Geatish kings ( la, Rex Getarum/Gothorum; sv, Götakungar), ruling over the provinces of

Götaland Götaland (; also '' Geatland'', '' Gothia'', ''Gothland'', ''Gothenland'' or ''Gautland'') is one of three lands of Sweden and comprises ten provinces. Geographically it is located in the south of Sweden, bounded to the north by Svealand, wit ...

(Gautland/Geatland), appear in several sources for early Swedish history. Today, most of them are not considered historical. This list follows the generally accepted identification between the names

Götar The Geats ( ; ang, gēatas ; non, gautar ; sv, götar ), sometimes called ''Goths'', were a large North Germanic tribe who inhabited ("land of the Geats") in modern southern Sweden from antiquity until the late Middle Ages. They are one of th ...

(

modern Swedish Modern Swedish ( sv, nysvenska) is the Linguistics, linguistic term used for the Swedish language from the Bible translation of 1526 to the development of a common national language around 1880. The period can further be divided into ''Early Mode ...

), Gautar (

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and t ...

) and Geatas (

Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...

), which is based both on tradition, literary sources and on etymology. However, unlike some translations it does not identify this tribe with the

Goths The Goths ( got, 𐌲𐌿𐍄𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰, translit=''Gutþiuda''; la, Gothi, grc-gre, Γότθοι, Gótthoi) were a Germanic people who played a major role in the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the emergence of medieval Europe ...

. Both Old Norse and Old English records clearly separate the Geats from the Goths, while still depicting them as closely related to each other. From the Middle Ages until 1974, the

king of Sweden The monarchy of Sweden is the monarchical head of state of Sweden,See the Instrument of Government, Chapter 1, Article 5. which is a constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system.Parliamentary system: see the Instrument o ...

claimed the title King of the Geats as "King of Sweden and Geats/Goths" or "Rex Sweorum et Gothorum".

Danish monarchs This is a list of Danish monarchs, that is, the kings and queens regnant of Denmark. This includes: * The Kingdom of Denmark (up to 1397) ** Personal union of Denmark and Norway (1380–1397) * The Kalmar Union (1397–1536) ** Union of Denmark ...

used the similar title " King of the Goths" from 1362 until 1972.

Legendary kings

Some names appear in

Norse mythology Norse, Nordic, or Scandinavian mythology is the body of myths belonging to the North Germanic peoples, stemming from Old Norse religion and continuing after the Christianization of Scandinavia, and into the Nordic folklore of the modern period ...

and in Germanic legend and in at least one case, they were probably historical (

Hygelac Hygelac ( ang, Hygelāc; non, Hugleikr; gem-x-proto, Hugilaikaz; la, Ch(l)ochilaicus or ''Hugilaicus''; died 521) was a king of the Geats according to the poem ''Beowulf''. It is Hygelac's presence in the poem which has allowed scholars to ...

). Their order of succession is uncertain (if they ever lived). * Dag, contemporary with

Yngvi-Frey Old Norse Yngvi , Old High German Ing/Ingwi and Old English Ingƿine are names that relate to a theonym which appears to have been the older name for the god Freyr. Proto-Germanic *Ingwaz was the legendary ancestor of the Ingaevones, or more acc ...

Gamla Uppsala Gamla, alt. sp. Gamala ( he, גַּמְלָא, The Camel) was an ancient Jewish city on the Golan Heights. It is believed to have been founded as a Seleucid fort during the Syrian Wars which was turned into a city under Hasmonean rule in 81 B ...

, in '' Sturlaugs saga'' 19 & 23. *

Gizur Gizur, Gizurr or Gissur was a King of the Geats. He appears in ''The Battle of the Goths and Huns'', which is included in the '' Hervarar saga'' and in editions of the ''Poetic Edda''. Gizur was the foster-father of Heidrek, who made a coup-d'ét ...

4th century, who helps the

during the battles with the

Huns The Huns were a nomadic people who lived in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe between the 4th and 6th century AD. According to European tradition, they were first reported living east of the Volga River, in an area that was part ...

in '' Hervarar saga'' (see

Hlöd Hlod or Hlöd was the illegitimate son of Heidrek, the king of the Geats, in Norse mythology. He appears in the '' Hervarar saga'' and probably also as ''Hlith'' in ''Widsith'', line 115, together with his father Heiðrekr (''Heathoric''), half ...

