Sigfred

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For other uses, see Siegfried.
Sigfred
Norse paganism

Sigfred was an eighth century

Frankish
sources.

Assistance to Widukind

King Sigfred is first mentioned in 777 when the Saxon chief Widukind, leader of the resistance against Charlemagne, fled Saxony in the face of the Frankish onslaught. Widukind found refuge with Sigfred, but the Frankish annals do not say in detail what kind of assistance the Danish king may have provided. At any rate, Charlemagne made no attempt to subordinate or threaten the Danes during his Saxon campaigns.[1] German chronicles, to better espouse the family tree of Widukind's heirs, stated that he was married to Sigfred's daughter Geva.[2]

Frankish diplomacy

In the summer of 782, Charlemagne led his armed forces to the sources of the

Paulus Diaconus convey a very negative image of Sigfred. Peter wrote that Charlemagne had let him choose between being fettered, imprisoned, or sent to convert Sigfred. In a poetic reply, Paulus castigated the Danish king as a wild beast who ruled over other wild animals; an uncouth pagan who would nevertheless be unable to stand up against the mighty Frankish ruler. If he dared molest Peter and his entourage and refuse Christianisation, he would quickly be led before Charlemagne's throne in fetters, abandoned by Odin (Waten) and Thor (Thonar).[5] It is interesting that the characterization is similar to that accorded to Ongendus, one of Sigfred's predecessors in the early 8th century.[6] The poems also indicate that the Danes had started to draw some attention from the Carolingian elite by this time. The reign of Sigfred had ended by 804 when another ruler, Gudfred
, is mentioned in the Frankish annals.

Place in early Danish history

Nothing is known about Sigfred's relationship to

Hemming (810–812), Harald 'Klak' Halfdansson (812-813, 819–827) and Horik I (813–854). Since the name Sigfred was borne by a nephew of Gudfred, he is often taken to have been the father of Gudfred, since children were often named after their grandfathers.[7]

The approximate dates of Sigfred's reign, and references to a King Harald who may have been either a predecessor, co-ruler or immediate successor of Sigfred, has led to speculations about a link with the legendary Swedish and Danish ruler

High medieval era documentation.[9]

It has been theorized that Sigfred's father was Ongendus, or Angantyr, which is problematic because there is more than half a century between them. The two kings may nevertheless have been related since a Danish prince Angantyr is known to have flourished in 811, and the name is extremely unusual.[10] The recurrence of the names Angantyr, Sigfred, Harald and Gudfred throughout the 8th and 9th centuries suggests that the kings of the early Viking Age were mutually related.

References

  1. ^ Einhards Jahrbücher, Anno 777 [1], p. 64.
  2. ^ D. Schwennicke (1984), Europäische Stammtafeln, Vol. II. Marburg. Tafel 104.
  3. ^ Einhards Jahrbücher, Anno 782 [2], p.69.
  4. ^ Einhards Jahrbücher, Anno 798 [3], p. 95.
  5. ^ Johannes Steenstrup (1881), "Nogle Efterretningar fra udenlandske Kilder om Danmark i Oldtiden", Historisk Tidskrift, p. 231 [4]
  6. ^ H. Hellmuth Andersen (1985), "Vandt sig hele Danmark", Skalk, p. 22; Dan Hemming (1979), Guldhornens tale. Copenhagen, p. 178; Alcuin, Das Leben des heil. Willibrord [5], p. 14.
  7. ^ Einhards Jahrbücher, Anno 812 [6], p. 123.
  8. ^ For this Harald, see Einhards Jahrbücher, Anno 812 [7], p. 123.
  9. ^ Alfred P. Smyth (1977), Scandinavian kings in the British Isles 850-880. Oxford.
  10. ^ Einhards Jahrbücher, Anno 811 [8], p. 121.
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Unknown
 King of Denmark Succeeded by
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