Olrik, who has done work of great importance in this field, offers a
discussion of the legendary life of Siward in the _Arkiv för nordisk
Filologi_, vol. XIX, from which it seems desirable to quote some
passages for the light they throw on the development of this saga in
England.

"Tagen som helhed er Sivards saga den mærkelige forening af æventyrlig
og historisk sagastil."

* * * * *

"I dragekampene og i Odinskikkelsen, er der nær tilslutning til norrön
tradition; her må de i Nordengland bosatte Nordmænd have gjort sig
gældende med et berigende og udviklende element. Dette gælder da ikke
blot for Sivards saga, men også for Ragnar Lodbroks historie, for så
vidt den fra först er bleven til i England. På den anden side må vi ikke
alene regne med, at Nordengland er en aflægger af norsk sagakultur; den
er tillige en banebryder for dens rigere udvikling. Vi har set det med
dragekampen, der optages væsenlig fra engelske forestillinger, og som
vistnok ad den vej finder ind i de norsk-islandske æventyrsagaer og
historiske traditioner".[42]

With the situation thus before us--namely: 1. the numerical strength of
the Danes and Norwegians in the north of England, which had become a
second home of Norwegian saga-culture; 2. the fact that the _Hrólfssaga_
was known in England, where Bjarki received the addition "Bothvar" to
his name; and 3. the fact that the Siward saga as we find it in Langebek
was developed in the same locality--it is evident that it was not only
possible, but practically inevitable, that the _Hrólfssaga_ and the