). *

Gauti is an early Germanic name, from a Proto-Germanic ''gautaz'', which represents a mythical ancestor or national god in the origin myth of the Geats. Etymology ''Gautaz'' may be connected to the name of the Swedish river Göta älv at the city ...

(in ''Herraud's saga''), probably the same as Gaut the father of Gautrek according to the ''

Ynglinga saga ''Ynglinga saga'' ( ) is a Kings' saga, originally written in Old Norse by the Icelandic poet and historian Snorri Sturluson about 1225. It is the first section of his ''Heimskringla''. It was first translated into English and published in 1844 ...

''. See

Sons of Odin Various gods and men appear as sons of Odin or sons of Wodan/Wotan/Woden in old Old Norse language, Old Norse and Old High German and Old English language, Old English texts. Thor, Baldr, Víðarr and Váli Four gods, Thor, Baldr, Víðarr and ...

. *Ring son of Gauti (king of

East Götaland East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the f ...

in '' Bósa saga ok Herrauds'') *

Herrauðr Herrauðr, ''Herraud'', ''Herröðr'', ''Herruðr'', ''Herrud'', ''Herothus'' or ''Heroth'' is a legendary earl of Götaland or king of Sweden, who appears in several medieval legends, in particular those relating to Ragnar Lodbrok (e.g. '' Tale of ...

, son of Ring (king of East Götaland in '' Bósa saga ok Herrauds'') *

Gautrekr {{Unreferenced, date=December 2009 Gautrekr was a legendary Geatish king who appears in several sources, such as '' Gautreks saga'', ''Hrólfs saga Gautrekssonar'', '' Bósa saga ok Herrauðs'', ''Ynglinga saga'', ''Nafnaþulur'' (part of the ''Pro ...

, appearing in several sources. *Ketill Gautreksson, in ''

Hrólfs saga Gautrekssonar ''Hrólfs saga Gautrekssonar'' is a Scandinavian legendary saga which was put to text in Iceland in the 13th century. It has a prequel in ''Gautreks saga''. Summary Gautrekr was a Geatish king who descended from Odin himself. He lost his wife Al ...

''. *

Hrólfr Gautreksson Hrólfr Gautreksson was a legendary Geatish king Geatish kings ( la, Rex Getarum/Gothorum; sv, Götakungar), ruling over the provinces of Götaland (Gautland/Geatland), appear in several sources for early Swedish history. Today, most of them ar ...

, in ''

''. *

Gestiblindus Gestumblindi is a character in Norse mythology who appears in '' Hervarar saga'' and in Saxo Grammaticus' ''Gesta Danorum'' as Gestiblindus. Later, he also appears in several Scandinavian folk tales as Gest Blinde. Hervarar saga According to Her ...

, according to ''

Gesta Danorum ''Gesta Danorum'' ("Deeds of the Danes") is a patriotic work of Danish history, by the 12th-century author Saxo Grammaticus ("Saxo the Literate", literally "the Grammarian"). It is the most ambitious literary undertaking of medieval Denmark an ...

''. *

Yngwin Yngwin (''"Yngve"'') was, according to Gesta Danorum, a king in Götaland, who was a close friend to one of the Danish kings named Halfdan. This Danish king had no sons, so he left his treasures and his kingdom to Yngwin. Yngwin then moved to Denma ...

(''"Yngve"'') 5th century (in

, see

Halfdan Halfdan (, ang, Healfdene, Medieval : "half Dane") was a late 5th and early 6th century legendary Danish king of the Scylding (Skjöldung) lineage, the son of king named Fróði in many accounts, noted mainly as the father to the two kings who ...

) * Siward, contemporary with Yngwin's grandson (in

) *

Algaut Algaut (or ''Algöt'') was a Geatish king who ruled West Götaland according to the ''Heimskringla''. Snorri Sturluson relates that he was burnt to death by his son-in-law, the Swedish king Ingjald Ingjald illråde or Ingjaldr hinn illráði ( ...

