Guðröðr of Skåne
Guðröðr was a legendary Scanian king (perhaps 7th century) who, according to the Ynglinga saga, was the brother of Halfdan the Valiant, Ivar Vidfamne's father. He is only known from late Icelandic sources dating from the 13th century.[1]
The fratricide of Guðröðr
Guðröðr was succeeded by his nephew Ivar Vidfamne who avenged his father and uncle, and conquered Sweden. "He also took possession of all the realm of the
An episode in the fragmentary saga Sögubrot draws a parallel between Guðröðr and "
Guðröðr's family
Hversu Noregr byggdist gives Halfdan the Valiant's father as
Hervarar saga provides the information that Halfdan's mother was Hild, the daughter of the Gothic king Heiðrekr Ulfhamr, the son of Angantyr who defeated the Huns. Hversu Noregr byggdist instead alleges that the name of his mother was Hervor, daughter of Heiðrekr.[7]
Historical position
The story of a King Guðröðr who was killed at the instigation of his Queen Åsa is also found in a later section of the Ynglinga saga. The Vestfold ruler Gudrød the Hunter (9th century) met a similar fate at the hands of his queen Åsa Haraldsdottir of Agder, who ordered a servant to murder the king as revenge for the death of her father.[8] This episode has moreover been compared with information in the Gesta Caroli Magni of Notker the Stammerer (c. 883), which says that the Danish King Gudfred (d. 810) was slayed on the instigation of his former queen.[9] This connection has however been doubted by modern scholarship.[10]
References
- ^ Nerman (1925), p. 224-5, 231-2.
- ^ Nerman (1925), p. 224, 231-2.
- ^ Saga Ólafs Konúngs Tryggvasonar, Chapter 61, p. 110-1; Sögubrot, Chapter 4[1]
- ^ Snorri Sturluson, Ynglinga saga, Chapter 39-40, p. 40[2]
- ^ Snorri Sturluson, Ynglingasaga, Chapter 41, p. 41[3]
- ^ Sögubrot, Chapter 3[4]
- ^ Ellehøj (1965), p. 93.
- ^ Snorri Sturluson, Ynglinga saga, Chapter 48, p. 45[5]
- ^ The Life of Charlemagne, Book II, Chapter 13[6]
- ^ Åkerlund (1939), p. 3-4.
Literature
- Åkerlund, Walter (1939) Studier i Ynglingatal. Lund: Vetenskapsocieteten i Lund.
- Ellehøj, Svend (1965) Studier over de ældste norrøne historieskrivning. Hafniæ: Munksgaard.
- Nerman, Birger (1925) Det svenska rikets uppkomst. Stockholm: Generalstabens litografiska anstalt.
- Saga Ólafs Konúngs Tryggvasonar, Vol. 1 (1825). Copenhagen: Popp.
- Snorri Sturluson (2016) Heimskringla, Vol. I. London: Viking Society for Northern Research.[7]