Hothbrodd, Hodbrodd, Hothbrodus, Hodbroddus (

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

), Höddbroddr or Hǫðbroddr (

Old Norse Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was 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 ...

) was a legendary Norse hero and king, details of whose life appear in several related variations.

Attestations

The ''Poetic Edda''

Hǫðbroddr appears in two poems of the ''

Poetic Edda The ''Poetic Edda'' is the modern name for an untitled collection of Old Norse anonymous narrative poems in alliterative verse. It is distinct from the closely related ''Prose Edda'', although both works are seminal to the study of Old Norse ...

'', "

Helgakviða Hundingsbana I "Völsungakviða" or "Helgakviða Hundingsbana I" ("The First Lay of Helgi Hundingsbane") is an Old Norse poem found in the ''Poetic Edda''. It is only preserved in the Icelandic manuscript Codex Regius (ca. 1270). It constitutes one of the Helgi ...

" and "

Helgakviða Hundingsbana II "Völsungakviða in forna" or "Helgakviða Hundingsbana II" ("The Second Lay of Helgi Hundingsbane") is an Old Norse poem found in the ''Poetic Edda''. It constitutes one of the Helgi lays together with '' Helgakviða Hundingsbana I'' and ''Helgak ...

", both of which tell the story of the life of the

Ylfing The Wulfings, Wylfings or Ylfings (the name means the "wolf clan") was a powerful clan in ''Beowulf'', '' Widsith'' and in the Norse sagas. While the poet of ''Beowulf'' does not locate the Wulfings geographically, Scandinavian sources define the Y ...

Helgi Hundingsbane Helgi Hundingsbane is a hero in Norse sagas. Helgi appears in '' Volsunga saga'' and in two lays in the ''Poetic Edda'' named '' Helgakviða Hundingsbana I'' and '' Helgakviða Hundingsbana II''. The ''Poetic Edda'' relates that Helgi and his mist ...

. In both tales, he is the son of King Granmar (whose kingdom is not named in these poems, but described as

Södermanland Södermanland ( ), locally Sörmland, sometimes referred to under its Latinisation of names, Latinized form Sudermannia or Sudermania, is a Provinces of Sweden, historical province (or ) on the south eastern coast of Sweden. It borders Österg� ...

in ''

Heimskringla () is the best known of the Old Norse kings' sagas. It was written in Old Norse in Iceland. While authorship of ''Heimskringla'' is nowhere attributed, some scholars assume it is written by the Icelandic poet and historian Snorri Sturluson (117 ...

''), and the brother of

Guðmundr Guðmundr (Old Norse: , sometimes anglicised as Godmund) was a semi-legendary Norse king in Jotunheim, ruling over a land called ''Glæsisvellir'', which was known as the warrior's paradise.Otto Höfler, ''Kultische Geheimbünde der Germanen'', v ...

. However, in "Helgakviða Hundingsbana I", Hǫðbroddr is now a king in his own right, whereas in "Helgakviða Hundingsbana II" his father Granmar still rules and Hǫðbroddr is just a prince. "Helgakviða Hundingsbana II" also mentions another brother,

Starkaðr ''Starkad'' ( or ; Latin: ''Starcaterus''; in the Late Middle Ages also ''Starkodder''; Danish language, modern Danish: ''Stærkodder'')The article ''Starkad'' in ''Nationalencyklopedin''. was either an eight-armed giant or the human grandson of ...

. Hǫðbroddr is betrothed to

Sigrún Sigrún (Old Norse "victory rune"Orchard (1997:194).) is a valkyrie in Norse mythology. Her story is related in '' Helgakviða Hundingsbana I'' and '' Helgakviða Hundingsbana II'', in the ''Poetic Edda''. The original editor annotated that she ...