4th century or the 7th century (in the

Norse saga is a series of science fantasy role-playing video games by Square Enix. The series originated on the Game Boy in 1989 as the creation of Akitoshi Kawazu at Square. It has since continued across multiple platforms, from the Super NES to the Play ...

s) * Thorir (the brother of

Bödvar Bjarki Bödvar Bjarki ( non, Bǫðvarr Bjarki ), meaning 'Warlike Little-Bear', is the hero appearing in tales of Hrólfr Kraki in the '' Hrólfs saga kraka'', in the Latin epitome to the lost '' Skjöldunga saga'', and as ''Biarco'' in Saxo Grammatic ...

and

Elgfróði In Germanic heroic legend, (Elk-Fróði) is the half-man, half-elk elder brother of the hero Bödvar Bjarki and Thorir Houndsfoot. The name is also used to describe mythical creatures with his perceived form, which have been seen as a Norse variant ...

Hrólfs saga kraka Hrólfs saga kraka, the ''Saga of King Rolf Kraki'', is a late legendary saga on the adventures Hrólfr Kraki, a semi-legendary king in what is now Denmark, and his clan, the Skjöldungs. The events can be dated to the late 5th century and the 6t ...

)

Siklings

Sigar The name Sigar can refer to four people in Scandinavian mythology, surrounding the legends of Sigurd the dragon slayer. One of them only appears as the friend of Helgi Hjörvarðsson in the eddic lay ''Helgakviða Hjörvarðssonar''. The other ...

?, the father of Siggeir, who genealogically corresponds to Yngwin, the king of Götaland in

. *

Siggeir Siggeir is the king of Gautland (i.e. Götaland/Geatland, but in some translations also rendered as ''Gothland''), in the '' Völsunga saga''. In ''Skáldskaparmál'' he is given as a Sikling and a relative of Sigar who killed the hero Hagbard. ' ...

5th century, a son of Sigar and the king of Götaland in the Volsunga saga

Hrethelings

* Swerting (in

Beowulf ''Beowulf'' (; ang, Bēowulf ) is an Old English epic poem in the tradition of Germanic heroic legend consisting of 3,182 alliterative lines. It is one of the most important and most often translated works of Old English literature. The ...

). *

Hreðel Hrethel ( ang, Hrēðel; gem-x-proto, Hrōþilaz, italic=no) is a king of the Geats''. Name Hrethel's name appears with both the root vowel and and with both the consonant (i.e. the phoneme , pronounced in Old English) and (which would ordi ...

(a relative of Swerting, in Beowulf) (nephew, grandson or stepson) *

Hæþcyn Hæthcyn ( ang, Hæþcyn) is the son of the Geatish king Hreðel in the Old English poem ''Beowulf''. The hero Beowulf is Hæþcyn's nephew. Hæþcyn kills his elder brother Herebeald with an arrow in a hunting accident, which causes their father ...

d. 514 or 515 (the son of Hrethel, in Beowulf) *

d. 516 (the son of Hrethel, in Beowulf) *

Heardred Heardred (Proto-Norse *''Harðurāðaz''), died c. 530, is the son of Hygelac, king of the Geats, and his queen Hygd, in ''Beowulf''. After Hygelac's death, in Frisia, Hygd wants to make Hygelac's nephew Beowulf, king of Geatland, as she fears tha ...

d. ca 530 (the son of Hygelac, in Beowulf) *

d. ca 580? (the nephew of Hygelac, in Beowulf) *

Wiglaf Wiglaf (Proto-Norse: *'' Wīga laibaz'', meaning "battle remainder"; ang, Wīġlāf ) is a character in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem ''Beowulf''. He is the son of Weohstan, a Swede of the Wægmunding clan who had entered the service of Beowulf, ki ...

(the kinsman of Beowulf, in Beowulf)

Ylfings (Wulfings)

Kings of East Gotland (Östergötland) *

Helm Helm may refer to: Common meanings * a ship's steering mechanism; see tiller and ship's wheel * another term for helmsman * an archaic term for a helmet, used as armor Arts and entertainment * Matt Helm, a character created by Donald Hamilton * ...

