not reliable for historical accuracy, and in some instances even contradict each other. However, one theme that is consistent, in the context of the skaldic tradition,  drama unfolds around characters in who embody various  virtues. In Skaldskarparmal, Snorri explicitly exonerates King Hrolf's character, stating, "he was most renowned of all kings...," and proceeds to tell why.  

Skaldskarparmal 43. 

"Why is gold called Kraki's Seed? In Denmark there was a king called Hrólfr Kraki: he was most renowned of all ancient kings for munificence, valor, and graciousness. One evidence of his graciousness which is often brought into stories is this: A little lad and poor, Vöggr by name, came into the hall of King Hrólfr. At that time the king was young, and of slender stature. Vöggr came into his presence and looked up at him; and the king said: 'What wouldst thou say, lad, for thou lookest at me?' Vöggr answered: 'When I was at home, I heard say that Hrólfr the king at Hleidr was the greatest man in the northern lands; but now there sitteth in the high seat a little pole, and he is called King.' Then the king made answer: 'Thou, boy, hast given me a name, so that I shall be called Hrólfr the Pole (Kraki); and it is the custom that the giving of a name be accompanied by a gift. Now I see that with the name which thou has fastened on me, thou hast no gift such as would be acceptable to me, wherefore he that has wherewith to give shall give to the other.' And he took from his hand a gold ring and gave it to him. Then Vöggr said: 'Above all kings be thou most blessed of givers! Now I swear an oath that I shall be that man's slayer who slays thee.' Then spake the king, laughing loudly: 'Vöggr is pleased with a small thing.'

"Another example is the tale told concerning the valor of Hrólfr Kraki: That king whom men call Adils ruled over Uppsala; he had to wife Yrsa, mother of Hrólfr Kraki. He was at strife with the king who ruled over Norway, whose name was Ali; the two joined battle on the ice of the lake called Vaeni. King Adils sent an embassy to Hrólfr Kraki, his stepson, praying him to come to his aid, and promised wages to all his host so long as they should be away; King Hrólfr himself should have three precious gifts, whatsoever three he might choose from all Sweden. King Hrólfr could not make the journey in person, owing to the strife in which he was engaged with the Saxons; but he sent to Adils his twelve berserks: Bödvar-Bjarki was there for one, and Hjalti the Stout-Hearted, Hvítserkr the Stern, Vöttr Véseti, and the brethren Svipdagr and Beigudr. In that battle King Áli fell, and the great part of his host with him; and King Adils took from him in death the helm Battle-Swine and his horse Raven. Then the berserks of Hrólfr Kraki demanded for their hire three pounds of gold for each man of them; and in addition they required that they might bear to Hrólfr Kraki those gifts of price which they had chosen for him: which were the Helm Battle-Boar and the birnie Finn's Heritage,--on neither of which iron would take hold,--and the gold ring which was called Pig of the Swedes, which Adils' forefathers had had. But the king denied them all these things, nor did he so much as pay their hire: the berserks went away ill-pleased with their share, and told the state of things to Hrólfr Kraki.

"Straightway he begin his journey to Uppsala; and when he had brought his ships into the river Fýri, he rode at once to Uppsala, and his twelve berserks with him, all without safe-conduct. Yrsa, his mother, welcomed him and led him to lodgings, but not to the king's hall: fires were made there before them, and ale was given them to drink. Then men of King Adils came in and heaped firewood onto the fire, and made it so great that the clothes were burnt off Hrólfr and his men. And the fellows spake: 'Is it true that Hrólfr Kraki and his berserks shun neither fire nor iron?' Then Hrólfr Kraki leapt up, and all they that were with him; and he said:

'Add we to the fire
In Adils' dwelling!'

took his shield and cast it onto the fire, and leapt over the flames, while the shield burnt; and he spake again:

'He flees not the flames
Who o'er the fire leapeth!'

