![Yngve Frey bygger Gamla Upsala tempel by Hugo Hamilton](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Yngve_Frey_bygger_Gamla_Upsala_tempel_by_Hugo_Hamilton.jpg)
The legendary kings of Sweden () according to legends were rulers of
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
and the
Swedes
Swedes ( sv, svenskar) are a North Germanic ethnic group native to the Nordic region, primarily their nation state of Sweden, who share a common ancestry, culture, history and language. They mostly inhabit Sweden and the other Nordic countr ...
who preceded
Eric the Victorious
Eric the Victorious (Old Norse: ''Eiríkr inn sigrsæli'', Modern Swedish: ''Erik Segersäll''; c. 945 – c. 995) was a Swedish monarch as of around 970. Although there were earlier Swedish kings, he is the first Swedish king in a consecutive reg ...
and
Olof Skötkonung
Olof Skötkonung, (Old Norse: ''Óláfr skautkonungr'') sometimes stylized as ''Olaf the Swede'' (c. 980–1022), was King of Sweden, son of Eric the Victorious and, according to Icelandic sources, Sigrid the Haughty. He succeeded his father in ...
, the earliest reliably attested
Swedish kings. Though the stories of some of the kings may be embellished tales of local rulers or chiefs that actually existed. For example,
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 ...
(500 A.D.) is believed to have historical basis due to his name being attested in Frankish, English, Danish and Icelandic sources. But the historicity of most legendary kings remains impossible to verify due to a lack of sources.
[Dick, Harrison 2011 http://blog.svd.se/historia/2011/10/13/varfor-jag-inte-tror-pa-sagokungar/] The modern
Swedish monarchy considers Eric the Victorious to have been the first King of Sweden.
In medieval Swedish lists of kings, the figure generally represented as the first king of Sweden is Olof Skötkonung, the first
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
king of Sweden and the first Swedish king to mint coins. The earlier kings are for the most part only attested in
Icelandic sagas
The sagas of Icelanders ( is, Íslendingasögur, ), also known as family sagas, are one genre of Icelandic sagas. They are prose narratives mostly based on historical events that mostly took place in Iceland in the ninth, tenth, and early el ...
, sometimes contradictory mixtures of myths and poetry, written in the 11th–13th centuries, several centuries after the events described in them. What is genuine history and what is myth and legend in the sagas is impossible to determine today, and everything contained in them must as such be regarded as legendary, if not fictional. The earliest legendary dynasty, the
Yngling
The Ynglings were a dynasty of kings, first in Sweden and later in Norway, primarily attested through the poem ''Ynglingatal''. The dynasty also appears as Scylfings (Old Norse ''Skilfingar'') in '' Beowulf''. When ''Beowulf'' and ''Ynglingatal'' ...
s, may be an entirely invented sequence of kings, serving to justify and legitimize the later dynasties and rulers in
Scandinavia
Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...
who claimed descent from them. Many of the legendary kings would have ruled during the
Migration Period
The Migration Period was a period in European history marked by large-scale migrations that saw the fall of the Western Roman Empire and subsequent settlement of its former territories by various tribes, and the establishment of the post-Roman ...
( 375–550) and subsequent
Vendel Period
In Swedish prehistory, the Vendel Period ( sv, Vendeltiden; 540–790 AD) appears between the Migration Period and the Viking Age. The name is taken from the rich boat inhumation cemetery at Vendel parish church, Uppland. This is a period wi ...
( 550–790), but larger political structures in Scandinavia (i. e. the medieval kingdoms of Sweden, Norway and Denmark) are not believed to have formed and centralized until the
Viking Age
The Viking Age () was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonizing, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. It followed the Migration Period and the Ger ...
.
The legendary kings of Sweden, as presented in the sagas, covers three legendary dynasties of rulers; the Yngling dynasty, claimed to have been descended from the Norse god
Odin
Odin (; from non, Óðinn, ) is a widely revered Æsir, god in Germanic paganism. Norse mythology, the source of most surviving information about him, associates him with wisdom, healing, death, royalty, the gallows, knowledge, war, battle, v ...
, the dynasty founded by
Ivar Vidfamne
Ivar Vidfamne (or ''Ívarr inn víðfaðmi''; English exonym ''Ivar Widefathom''; Danish ''Ivar Vidfadme'' – in Norwegian and Danish the form ''Ivar Vidfavne'' is sometimes used as an alternative form) was a semi-legendary king of Sweden, who ...
, who conquered Sweden and deposed the Ynglings, and the
House of Munsö
The House of Munsö (), also called the House of Björn Ironside (Swedish: ), the House of Uppsala (Swedish: ) or simply the Old dynasty (Swedish: ), is the earliest reliably attested royal dynasty of Sweden, ruling during the Viking Age. None of ...
, which succeeded Vidfamne's dynasty. The final few kings considered part of the Munsö dynasty by the Icelandic sagas; Eric the Victorious, Olof Skötkonung,
Anund Jacob
Anund Jacob or James, Swedish: ''Anund Jakob'' was King of Sweden from 1022 until around 1050. He is believed to have been born on July 25, in either 1008 or 1010 as ''Jakob'', the son of King Olof Skötkonung and Queen Estrid. Being the second C ...
and
Emund the Old
Emund the Old or Edmund ( Swedish: ''Emund den gamle'', Old Swedish: ''Æmunðær gamlæ'', ''Æmunðær gammal'', ''Æmunðær slemæ'') was King of Sweden from c. 1050 to c. 1060. His short reign was characterised by disputes with the Archbishop ...
