Valdar was the name of several
legend
A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived, both by teller and listeners, to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess ...
ary Danish kings.
The ''
Hervarar saga'' tells the tale of a Valdar who was viceroy of
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark
, establish ...
under
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 ...
and he was the father 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 ...
and 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 ...
(half siblings and fathers found were Hrörek av Lejre and Radbart - mother being Aud Djupaudga) who was a legendary king of
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark
, establish ...
and
Sweden.
The ''
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 ''
Hversu Noregr byggdist'' tell the tale of a Valdar who succeeded
Hrólfr Kraki
Hrólfr Kraki (Old Norse: ), ''Hroðulf'', ''Rolfo'', ''Roluo'', ''Rolf Krage'' (early 6th century) was a semi-legendary Danish king who appears in both Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian tradition.
Both traditions describe him as a Danish Scylding, ...
as King of
Scania
Scania, also known by its native name of Skåne (, ), is the southernmost of the historical provinces (''landskap'') of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conterminous with Skåne ...
. This Valdar was the father of
Harald the Old
Harald Valdarsson, also known as Harald the Old ( on, Harald hinn Gamli, born circa 568) appears only by name in ''Hversu Noregr byggðist'', but his father, sons and descendants played a central role in the politics of Scandinavian legends.
''Hve ...
.
''Hervarar saga''
The ''
Hervarar saga'' tells that
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 ...
made Valdar the viceroy of
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark
, establish ...
and gave him his daughter Alfhild. When Valdar died, his son
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 ...
became the king of Denmark, while his son
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 ...
became the king 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 ...
or
Gotland. In the ''Hervarar saga'', the name Valdar also appears in a poem together with other kings and nations:
''Guðrúnarkviða II''
Valdar is named as a king of the Danes in
Guðrúnarkviða II (stanza 19):
''Hversu Noregr byggdist''
According to ''
Hversu Noregr byggdist'', a Valdar was the son of Roar (
Hroðgar
Hrothgar ( ang, Hrōðgār ; on, Hróarr) was a semi-legendary Danish king living around the early sixth century AD.
Hrothgar appears in the Anglo-Saxon epics ''Beowulf'' and ''Widsith'', in Norse sagas and poems, and in medieval Danish chroni ...
) of the house of Skjöldung (
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 ...
). This source makes Valdar the father of
Harald the Old
Harald Valdarsson, also known as Harald the Old ( on, Harald hinn Gamli, born circa 568) appears only by name in ''Hversu Noregr byggðist'', but his father, sons and descendants played a central role in the politics of Scandinavian legends.
''Hve ...
, the father of
Halfdan the Valiant, the father of
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 ...
. If he is of the same origin as the Valdar of ''Hervarar saga'', this account adds four generations (Harald the Old, Halfdan the Valiant, Ivar Vidfamne and effectively Ivar's daughter Alfhild/Auðr who was Harald Wartooth's mother according to all accounts) between Valdar and
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 ...
, who was Valdar's son according to the ''
Hervarar saga''.
''Skjöldunga saga''
The ''
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 ...
'' tells that a Valdar disputed that
Rörek, the cousin of Helgi (
Halga
Halga, '' Helgi'', ''Helghe'' or ''Helgo'' was a legendary Danish king living in the early 6th century. His name would in his own language (Proto-Norse) have been *''Hailaga'' (dedicated to the gods).
Scholars generally agree that he appears in b ...
) succeeded
Hrólfr Kraki
Hrólfr Kraki (Old Norse: ), ''Hroðulf'', ''Rolfo'', ''Roluo'', ''Rolf Krage'' (early 6th century) was a semi-legendary Danish king who appears in both Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian tradition.
Both traditions describe him as a Danish Scylding, ...
(Hroðulf) as the king of the
Daner
The Danes were a North Germanic tribe inhabiting southern Scandinavia, including the area now comprising Denmark proper, and the Scanian provinces of modern-day southern Sweden, during the Nordic Iron Age and the Viking Age. They founded what b ...
. After the war, Rörek took
Zealand
Zealand ( da, Sjælland ) at 7,031 km2 is the largest and most populous island in Denmark proper (thus excluding Greenland and Disko Island, which are larger in size). Zealand had a population of 2,319,705 on 1 January 2020.
It is the 1 ...
, while Valdar took
Skåne. If based on the same tradition as ''Hversu Noregr byggdist'', Valdar had the right to claim the throne being the son of the former king Hróarr (
Hroðgar
Hrothgar ( ang, Hrōðgār ; on, Hróarr) was a semi-legendary Danish king living around the early sixth century AD.
Hrothgar appears in the Anglo-Saxon epics ''Beowulf'' and ''Widsith'', in Norse sagas and poems, and in medieval Danish chroni ...
).
{{s-end
Heroes in Norse myths and legends
Scyldings