Early 6th century, the Wulfing king mentioned in ''

Widsith "Widsith" ( ang, Wīdsīþ, "far-traveller", lit. "wide-journey"), also known as "The Traveller's Song", is an Old English poem of 143 lines. It survives only in the ''Exeter Book'', a manuscript of Old English poetry compiled in the late-10th c ...

''. Possible Reign Date Range 475–530. *

Högne ''For other people named Högne, see Haguna.'' Högne was a king of Östergötland who appears in sources of Norse mythology. ''Heimskringla'' Snorri Sturluson wrote that he was the king of Östergötland and that he had a son named Hildur and ...

7th century, the king of

(in the Heimskringla) and the father-in-law of Granmar. Most likely descendant of Helm. * Hjörvard 7th century, king of East Götaland (in Sögubrot) Married Hildagun daughter of Granmer. Most likely descendant of Helm. * Helgi Ylfing 7th century, probably a king of East Götaland in the Norse sagas and son-in-law of Högne. If we separate the merged Helgi into two time frames periods. He is recorded as the killer of Hogne and his sons and also Granmers son's. * Hjörmund 7th century, king of East Götaland (in Sögubrot) and a son of Hjörvard. He was most likely grandson of Högne. Given the throne by Ivar Harold Wartooths grandfather.

Battle of Bråvalla

Chronologically assigned to the 8th century, but poorly attested historically, the

Battle of Bråvalla A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

(in a location legendarily between West and East Gothenland) was fought between the "King of Sweden" (

Sigurd Hring Sigurd Ring (Old Norse: ''Sigurðr Hringr'', in some sources merely called ''Hringr'') according to legend was a king of the Swedes, being mentioned in many old Scandinavian sagas. According to these sources he was granted rulership over Sweden a ...

) who is said to have ruled Westrogothians, and the "King of Denmark" (

Harald Wartooth Harald Wartooth or ''Harold Hiltertooth'' (Old Norse: Haraldr hilditǫnn; Modern Swedish and Danish: Harald Hildetand; Modern Norwegian: ''Harald Hildetann''; flourished 8th century) was a legendary king of Denmark who is mentioned in several trad ...

) whose realm is said to have included Ostrogothians.

Historical kings

When sources become more reliable,

is an integrated part of the Swedish kingdom and from Stenkil and onwards most of the medieval Swedish kings actually belonged to Geatish

clan A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clans may claim descent from founding member or apical ancestor. Clans, in indigenous societies, tend to be endogamous, meaning ...

s (

House of Stenkil The House of Stenkil was a dynasty on the Sweden, Swedish throne from c. 1060 to c. 1125. Stenkil probably originated from Västergötland. Line (of magnates and earls) before Stenkil, according to the Norse sagas: *Skagul Toste (took Danegeld i ...

House of Sverker The House of Sverker were a powerful political force in medieval Sweden, contesting for royal power. Their origins were in Östergötland. After the extinction of the House of Stenkil and the ascension of Sverker I of Sweden in 1130, a civil war ...

and the

House of Bjelbo The House of Bjelbo ( sv, Bjälboätten), also known as the House of Folkung (''Folkungaätten''), was an Ostrogothian Swedish family that provided several medieval Swedish bishops, jarls and kings. It also provided three kings of Norway and o ...

, possibly also the

House of Eric The House of Eric ( sv, Erikska ätten) was a medieval Swedish royal dynasty with several pretenders to the throne between 1150 and 1220, rivaling for kingship of Sweden with the House of Sverker. The first king from the House of Eric was Eric ...

). In the early

High Middle Ages The High Middle Ages, or High Medieval Period, was the periodization, period of European history that lasted from AD 1000 to 1300. The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and were followed by the Late Middle Ages, which ended ...

some kings in Sweden were titled rex Visigothorum and rex Gothorum, failing to hold the Swedish core provinces in

Svealand Svealand (), or Swealand, is the historical core region of Sweden. It is located in south central Sweden and is one of three historical lands of Sweden, bounded to the north by Norrland and to the south by Götaland. Deep forests, Tiveden, Tyl� ...