, were real historical kings, though that does not mean that their legendary ancestors were real historical figures. Contemporary primary sources from 9th–11th century Germany, such as the accounts of
Adam of Bremen
Adam of Bremen ( la, Adamus Bremensis; german: Adam von Bremen) (before 1050 – 12 October 1081/1085) was a German medieval chronicler. He lived and worked in the second half of the eleventh century. Adam is most famous for his chronicle ''Gesta ...
and
Rimbert Saint Rimbert (or Rembert) (''c.'' 830 - 11 June 888 in Bremen) was archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen, in the northern part of the Kingdom of East Frankia from 865 until his death in 888. He most famously wrote the hagiography about the life Ansgar, t ...
, contradict the line of Munsö kings purported to have existed by the sagas.
Yngling dynasty
![Ynglingesaga 9 Gerhard Munthe](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Ynglingesaga_9_Gerhard_Munthe.jpg)
The sequence of legendary kings below derives from medieval Icelandic poet and historian
Snorri Sturluson's ''
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 184 ...
'', the first section of the saga collection ''
Heimskringla
''Heimskringla'' () is the best known of the Old Norse kings' sagas. It was written in Old Norse in Iceland by the poet and historian Snorre Sturlason (1178/79–1241) 1230. The name ''Heimskringla'' was first used in the 17th century, derive ...
''. The ''Ynglinga saga'' was composed by Sturluson 1230 and details the reigns and lives of the kings of the
Yngling
The Ynglings were a dynasty of kings, first in Sweden and later in Norway, primarily attested through the poem ''Ynglingatal''. The dynasty also appears as Scylfings (Old Norse ''Skilfingar'') in '' Beowulf''. When ''Beowulf'' and ''Ynglingatal'' ...
dynasty (), a legendary line of kings said to descend from the
Norse god
In Germanic paganism, the indigenous religion of the ancient Germanic peoples who inhabited Germanic Europe, there were a number of different gods and goddesses. Germanic deities are attested from numerous sources, including works of literature ...
Odin
Odin (; from non, Óðinn, ) is a widely revered Æsir, god in Germanic paganism. Norse mythology, the source of most surviving information about him, associates him with wisdom, healing, death, royalty, the gallows, knowledge, war, battle, v ...
. The Ynglings are described in the ''Ynglinga saga'' as the first royal blood line of the Swedes.
The ''Ynglinga saga'' contains no references to chronology (such as specific dates of the reigns of the various kings) with the exception of presenting the rulers in chronological order. In some places, names appear (notably kings
Ottar and
Adils
Eadgils, ''Adils'', ''Aðils'', ''Adillus'', ''Aðísl at Uppsölum'', ''Athisl'', ''Athislus'' or ''Adhel'' was a semi-legendary king of Sweden, who is estimated to have lived during the 6th century.
''Beowulf'' and Old Norse sources present ...
) that might belong to people also attested in other sagas, such as ''
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 ...
'' (written in the 10th–11th century in England, but concerning events in Scandinavia in the 6th/7th century), wherein the Ynglings are called Scylfings (
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 ...
: ''Skilfingar''; ). According to the ''Ynglinga saga'', the earliest rulers used the title ''drotin'' (modern Swedish: ''Drott''). Even later Yngling rulers are typically not designated as "Kings of Sweden" or "Kings of the Swedes" in the ''Ynglinga saga'', most of them being described as "Kings in
Uppsala
Uppsala (, or all ending in , ; archaically spelled ''Upsala'') is the county seat of Uppsala County and the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, fourth-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. It had 177,074 inha ...
", an early political center in Sweden. The Yngling dynasty is sometimes referred to as the "Royal House of Uppsala" in later scholarship.
Sequence of kings
![Konung Ingjald Illråda bränner upp 6 Fylkiskonungar by Hugo Hamilton](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Konung_Ingjald_Illr%C3%A5da_br%C3%A4nner_upp_6_Fylkiskonungar_by_Hugo_Hamilton.jpg)
The ''Ynglinga saga'' presents the following line of Yngling kings of the Swedes:
*
Odin
Odin (; from non, Óðinn, ) is a widely revered Æsir, god in Germanic paganism. Norse mythology, the source of most surviving information about him, associates him with wisdom, healing, death, royalty, the gallows, knowledge, war, battle, v ...
''the Old'' (Old Norse: ''Óðinn''; Swedish: ''Oden'') – founder of the royal line; identified with the Norse mythological figure of the same name.
*
Njord ''the Rich'' (Old Norse: ''Njörðr''; Swedish: ''Njord'', ''Njärd'') – son and successor of Odin; identified with the Norse mythological figure of the same name.
*
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 ...
(Old Norse: ''Yngvi-Freyr''; Swedish: ''Yngve-Frej'', ''Yngve Frö'', ''Frö'') – son and successor of Njord; identified with the Norse mythological figure of the same name. Described as the founder of the subsequent Viking age political centre
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 ...
. The Yngling dynasty takes its name from him.