Even so did his men, one after another; and they laid hands on those fellows who had heaped up the fire, and cast them into the flames. Then Yrsa came and gave Hrólfr Kraki a deer's horn full of gold, the ring Pig of the Swedes being with the gold; and she bade them ride away to the host. They vaulted onto their horses and rode down into the Plain of the Fýri; and soon they saw King Adils riding after them with his host all in armor, hoping to slay them. Then Hrólfr Kraki plunged his right hand down into the horn, grasped the gold, and strewed it all about the road. When the Swedes saw that, they leapt down out of their saddles, and each took up as much as he could lay hold of; but King Adils bade them ride on, and himself rode furiously . His horse was called Slöngvir, swiftest of all horses. Then Hrólfr Kraki saw that King Adils was drawing close up to him, took the ring, Pig of the Swedes, and threw it toward him, and bade him receive it as a gift. King Adils rode at the ring and thrust at it with his spear-point, and let it slide down over the shaft-socket. Then Hrólfr Kraki turned back and saw how he bent down, and spake: 'Now I have made him who is mightiest of Swedes stoop as a swine stoops.' Thus they parted. For this cause gold is called Seed of Kraki or of Fýri's Plain. Thus sang Eyvindr Skald-Despoiler:

God of the blade of battle,
We bear through Hákon's life-days
The Seed of Fýri's valley
On our arms, where sits the falcon.

Even as Thjódólfr sang:

The king sows the bright seed-corn
Of knuckle-splendid gold rings,
With the crop of Yrsa's offspring,
In his company's glad hand-grasp;
The guileless 'Land-Director
With Kraki's gleaming barley
Sprinkles my arms, the flesh-grown
Seat of the hooded falcon.

Trans. Brodeur 1916

https://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/pre/index.htm

33. OF KING ADILS' DEATH.
King Halfdan's son Helge ruled at that time over Leidre.  He came
to Sweden with so great an army, that King Adils saw no other way
than to fly at once.  King Helge landed with his army, plundered,
and made a great booty.  He took Queen Yrsa prisoner, carried her
with him to Leidre, took her to wife, and had a son by her called
Rolf Krake.  When Rolf was three years old, Queen Alof came to
Denmark, and told Queen Yrsa that her husband, King Helge, was
her own father, and that she, Alof, was her mother.  Thereupon
Yrsa went back to Sweden to King Adils, and was queen there as
long as she lived.  King Helge fell in a war expedition; and Rolf
Krake, who was then eight years old, was taken to be king in
Leidre.  King Adils had many disputes with a king called Ole of
the Uplands; and these kings had a battle on the ice of the
Venner lake, in which King Ole fell, and King Adils won the
battle.  There is a long account of this battle in the
"Skjoldunga Saga", and also about Rolf Krake's coming to Adils,
and sowing gold upon the Fyrisvold.  King Adils was a great lover
of good horses, and had the best horses of these times.  One of
his horses was called Slongve, and another Raven.  This horse he
had taken from Ole on his death, and bred from him a horse, also
called Raven, which the king sent in a present to King Godgest in
Halogaland.  When Godgest mounted the horse he was not able to
manage him, and fell off and was killed.  This accident happened
at Omd in Halogaland.  King Adils was at a Disa sacrifice; and as
he rode around the Disa hall his horse' Raven stumbled and fell,
and the king was thrown forward upon his head, and his skull was
split, and his brains dashed out against a stone.  Adils died at
Upsal, and was buried there in a mound.  The Swedes called him a
great king.  Thjodolf speaks thus of him: --

    "Witch-demons, I have heard men say,
    Have taken Adils' life away.
    The son of kings of Frey's great race,
    First in the fray, the fight, the chase,
    Fell from his steed -- his clotted brains
    Lie mixed with mire on Upsal's plains.
    Such death (grim Fate has willed it so)
    Has struck down Ole's deadly foe."

34. ROLF KRAKE'S DEATH.

Eystein, King Adils' son, ruled next over Sweden, and in his
lifetime Rolf Krake of Leidre fell.  In those days many kings,
both Danes and Northmen, ravaged the Swedish dominions; for there
were many sea-kings who ruled over many people, but had no lands,
and he might well be called a sea-king who never slept beneath
sooty roof-timbers.

Trans. Laing, 1844

https://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/heim/02ynglga.htm

Grottasongr 22

Let's grind still more!

And King Hrolf 

will avenge Halfdan

on King Frothi.

He will be called 

his mother's son

and also her brother,

we both know that. 

Trans. Crawford, 2015