nature may become apparent and d) a suitable opportunity and plausible
reason may be devised for changing his name to Hjalti, the dead dragon
is propped up and, in connection with the discovery of the ruse, the
story is manipulated so that the saga-man realizes his fourfold purpose.

5. It is highly improbable that the sword-name "Gullinhjalti" in the
saga is connected with the words "gylden hilt" in _Beowulf_. The use of
the word "Gullinhjalti" in the saga is not arbitrary or artificial, but
a logical result of the situation; and, as the discussion of the matter
has shown, the attempt to identify Gullinhjalti with the giant-sword in
_Beowulf_ is based on a mere superficial similarity, in which a
substantial foundation is altogether lacking.

6. The _Bjarkarímur_ are a later composition than the _Hrólfssaga_.[124]
The author of the _rímur_ has discarded the story of the troll-dragon,
has substituted for it the story of the bear hunt connected with the
account of Bjarki's early life, has invented a new story about Bjarki's
early life, and has invented the story about the wolf hunt to give an
opportunity for the introduction of the blood-drinking episode. In the
stories of the wolf hunt and the bear hunt, the _rímur_ contain several
unmotivated statements that are plainly based on the story as we have it
in the saga; and, on the whole, the two stories in the _rímur_ represent
such decidedly poor workmanship in the art of narration that recourse
must be had to the story in the saga for a realization of the
significance of some of the incidents contained in the _rímur_. The
_rímur_ must therefore be left entirely out of account in any attempt to
identify Bjarki with Beowulf, or in attempting to connect Bjarki's deeds
with those of other heroes, as, for instance, that of Hereward in _Gesta
Herwardi_.[125]