*
Fjölnir
Fjölnir ( non, Fjǫlnir ) is a legendary king in Norse mythology said to have been the son of Freyr (Frey) and his consort Gerðr (Gertha). The name appears in a variety of forms, including Fiolnir, Fjölner, Fjolner, and Fjolne. He was claim ...
(Old Norse: ''Fjölnir''; Swedish: ''Fjölner'', ''Fjölne'') – son and successor of Yngvi-Frey.
*
Sveigder (Old Norse: ''Sveigðir''; Swedish: ''Svegder'', ''Svegde'') – son and successor of Fjölnir.
*
Vanlande
Vanlandi or ''Vanlande'' (Old Norse "Man from the Land of the Vanir"McKinnell (2005:70).) according to mythology was a Swedish king at Uppsala of the House of Yngling in Norse mythology. He was the son of Sveigðir whom he succeeded as king. He ...
(Old Norse: ''Vanlandi''; Swedish: ''Vanlande'', ''Vanland'') – son and successor of Sveigder.
*
Visbur
Visbur or Wisbur (Old Norse "Certain/Undoubted Son"McKinnell (2005:70).) was a legendary Swedish king of the House of Ynglings and the son of Vanlandi. He was burned to death inside his hall by the arson of two of his own sons in revenge for reje ...
(Old Norse: ''Vísburr''; Swedish: ''Visbur'', ''Visburr'') – son and successor of Vanlande.
*
Domalde
Domalde, ''Dómaldi'' or ''Dómaldr'' (Old Norse possibly "Power to Judge"McKinnell (2005:70).) was a legendary Swedish king of the House of Ynglings, cursed by his stepmother, according to Snorri Sturluson, with ''ósgæssa'', "ill-luck". He w ...
(Old Norse: ''Dómaldi'', ''Dómaldr''; Swedish: ''Domalde'') – son and successor of Visbur.
*
Domar
In Norse mythology, the Swedish king Domar (Old Norse ''Dómarr'', "Judge"McKinnell (2005:70).) of the House of Ynglings was the son of Domalde. He was married to Drott, the sister of Dan the Arrogant who gave his names to the Danes. Drott and ...
(Old Norse: ''Dómarr''; Swedish: ''Domar'') – son and successor of Domalde.
*
Dyggvi
In Norse mythology, Dyggvi or Dyggve (Old Norse "Useful, Effective"McKinnell (2005:70).) was a Swedish king of the House of Ynglings. Dyggvi died and became the concubine of Hel, Loki's daughter. Dyggvi was succeeded by his son Dag the Wise. A ...
(Old Norse: ''Dyggvi''; Swedish: ''Dyggve'', ''Dygve'') – son and successor of Domar.
*
Dag ''the Wise'' (Old Norse: ''Dagr Spaka''; Swedish: ''Dag den vise'') – son and successor of Dyggvi.
*
Agne
Agne (English: ''Agni''), ''Hogne'' or ''Agni Skjálfarbondi'' was a semi-legendary, king of Sweden, of the House of Yngling.
Snorri Sturluson relates that he was the son of Dag the Wise, and he was mighty and famous. He was also skilled in many ...
''Skjálfarbondi'' (Old Norse: ''Agni Skjálfarbondi''; Swedish: ''Agne Skjalfarbonde'') – son and successor of Dag.
*
Alaric (Old Norse: ''Alrekr''; Swedish: ''Alrik'', ''Alrek'') and
Eric
The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization).
The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Norse ''* ain ...
(Old Norse: ''Eiríkr''; Swedish: ''Erik'') – sons and co-successors of Agne.
*
Yngvi
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 ...
(Old Norse: ''Yngvi''; Swedish: ''Yngve'') and
Alf (Old Norse: ''Álfr''; Swedish: ''Alf'') – sons of Alaric; co-successors of Alaric and Eric.
*
Hugleik Hugleik or Ochilaik (a namesake of Hygelac) was a Swedish king of the House of Yngling, according to the ''Ynglinga saga''. He was the son of Alf and Bera.
Some commentators assimilate Hugleik with his namesake, the Geatish king Hygelac. However, ...
(Old Norse: ''Hugleikr''; Swedish: ''Hugleik'', ''Huglek'') – son of Alf; successor of Yngvi and Alf.
**
Haki
Haki, Hake ( Old Norse: ) or Haco, the brother of Hagbard, was a famous Scandinavian sea-king, in Norse mythology. He is mentioned in the 12th century '' Gesta Danorum'', and in 13th-century sources including '' Ynglinga saga'', ''Nafnaþulur' ...
(Old Norse: ''Haki''; Swedish: ''Hake Hednasson'') – Danish
sea-king who conquered Sweden, usurpring the throne from Hugleik.
*
Jorund
Jorund or Jörundr (5th century) was a Swedish king of the House of Yngling. He was the son of Yngvi, and he had reclaimed the throne of Sweden for his dynasty from Haki (the brother of Hagbard, the hero of the legend of Hagbard and Signy. Snorr ...
(Old Norse: ''Jörundr''; Swedish: ''Jorund'', ''Jörund'', ''Järund'', ''Eorund'') – son of Yngvi and cousin of Hugleik; retook the throne from Haki.
