''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
The ''Skjöldunga saga'' (or, in another standardised Old Norse spelling, ''Skjǫldunga saga'') was an Old Norse legendary saga. Dating from c. 1180 – 1200, the saga was lost in its original form. The saga focused on the Danish dynasty of Scyl ...
'' and perhaps represents a late state of that work.
The fragment begins in the middle of the story of
Ívarr inn víðfaðmi, '"Ivar the Widely Embracing", describing how he won the realm of Zealand through trickery, and how he committed suicide under strange circumstances while on an invasion of the realm of
Ráðbarðr
Ráðbarðr, Raðbarðr or ''Rathbarth'' (late 7th century) was a legendary king of Garðaríki, who appears in '' Sögubrot'' and the ''Lay of Hyndla''.
''Sögubrot'' tells that he married the fugitive princess Auðr the Deep-Minded without the ...
, who had married his daughter
Auðr the Deep-Minded without his permission. The fragment then recounts the early life of
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 ...
but breaks off; it resumes with the arrival of
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 ...
, Harald's old age, and the colossal
Battle of Brávellir
The Battle of Brávellir or the Battle of Bråvalla was a legendary battle, said to have taken place c.770, that is described in the sagas as taking place on the Brávellir between Sigurd Hring, king of Sweden and the Geats of Västergötland, and ...
. It breaks off again towards the end of Sigurd's life.
References
*
External links
The text in the original language
Legendary sagas
Kings' sagas
Sources of Norse mythology
{{iceland-saga-stub