, a

valkyrie In Norse mythology, a valkyrie ( or ; from ) is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become ('single fighters' or 'once fighters').Orchard (1997:36) and Li ...

and the daughter of King Högne. However, Sigrún does not approve of the betrothal and instead flies to Helgi Hundingsbane and urges him to battle Hǫðbroddr. In "Helgakviða Hundingsbana I", she calls Hǫðbroddr as bold as a kitten, although the following stanzas also refer to him as the bane (i.e. killer) of Ísungr (otherwise unknown). Helgi leads a large army across the sea to attack Hǫðbroddr in a bloody battle. Hǫðbroddr was supported by Högne's sons (Sigrún's brothers). With the help of valkyries, Helgi wins the battle and kills Hǫðbroddr. "Helgakviða Hundingsbana II" says that all of Granmar's sons die in the battle, and includes a description of Sigrún taunting Hǫðbroddr as he lays dying on the battlefield.

''Volsunga saga''

In '' Volsunga saga'', Hodbrod appears much as he does in the ''Poetic Edda''. He is the son of King Granmar and the betrothed of Sigrun, daughter of King Hogni. He also has a brother, called Granmar like their father (equivalent to Guðmundr in ''Edda''). Sigrun rejects Hodbrod and urges King Helgi to kill him. Helgi builds up an army and sets out to attack Hodbrodd, who is now king. Hodbrod gathers his own allies in defence, including Hogni, and the two forces meet at Wolfstone. Helgi kills Hodbrod under his banner, and Sigrun celebrates his death.

''Gesta Danorum''

In ''

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 and is an essentia ...

'' by

Saxo Grammaticus Saxo Grammaticus (), also known as Saxo cognomine Longus, was a Danish historian, theologian and author. He is thought to have been a clerk or secretary to Absalon, Archbishop of Lund, the main advisor to Valdemar I of Denmark. He is the author ...

, Hothbrodus (as spelled in Book 2, also called Hodbroddus in a single mention in Book 3) is the King of Sweden. He succeeds to the throne after the deaths of his father Ragnar and his mother Swanhwid, daughter of the Danish King Hadding. Hothbrodus conquered the East, massacring many peoples, and then had two sons named Athislus and Hotherus. Hothbrodus then invaded

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 ...

, succeeding in killing King Ro, but Ro's brother Helgi retaliated, defeating Hothbrodus' army and killing Hothbrodus himself. (Saxo's Helgi is based on both the Ylfing Helgi Hundingsbane and the Danish

skjöldung 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 ...

king Helgi.)

''Gesta Danorum på danskæ''

Gesta Danorum på danskæ ''Gesta Danorum'' ( English: "Deeds of the Danes"), called ''Gesta Danorum på danskæ'' ("Deeds of the Danes in Danish") to distinguish it from the better known ''Gesta Danorum'' by Saxo Grammaticus, is a Danish historical chronicle written in Ol ...

'' is an

Old Danish The Danish language developed during the Middle Ages out of Old East Norse, the common predecessor of Danish and Swedish. It was a late form of common Old Norse. The Danish philologist Johannes Brøndum-Nielsen divided the history of Danish in ...

work based, in part on Saxo's ''Gesta Danorum'' and another Latin chronicle called the ''

Chronicon Lethrense ( Danish: English: ''Chronicle of Lejre/Leire'') is a small Danish medieval work from the late 12th century, written in Latin. Themes Unlike '' Chronicon Roskildense'', which deals primarily with information presented as real historical facts ...

''. In this work, Hothbrod is

Höðr Höðr ( , Latin Hotherus; often anglicized as Hod, Hoder, or Hodur) is a god in Norse mythology. The blind son of Odin, he is tricked and guided by Loki into shooting a mistletoe arrow which was to slay the otherwise invulnerable Baldr. Accord ...

's father and the son of King Hadding's daughter. He had been killed by Helghe to win all of Denmark.

''Hversu Noregr byggdist''

In the Ættartölur (genealogies) of '' Hversu Noregr byggdist'', Höddbroddr was the son of Höd, ruler of Haðaland. Höddbroddr was the father of Hrolf, whose line continued for five further generations. One of his descendants was Hromund Gripsson.Of Fornjot and his Kinsmen: How Norway was Settled
original Flateyjarbók text and English translation by George L. Hardman