*
Aun
Aun the Old (Old Norse ''Aunn inn gamli'', Latinized ''Auchun'', Proto-Norse ''*Audawiniʀ'': English: "Edwin the Old") is a mythical Swedish king of the House of Yngling in the ''Heimskringla''.
Aun was the son of Jorund, and had ten sons, nin ...
''the Old'' (Old Norse: ''Aun hinn gamli''; Swedish: ''Aun'', ''Ane'', ''Ön'', ''On'', ''One'') – son and successor of Jorund.
**
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 ...
(Old Norse: ''Halfdan''; Swedish: ''Halfdan'', ''Halvdan'') –
legendary Danish king
The legendary kings of Denmark are the predecessors of Gorm the Old, a king who reigned ca. 930s to 950s and is the earliest reliably attested Danish ruler. Historicity of the earlier legendary kings are thus half legend and half history. The acc ...
of the
Scylding
Old English Scylding (plural Scyldingas) and Old Norse Skjǫldung (plural Skjǫldungar), meaning in both languages "children of Scyld/Skjǫldr" are the members of a legendary royal family of Danes, especially kings. The name is explained in many ...
dynasty; supposedly conquered Uppsala from Aun and ruled there as king for twenty years before dying of natural causes, whereupon Aun was reinstated as king.
**
Ale ''the Strong'' (Old Norse: ''Ale''; Swedish: ''Ale'', ''Åle'') – legendary Danish king of the Scylding dynasty; conquered Uppsala from Aun and ruled there as king for twenty-five years before being killed by legendary champion
Starkad
''Starkad'' ( non, Starkaðr or ; Latin: ''Starcaterus''; in the Late Middle Ages also ''Starkodder''; modern Danish: ''Stærkodder'')The article ''Starkad'' in ''Nationalencyklopedin''. was either an eight-armed giant or the human grandson of ...
, whereupon Aun was reinstated as king.
*
Egil ''Tunnadolg'' (Old Norse: ''Egill Tunnudólgr''; Swedish: ''Egil Tunnadolg'', ''Angantyr'') – son and successor of Aun.
*
Ottar ''Vendelcrow'' (Old Norse: ''Ótarr vendilkráka''; Swedish: ''Ottar Vendelkråka'') – son and successor of Egil.
*
Eadgils ''the Mighty'' (Old Norse: ''Aðils''; Swedish: ''Adils'') – son and successor of Ottar.
*
Eysteinn
Eysteinn (Swedish: Östen; died ca 600) was the son of Eadgils and Yrsa of Saxony. He was the father of Ingvar. The Eysteinn tumulus ''(Östens hög)'' in Västerås near Östanbro has been linked to King Eysteinn by some popular historians. The ...
(Old Norse: ''Eysteinn''; Swedish: ''Östen'', ''Eystein'') – son and successor of Eadgils.
**
Sölve
Sölve was a sea-king who conquered Sweden by burning the Swedish king Östen to death inside his hall.
The ''Heimskringla'' relates that he was the son of Högne of Nærøy, and that he had his home in Jutland (however, according to the olde ...
(Old Norse: ''Sölve''; Swedish: ''Sölve Högnesson'', ''Salve'') – Danish or Geatish sea-king who conquered Sweden, usurping the throne from Eysteinn.
*
Ingvar
Yngvar Harra (or Ingvar; Proto-Norse ''*Ingu-Hariz''; non, Yngvarr ; d. early 7th century) was the son of Östen and reclaimed the Swedish throne for the House of Yngling after the Swedes had rebelled against Sölvi.
He is reported to have fa ...
''Harra'' (Old Norse: ''Yngvari''; Swedish: ''Yngvar Harra'', ''Ingvar'') – son of Eysteinn, proclaimed king after the Swedes turned on Sölve and murdered him.
*
Anund
Anund sv, Bröt-Anund meaning ''trail-blazer Anund'' or ''Anund the Land Clearer''; alternate names ''Brøt-Anundr'' (Old East Norse) or ''Braut-Önundr'' (Old West Norse) was a semi-legendary Swedish king of the House of Yngling who reigne ...
(Old Norse: ''Brautönundr'', ''Anundr''; Swedish: ''Bröt-Anund'', ''Bryt-Önund'') – son and successor of Ingvar.
*
Ingjald
Ingjald illråde or Ingjaldr hinn illráði (''Ingold Illruler'' or ''Illready'') was a semi-legendary Swedish king of the House of Ynglings, son and successor of King Anund, and the father and predecessor of King Olof Trätälja. As with many ...
''Illready'' (Old Norse: ''Ingjaldr hinn illráði''; Swedish: ''Ingjald illråde'', ''Ingjald illråda'') – son and successor of Anund. According to the ''Ynglinga saga'' the last of the Swedish Yngling kings as Sweden was conquered by
Scania
Scania, also known by its native name of Skåne (, ), is the southernmost of the historical provinces of Sweden, provinces (''landskap'') of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conte ...
n king
Ivar Vidfamne
Ivar Vidfamne (or ''Ívarr inn víðfaðmi''; English exonym ''Ivar Widefathom''; Danish ''Ivar Vidfadme'' – in Norwegian and Danish the form ''Ivar Vidfavne'' is sometimes used as an alternative form) was a semi-legendary king of Sweden, who ...