. The non-Geatish King

Ragnvald Knaphövde Ragnvald Knaphövde was a King of Sweden whose reign is estimated to have occurred in the mid-1120sRagnvald knaphövde'' at the site of the Swedish Museum of National Antiquities, retrieved January 20, 2007. or c. 1130.Ragnvald Knaphöfde' in ''Nord ...

was killed by the Geats as he despised them and travelled among them without Geatish hostages. *

Ingold I Inge the Elder ( Swedish: ''Inge Stenkilsson''; Old Norse: ''Ingi Steinkelsson''; died c. 1105–1110) was a king of Sweden. In English literature he has also been called ''Ingold''. While scant sources do not allow us to paint a full picture of ...

, king of

Västergötland Västergötland (), also known as West Gothland or the Latinized version Westrogothia in older literature, is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden (''landskap'' in Swedish), situated in the southwest of Sweden. Väs ...

(1081) *

Halsten Halsten Stenkilsson, English exonym: Alstan ( Old Icelandic: ''Hallstein''Västergötland Västergötland (), also known as West Gothland or the Latinized version Westrogothia in older literature, is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden (''landskap'' in Swedish), situated in the southwest of Sweden. Väs ...

(1081) *

Magnus the Strong Magnus the Strong ( sv, Magnus Nilsson; da, Magnus Nielsen Bricka, Carl Frederik, ''Dansk Biografisk Lexikon'', vol. XI aar – Müllner 1897, pp.45Available online/ref>) (about 1106 – 4 June 1134 in the Battle of Fotevik) was a Danish duke wh ...

, king of Västergötland (reigned 1125–1130) *Kol, king of

Östergötland Östergötland (; English exonym: East Gothland) is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden (''landskap'' in Swedish) in the south of Sweden. It borders Småland, Västergötland, Närke, Södermanland and the Baltic Sea. In older English li ...

(see

Ingold II Inge the Younger was King of Sweden in c. 1110–c. 1125 and probably the youngest son of king Halsten.The article ''Inge d.y.'' in ''Nationalencyklopedin'' (1992).The article Inge, section 2. I. den yngre' in ''Nordisk familjebok'' (1910). Accordi ...

) (early 12th century) *

Karl Sverkersson Charles VII or Carl (Swedish: ''Karl Sverkersson''; c. 1130 – 12 April 1167) was ruler of Götaland, and then King of Sweden from c. 1161 to 1167, when he was assassinated in a military attack by Knut Eriksson who succeeded him as Canute I. He ...

, rex Gothorum before becoming king of all of Sweden. * since

Magnus III of Sweden Magnus III ( 1240 – 18 December 1290), also called Magnus Ladulås, was King of Sweden from 1275 until his death in 1290. Name He was the ''first Magnus'' to rule Sweden for any length of time, not generally regarded as a usurper or ...

until accession of Charles XVI Gustav, Sweden's monarchs were officially titled King of the Goths; and quite parallelly, since Valdemar IV's conquest of

Gotland Gotland (, ; ''Gutland'' in Gutnish), also historically spelled Gottland or Gothland (), is Sweden's largest island. It is also a province, county, municipality, and diocese. The province includes the islands of Fårö and Gotska Sandön to the ...

until accession of

Margrethe II of Denmark Margrethe II (; Margrethe Alexandrine Þórhildur Ingrid, born 16 April 1940) is Queen of Denmark. Having reigned as Denmark's monarch for over 50 years, she is Europe's longest-serving current head of state and the world's only incumbent femal ...

, Denmark's monarchs were similarly titled.

False kings

* The 16th-century forgery

Ballad of Eric The "Ballad of Eric" ( sv, "Eriksvisan") is a ballad found in Latin and Swedish language, Swedish about the legendary Goths, Gothic king, Erik. It was once seen as a valuable source for Migration Period history, but is now regarded as an inauthent ...

tells of the first king of Götaland Eric (''"Eiriker"''), who for a long time was considered historical.

References

{{Germanic peoples English heroic legends Barbarian kingdoms