Guðröðr was a legendary

Scania Scania ( ), also known by its native name of Skåne (), is the southernmost of the historical provinces of Sweden, provinces () of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conterminous w ...

n king (perhaps 7th century) who, according to the ''

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

'', was the brother of

Halfdan the Valiant Halfdan the Valiant (''Hálfdan snjalli'') (7th century?) was a legendary Scanian prince, who was the father of Ivar Vidfamne according to '' Hervarar saga'', the ''Ynglinga saga'', '' Njal's Saga'' and '' Hversu Noregr byggdist''. The genealogica ...

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 Denmark, wh ...

's father. He is only known from late Icelandic sources dating from the 13th century.

The fratricide of Guðröðr

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

was, according to the late sagas, divided for a period between two branches of the

Scylding The Scyldings ( OE Scyldingas) or Skjǫldungs ( ON Skjǫldungar), both meaning "descendants of Scyld/Skjǫldr", were, according to legends, a clan or dynasty of Danish kings, that in its time conquered and ruled Denmark and Sweden together with ...

dynasty, with one lineage residing in

Zealand Zealand ( ) is the largest and most populous islands of Denmark, island in Denmark proper (thus excluding Greenland and Disko Island, which are larger in size) at 7,031 km2 (2715 sq. mi.). Zealand had a population of 2,319,705 on 1 Januar ...

and the other in

(Skåne). While nothing in particular is told about the reign of Guðröðr, his brother Halfdan supposedly married an Anglian lady called Moald and obtained the lordship over

Northumbria Northumbria () was an early medieval Heptarchy, kingdom in what is now Northern England and Scottish Lowlands, South Scotland. The name derives from the Old English meaning "the people or province north of the Humber", as opposed to the Sout ...

. The ''Ynglinga saga'' tells that Guðröðr married Åsa, the daughter of the Swedish king

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 ...

Ill-ruler. She backtalked Halfdan so that Guðröðr killed him, and having done so, she arranged the death of Guðröðr himself. Then she fled back to her father in

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

. Guðröðr was succeeded by his nephew Ivar Vidfamne who avenged his father and uncle, and conquered Sweden. "He also took possession of all the realm of the

Danes Danes (, ), or Danish people, are an ethnic group and nationality native to Denmark and a modern nation identified with the country of Denmark. This connection may be ancestral, legal, historical, or cultural. History Early history Denmark ...

and a large part of Saxland and all of Austrríki and a fifth part of

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. From his line are descended the kings of the Danes and the

Swedes Swedes (), or Swedish people, are an ethnic group native to Sweden, who share a common ancestry, Culture of Sweden, culture, History of Sweden, history, and Swedish language, language. They mostly inhabit Sweden and the other Nordic countries, ...

who have held supreme power there". An episode in the fragmentary saga ''Sögubrot'' draws a parallel between Guðröðr and "

Heimdall In Norse mythology, Heimdall (from Old Norse Heimdallr; modern Icelandic language, Icelandic Heimdallur) is a Æsir, god. He is the son of Odin and nine mothers. Heimdall keeps watch for invaders and the onset of Ragnarök from his dwelling Himi ...

, who was the most foolish of the Aesir, though he was bad to var Vidfamne, implying that he was compared unfavourably with his highly praised brother Halfdan.

Guðröðr's family

'' Hervarar saga'' and '' Hversu Noregr byggdist'' give more information about his brother Halfdan the Valiant and his son Ivar Vidfamne, and by implication about Guðröðr himself. ''Hversu Noregr byggdist'' gives Halfdan the Valiant's father as

Harald the Old Harald Valdarsson, also known as Harald the Old (, 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. ''Hversu Noregr byggðist' ...

, his grandfather as

Valdar Valdar was the name of several legendary Danish kings. The '' Hervarar saga'' tells the tale of a Valdar who was viceroy of Denmark under Ivar Vidfamne and he was the father of Randver and of Harald Wartooth (half siblings and fathers found we ...

and his great-grandfather as Hróarr (i.e. the

Hroðgar Hrothgar ( ; ) 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 chronicles. In both Anglo-Saxon an ...

of ''

Beowulf ''Beowulf'' (; ) is an Old English poetry, Old English poem, an Epic poetry, epic in the tradition of Germanic heroic legend consisting of 3,182 Alliterative verse, alliterative lines. It is one of the most important and List of translat ...

''). ''Hervarar saga'' provides the information that Halfdan's mother was Hild, the daughter of the Gothic king Heiðrekr Ulfhamr, the son of

Angantyr Angantyr was the name of three male characters from the same line in Norse mythology, and who appear in '' Hervarar saga'', ''Gesta Danorum'', and Faroese ballads. The last generation named Angantyr also appears to be mentioned as ''Incgentheo ...

who defeated the Huns. ''Hversu Noregr byggdist'' instead alleges that the name of his mother was Hervor, daughter of Heiðrekr.

Historical position

The story of a King Guðröðr who was killed at the instigation of his Queen Åsa is also found in a later section of the ''Ynglinga saga''. The

Vestfold Vestfold () is a county and a current electoral district in Norway. Located on the western shore of the Oslofjord, it borders Buskerud and Telemark counties. The county administration is located in Tønsberg, Norway's oldest city, and the larg ...

ruler Gudrød the Hunter (9th century) met a similar fate at the hands of his queen Åsa Haraldsdottir of Agder, who ordered a servant to murder the king as revenge for the death of her father. This episode has moreover been compared with information in the ''Gesta Caroli Magni'' of

Notker the Stammerer Notker the Stammerer ( – 6 April 912), Notker Balbulus, or simply Notker, was a Benedictine monk at the Abbey of Saint Gall active as a composer, poet and scholar. Described as "a significant figure in the Western Church", Notker made subst ...

(c. 883), which says that the Danish King

Gudfred Gudfred was a ninth century Danish king who reigned from at least 804 to 810. Alternate spellings include ''Godfred'' (Danish), ''Göttrick'' (German), ''Gøtrik'' (Danish), ''Gudrød'' (Danish), and ''Godofredus'' (Latin). He stands at the thre ...

(d. 810) was slayed on the instigation of his former queen. This connection has however been doubted by modern scholarship.Åkerlund (1939), p. 3-4.

References

Literature

* Åkerlund, Walter (1939) ''Studier i Ynglingatal''. Lund: Vetenskapsocieteten i Lund. * Ellehøj, Svend (1965) ''Studier over de ældste norrøne historieskrivning''. Hafniæ: Munksgaard. * Nerman, Birger (1925) ''Det svenska rikets uppkomst''. Stockholm: Generalstabens litografiska anstalt. * ''Saga Ólafs Konúngs Tryggvasonar'', Vol. 1 (1825). Copenhagen: Popp. * Snorri Sturluson (2016) ''Heimskringla'', Vol. I. London: Viking Society for Northern Researc

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gudrodr of Scania Kings in Norse mythology and legends Scania