. Ingjald's son,
Olof Trätälja
Olaf Tree Feller (Old Norse: ''Óláfr trételgja'', Swedish: ''Olof Trätälja'', Norwegian: ''Olav Tretelgja'', all meaning ''Olaf Woodwhittler'') was the son of the Swedish king Ingjald illråde, ruler of the House of Yngling in the 7th centur ...
, became ancestral to the later
kings of Norway
The list of Norwegian monarchs ( no, kongerekken or ''kongerekka'') begins in 872: the traditional dating of the Battle of Hafrsfjord, after which victorious King Harald Fairhair merged several petty kingdoms into that of his father. Named afte ...
of the
Fairhair dynasty
The Fairhair dynasty ( no, Hårfagreætta) was a family of kings founded by Harald I of Norway (commonly known as "Harald Fairhair", ''Haraldr inn hárfagri'') which united and ruled Norway with few interruptions from the latter half of the 9th ...
.
Historicity
![Lbs fragm 82, 0001r - 0](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Lbs_fragm_82%2C_0001r_-_0.jpg)
Sturluson's ''Ynglinga saga'' was created far too late to serve as a reliable source in regards to the events and kings it describes, being separated from the earliest ones by several centuries. ''Ynglinga saga'' appears to have been based on an earlier scaldic poem, ''
Ynglingatal
''Ynglingatal'' or ''Ynglinga tal'' (Old Norse: 'Enumeration of the Ynglingar') is a Skaldic poem cited by Snorri Sturluson in the ''Ynglinga saga'', the first saga of Snorri's ''Heimskringla''. Þjóðólfr of Hvinir (Thjodolf), who was a poet ...
'', which is quoted at length by Snorri. ''Ynglingatal'' is not a reliable source either, though traditionally believed to have been composed at the end of the 9th or beginning of the 10th century, it might be from as late as the 12th century. Sturluson would have had access to older (now lost) manuscripts when writing the ''Ynglinga saga'', but this does not necessarily corroborate anything that appears in the ''Ynglinga saga'' as true. What is genuine history and what is myth and legend is today impossible to determine, and everything contained in the saga must as such be regarded as legendary, if not fictional. Modern scholarship does not see sagas such as the ''Ynglinga saga'' as good sources for genuine historical information. As a historical source, the ''Ynglinga saga'' is much better used as a source on historiography and society during Sturluson's own time than as a source on Sweden's early history.
It is possible that the Yngling line of kings is entirely fictional, invented by later Norwegian rulers to assert their right to rule Norway. In the Viking Age and later, Danish rulers repeatedly attempted to conquer Norway and through inventing a lineage that stretched back centuries, the Norwegian rulers may have attempted to demonstrate their inherent right to their lands and to put themselves on the same level as the Danes, who had historical accounts of their ancestors. The Swedish Ynglings might have been invented to glorify the Norwegian kings further, giving them a glorious and mythical past associated with Uppsala. Most of the sagas known today, the ''Ynglinga saga'' included, were composed during a relatively brief period, from the 12th to 13th century, a time when royal power was being consolidated in Norway, Denmark and Sweden. Their creation might thus stem from political and social needs (i. e. justifying the rule of a dynasty), rather than a desire to tell genuine history.
In addition to having been written centuries after the events they describe, the sagas have numerous other problems which make them unsuitable to use as sources. Many of the elements of the ''Ynglinga saga'' appear to be based on later, documented, events and people in Scandinavia. For instance, the figure of Aun, described as being driven from Uppsala and taking up court in
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 ...
instead, is similar to the historical Swedish king
Inge the Elder
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 h ...
( 1079–1084, 1087–1105), who was driven from Uppsala into Västergötland in the 11th century. The ''Ynglinga saga'' might also be an example of anti-royal social commentary rather than an attempt to tell history. Many of the kings in the saga are overshadowed by their contemporary vassals and wives, and they are rarely shown in a positive light. The inglorious deaths of many of the Swedish Ynglings; with examples such as murder, burning to death, drowning in mead and being "
hag-ridden" to death, might be an attempt by Sturluson to say that the kings who ruled Norway in his time and claimed Yngling descent were not to be taken seriously. Though descent from figures such as Odin and Njord, gods in Norse mythology, might seem a prestigious origin, it would be problematic in early medieval Norway since the kings were Christian and their ancestors were worshipped as Pagan gods. Their addition to the saga might thus have been another attempt by Sturluson to undermine royal ideology.
If some of the Ynglings were real historical figures, they would have ruled during the
Migration Period
The Migration Period was a period in European history marked by large-scale migrations that saw the fall of the Western Roman Empire and subsequent settlement of its former territories by various tribes, and the establishment of the post-Roman ...
( 375–550) and the subsequent
Vendel Period
In Swedish prehistory, the Vendel Period ( sv, Vendeltiden; 540–790 AD) appears between the Migration Period and the Viking Age. The name is taken from the rich boat inhumation cemetery at Vendel parish church, Uppland. This is a period wi ...
( 550–790), predating the
Viking Age
The Viking Age () was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonizing, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. It followed the Migration Period and the Ger ...
. Historical evidence of early geopolitics in Scandinavia suggests that larger political structures, kingdoms such as medieval Sweden, Norway and Denmark, did not form until the late Viking Age. The centralization of power under one monarch is believed to have resulted from, or at the very least have been connected to,
Viking expansion
Viking expansion was the historical movement which led Norse explorers, traders and warriors, the latter known in modern scholarship as Vikings, to sail most of the North Atlantic, reaching south as far as North Africa and east as far as Russi ...
, with petty kings increasing their power through aggressive military ventures directed both to foreign lands (i. e. Viking raids) and against their neighbors.
Vidfamne dynasty
![Lorenz Frölich - Harald Wartooth](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/Lorenz_Fr%C3%B6lich_-_Harald_Wartooth.jpg)
According to the ''Ynglinga saga'', the Yngling dynasty's rule in Sweden was succeeded by Ivar Vidfamne, previously a petty king in Scania, who founded a new royal line.
Sequence of kings
The sequence of kings presented below is given by the ''Hervarar saga'', a saga written in the 12th or 13th century.
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Ivar ''Vidfamne'' (Old Norse: ''Ívarr inn víðfaðmi''; Swedish: ''Ivar Vidfamne'') – founder of the dynasty, deposed the Yngling dynasty.
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Harald ''Wartooth'' (Old Norse: ''Haraldr hilditǫnn''; Swedish: ''Harald Hildetand'') – son of
Randver
Randvér or Randver was a legendary Danish king. In Nordic legends, according to '' Sögubrot'' and the '' Lay of Hyndla'', he was the son of Ráðbarðr the king of Garðaríki and Auðr the Deep-Minded, the daughter of the Danish-Swedish ru ...
, Ivar's vassal king in Denmark, and Alfhild, the daughter of Ivar. Took control over most of Ivar's former empire.
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Eysteinn ''Beli'' (Old Norse: ''Eysteinn hinn illráði''; Swedish: ''Östen Illråde'', ''Östen Beli'') – son of Harald Wartooth, inherited Sweden. He ruled until Sweden was conquered by the Danish or Swedish Viking
(who in some other sagas is said to be the son of a previous Swedish or Danish king,
Sigurd Ring
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 ...
).
Historicity
![Ivar](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/Ivar.png)
The existence of Ivar Vidfamne and his dynasty, at least in the way described in the sagas, is considered highly unlikely in modern scholarship. As with the Yngling kings, precise dates are not presented in the sagas for Ivar Vidfamne or his descendants, but his reign is estimated to have taken place in the 7th century. The only sources that mention Ivar are Icelandic sagas from centuries after his death. As Ivar is described as building a vast empire, including parts of Britain and northern Germany, it is unlikely that contemporary and later writers in Europe would not have written of him, had he existed. It is possible that the saga preserves a grain of the truth, perhaps being an embellishment of vague memories of an ancient warrior king, but most of what is said of Ivar Vidfamne has to be considered legendary and fictional.
Munsö dynasty
![Olaf Scotking of Sweden coin c 1030](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Olaf_Scotking_of_Sweden_coin_c_1030.jpg)
The Munsö dynasty of kings is the earliest royal lineage that is mentioned not only in Icelandic sagas, but also in medieval Swedish sources. Though only a few examples survive, medieval Swedish lists of kings overwhelmingly begin with
Olof Skötkonung
Olof Skötkonung, (Old Norse: ''Óláfr skautkonungr'') sometimes stylized as ''Olaf the Swede'' (c. 980–1022), was King of Sweden, son of Eric the Victorious and, according to Icelandic sources, Sigrid the Haughty. He succeeded his father in ...
, the first Christian king of Sweden, suggesting that he, and not any of the previous legendary figures, was seen as Sweden's first king. In Icelandic sources, such as the 12th/13th-century ''
Langfeðgatal The LangfeðgatalSometimes written Langfedgetal or Langfedgatal (Old Norse pronunciation: , ) is a 12th-century Icelandic genealogy of Scandinavian kings.
The anonymous Icelandic Langfeðgatal is preserved in a manuscript that is part of the Arna ...
'', Olof Skötkonung is regarded as a late ruler of a significantly older dynasty, stretching back to legendary Viking hero
. In addition to the short genealogical account of ''Langfeðgatal'', Ragnar Lodbrok's royal dynasty is also presented in a more narrative form in the aforementioned ''Hervarar saga'', also written in the 12th or 13th century.
Sequence of kings
''Langfeðgatal'' presents the following line of kings:
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Ragnar ''Lodbrok'' (Old Norse: ''Ragnarr Loðbrók''; Swedish: ''Ragnar Lodbrok'') – earliest king mentioned in ''Langfeðgatal''. Conquered Sweden from Eysteinn Beli according to the ''Hervarar saga''.
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Björn ''Ironside'' (Old Norse: ''Bjǫrn Járnsíða''; Swedish: ''Björn Järnsida'') – son and successor of Ragnar Lodbrok.
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Eric Björnsson (Old Norse: ''Eiríkr''; Swedish: ''Erik'') – son and successor of Björn Ironside.
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Eric Refilsson (Old Norse: ''Eiríkr''; Swedish: ''Erik'') – son of Refil, a son of Björn Ironside, and successor of Eric Björnsson.
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Anund ''Uppsale'' (Old Norse: ''Anundr Uppsali''; Swedish: ''Anund Uppsale'') and
Björn ''at Haugi'' (Old Norse: ''Bjǫrn''; Swedish: ''Björn på Högen'') – sons of Eric Björnsson and co-successors of Eric Refilsson.
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Eric Anundsson (Old Norse: ''Eiríkr''; Swedish: ''Erik'') – son and successor of Anund Uppsale.
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Björn Eriksson (Old Norse: ''Bjǫrn''; Swedish: ''Björn'') – son and successor of Eric Anundsson.
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Eric ''the Victorious'' (Old Norse: ''Eiríkr inn sigrsæli''; Swedish: ''Erik Segersäll'') and
Olof Björnsson (Old Norse: ''Óláfr''; Swedish: ''Olof'') – both sons and co-successors of Björn Eriksson. Eric the Victorious is a real historical king, 970–995.
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Olof ''Skötkonung'' (Old Norse: ''Óláfr skautkonungr''; Swedish: ''Olof Skötkonung'') – real historical king, 995–1022, son of Eric the Victorious.
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Anund Jacob
Anund Jacob or James, Swedish: ''Anund Jakob'' was King of Sweden from 1022 until around 1050. He is believed to have been born on July 25, in either 1008 or 1010 as ''Jakob'', the son of King Olof Skötkonung and Queen Estrid. Being the second C ...
(Old Norse: ''Anundr Iacob''; Swedish: ''Anund Jakob'') – real historical king, 1022–1050, son of Olof Skötkonung.
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Emund ''the Old'' (Old Norse: ''Æmunðær gamlæ''; Swedish: ''Emund den gamle'') – real historical king, 1050–1060, illegitimate son of Olof Skötkonung.
Historicity
![Västgötalagen blad 21](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/V%C3%A4stg%C3%B6talagen_blad_21.jpg)
The ''Langfeðgatal'' reconstruction of the Munsö dynasty and the later lineage of Swedish kings it presents does not conform with medieval Swedish primary sources. Though a majority of the kings from Olof Skötkonung onwards appear in the Icelandic sources with the same name and overall chronology, the Icelandic sources also contain the figure
Blot-Sweyn
Blot-Sweyn (Swedish:''Blot-Sven'') was a Swedish king c. 1080, who replaced his Christian brother-in-law Inge as King of Sweden, when Inge had refused to administer the blóts (pagan sacrifices) at the Temple at Uppsala. There is no mention of Swey ...
, who is only present in some of the Swedish sources (and notably absent in ''
Västgötalagen
( or ) or the Westrogothic law is the oldest Swedish text written in Latin script and the oldest of all Swedish provincial laws.The Scanian law is older, but Scania was not incorporated into Sweden until late 17th century, and it is thus count ...
'', an important early Swedish legal document) and a king by the name Kol or
Erik Årsäll Erik Årsäll (Old Norse: ''Eiríkr hinn ársæli'') was a semi-historical king of Sweden. His historicity has been called into question. He is dated by some to the end of the 11th century, by others to the 1120s, while more critical historians bel ...
, completely absent in the Swedish sources. The same is true for the ''Hervarar saga'', whose sequence of kings is identical to the sequence presented in ''Langfeðgatal''. In some respects, the royal sequence is more correct in the ''Langfeðgatal''; Swedish medieval sources tend to omit the kings Anund Jacob and Emund the Old, who can be verified through foreign documents and through the coins they minted, and where the Swedish sources present kings as successive, some (such as Inge the Elder) are known to have co-ruled with others, which is accurately presented in the Icelandic versions.
The missionary
Ansgar
Ansgar (8 September 801 – 3 February 865), also known as Anskar, Saint Ansgar, Saint Anschar or Oscar, was Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen in the northern part of the Kingdom of the East Franks. Ansgar became known as the "Apostle of the North" b ...
travelled to Sweden several times during the 9th century in an attempt to Christianize the Swedes. In the writings of his companion
Rimbert Saint Rimbert (or Rembert) (''c.'' 830 - 11 June 888 in Bremen) was archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen, in the northern part of the Kingdom of East Frankia from 865 until his death in 888. He most famously wrote the hagiography about the life Ansgar, t ...
, the ''
Vita Ansgari
The ''Vita Ansgarii'', also known as the ''Vita Anskarii'', is the hagiography of saint Ansgar, written by Rimbert, his successor as archbishop in the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen. The ''Vita'' is an important source not only in detailing Ansga ...
'', several Swedish kings (who all precede Eric the Victorious) and who they met or heard of at
Birka
Birka (''Birca'' in medieval sources), on the island of Björkö (lit. "Birch Island") in present-day Sweden, was an important Viking Age trading center which handled goods from Scandinavia as well as many parts of the European continent and ...
, an important Viking Age trading center, are mentioned. Attempts have been made to harmonize Ansgar's kings with the kings mentioned in the sagas but such attempts have to be considered unreliable and unverifiable. The Vita gives no genealogical information in regards to the kings. It mentions the following four kings:
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Björn
Bjorn (English, Dutch), Björn (Swedish, Icelandic, Dutch, and German), Bjørn (Danish, Faroese and Norwegian), Beorn (Old English) or, rarely, Bjôrn, Biorn, or Latinized Biornus, Brum (Portuguese), is a Scandinavian male given name, or less oft ...
, who reigned 829 when Ansgar first visited Sweden. Björn was reportedly friendly to the missionaries but chose not to convert to Christianity (although one of his chief councilors, Hergeir, did).
* Anund, who is not mentioned as ruling at Birka (possibly ruling somewhere else in Sweden), having been driven from Sweden and taken refuge among the Danes. Anund promised Birka to the Danes as a reward for helping him gain revenge and attacked Birka 840. As Birka continues to be ruled by Swedish kings, it is unlikely that the attack succeeded.
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Eric
The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization).
The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Norse ''* ain ...
(Erik), who was recently deceased by the time Ansgar visited Sweden for the second time 852. According to Rimbert's writings, some of the Anti-Christian Swedes suggested that Eric be worshipped as a god alongside the rest of the Nordic pantheon instead of the new Christian god.
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Olof (Olaf, Olef), who reigned 852, during Ansgar's second visit to Sweden, having then only recently come to the throne.
In terms of sources on Viking Age kings,
Adam of Bremen
Adam of Bremen ( la, Adamus Bremensis; german: Adam von Bremen) (before 1050 – 12 October 1081/1085) was a German medieval chronicler. He lived and worked in the second half of the eleventh century. Adam is most famous for his chronicle ''Gesta ...
, who worked in the 11th century and wrote of Swedish kings, is significantly closer in time and place to the kings he describe than the centuries of separation in the sagas, only being separated from the mentioned rulers by at most about 150–100 years. The Icelandic sources are substantially different from his work, not only in the kings preceding Olof Skötkonung. As the successors of King
Stenkil ( 1060–1066), the Icelandic sources give
Håkan the Red
Håkan the Red ( Swedish: ''Håkan Röde'') was a king of Sweden, reigning for about half a decade in the second half of the 11th century.''Håkan Röde'' in ''Nationalencyklopedin'':
There is little information on him, and it is mostly contradic ...
, followed by a co-regency of Inge the Elder,
Halsten
Halsten Stenkilsson, English exonym: Alstan (Old Icelandic: ''Hallstein''[Eric and Eric Eric and Eric, according to Adam of Bremen, were two contenders for the kingship of Sweden around 1066–67, after the death of King Stenkil. They waged war on each other, with disastrous consequences: " this war all the Swedish magnates are said t ...](_blank)
, followed by Halsten,
Anund Gårdske and then Håkan the Red. As the direct predecessors of Eric the Victorious, Icelandic sources give Björn Eriksson, preceded by Erik Anundsson. Apart from the kings found in the ''Vita Asgari'', Adam writes that Eric the Victorious was preceded by Anund/Emund Eriksson, who in turn was preceded by Eric Ringsson and Emund/Anund Ringsson, sons and successors of a king by the name of Ring. Adam of Bremen's line of kings is thus:
*
Ring
Ring may refer to:
* Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry
* To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell
:(hence) to initiate a telephone connection
Arts, entertainment and media Film and ...
, reigning in the early 10th century.
*
Eric Ringsson, son of Ring, reigning in the 10th century.
*
Emund Ringsson, son of Ring, reigning in the 10th century, possibly together with Eric.
*
Emund Eriksson, son of Eric and successor of Emund, reigning possibly 975.
The
Sparlösa Runestone
The Sparlösa Runestone, listed as Vg 119 in the Rundata catalog, is located in Västergötland and is the second most famous Swedish runestone after the Rök runestone.
Description
The Sparlösa Runestone was discovered in 1669 in the southe ...
, created 800, mentions several names, including the name Alríkr (Alaric) in an unclear context, the name
Eiríkr (Eric) in reference to a king at Uppsala and the name Eyvísl as the son of this Eiríkr. No written source mentions a king by the name Eyvísl, though the context of the stone does not make it clear whether he ruled as king or whether he was simply a prince.
See also
*
List of legendary kings of Denmark
The legendary kings of Denmark are the predecessors of Gorm the Old, a king who reigned ca. 930s to 950s and is the earliest reliably attested Danish ruler. Historicity of the earlier legendary kings are thus half legend and half history. The acc ...
*
List of legendary kings of Norway
The petty kingdoms of Norway ( nb, smårike) were the entities from which the later Kingdom of Norway was founded. Before the unification of Norway in 872 and during the period of fragmentation after King Harald Fairhair's death, Norway was divi ...
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Sögubrot af nokkrum fornkonungum
''Sögubrot af nokkrum fornkonungum'' (Fragment of a Saga about Certain Ancient Kings) is a fragmentary Icelandic text dealing with some legendary Swedish and Danish kings. It is thought to be based on the lost '' Skjöldunga saga'' and perhaps r ...
*
Germanic Heroic Age
The Germanic (or "German") Heroic Age, so called in analogy to the Heroic Age of Greek mythology, is the period of early historic or quasi-historic events reflected in Germanic heroic poetry.
Periodisation
The period corresponds to the Germani ...
*
King of the Geats
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 are not considered historical.
This list follows t ...
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Historia de omnibus Gothorum Sueonumque regibus
The ''Historia de omnibus Gothorum Sueonumque regibus'' (''The history of all Geatish and Swedish kings'') is a posthumously published, partly pseudo-historical work by Johannes Magnus, Sweden's last Catholic archbishop. In 1554 (ten years after ...
References
Cited bibliography
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Cited web sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Legendary Kings Of Sweden
Mythological kings of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...