Svipdagr (king)

Svipdagr
Svipdagr
King of the Norwegians
King of the Swedes
Predecessor	Gram
Successor	Asmund
King of the Danes (first reign)
Predecessor	Gram
Successor	Guthorm
King of the Danes (second reign)
Predecessor	Guthorm
Successor	Hading
Consort	daughter of Gram and Groa
Issue	daughter; Asmund
Father	Sigtryg
Religion	Pagan

Svipdagr or Swipdag was a legendary Swedish king and important figure in Book One of Gesta Danorum. The realm of his father was invaded by a Danish prince, Gram in to order marry, Svipdagr's sister, Groa. The prince was eventually successful and Svipdagr's father, Sigtryg was killed. Svipdagr escaped to Norway and carved himself a kingdom of his own. Later, Gram's act to dishonor his wife compelled Svipdagr to invade Sweden. After Gram murdered the King of the Saxons many Saxons joined Svipdagr's side. The war continued many years and during this time Gram tried to rape Svipdagr's daughter. Finally, Svipdagr was able to kill Gram in battle and took over Sweden and Denmark.^[1]^[2]

Having won the war, Svipdagr installed his nephew, Guthorm as the puppet king of the Danes, while Guthorm's half-brother, Hading entered exile, but eventually returned and killed Svipdagr, leaving his son, Asmund to continue the war.^[3]

The text

Gesta Danorum, Book One
But, while much busied with a war against Norway, which he had taken up against King Swipdag for debauching his sister and his daughter, he heard from a messenger that Signe had, by Sumble's treachery, been promised in marriage to Henry, King of Saxony.
After this SWIPDAG, King of Norway, destroyed Gram, who was attempting to avenge the outrage on his sister and the attempt on his daughter's chastity. This battle was notable for the presence of the Saxon forces, who were incited to help Swipdag, not so much by love of him, as by desire to avenge Henry.
GUTHORM and HADDING, the son of Gram (Groa being the mother of the first and Signe of the second), were sent over to Sweden in a ship by their foster-father, Brage (Swipdag being now master of Denmark), and put in charge of the giants Wagnhofde and Hafle, for guard as well as rearing.
Swipdag, now that he had slain Gram, was enriched with the realms of Denmark and Sweden; and because of the frequent importunities of his wife he brought back from banishment her brother Guthorm, upon his promising tribute, and made him ruler of the Danes. But Hadding preferred to avenge his father rather than take a boon from his foe.
After this he prevailed over a great force of men of the East, and came back to Sweden. Swipdag met him with a great fleet off Gottland; but Hadding attacked and destroyed him. And thus he advanced to a lofty pitch of renown, not only by the fruits of foreign spoil, but by the trophies of his vengeance for his brother and his father. And he exchanged exile for royalty, for he became king of his own land as soon as he regained it.
Meanwhile, Asmund, the son of Swipdag, fought with Hadding to avenge his father.

The family tree of legendary Kings of the Danes, according to the Gesta Danorum (Books I to VII)

Kings of the Danes are in bold and marked with an asterisk (*). Kings of the Swedes are marked with a dagger (†).

Humble

KEY

Angul

Dan*

Grytha

Marriage or coupling

Parent and child

The Angles

Humble*

Lother*

King of the Saxons

Inheritance by other or unclear means

Sigtryg, King of the Swedes†

Skiold*

Alfhild

Sumble, King
of the Finns

Gróa

Gram*†

Signe

Henry, King
of the Saxons

Hakon, King
of the Nitherians

Swipdag*†

[unnamed]

Guthorm*

Hadding*

Ragnhild

Asmund†

Gunhild

Guthorm

Henry

Uffe†

Hunding†

Thorhild

Ulfhild

Ubbe

Scot

Ragnar†

Swanhwid

Handwan

Thorwald

Frode*

[unnamed]

Hothbrodd†

Halfdan*

Ro

Skat

Thora

Helge*

Ro*

Athils†

Urse

King Gewar

Rolf*† Krage

Rute

Bjarke

Skulde

Hiartuar†*

Hother†*

Nanna

Herlek

Gerit

Rorik*

Gerwendil

King of Britain

Gerutha

Horwendil

Feng

[unnamed]

Amleth

Hermutrude, Queen of Scotland

Wiglek*

Wermund*

Frowin, governor of Sleswik

Uffe*, aka Olaf the Gentle

[unnamed]

Ket

Wig

Dan*

Hugleik*

Frode* the Vigorous

Dan*

Kraka

Ragnar

Brak

Fridleif* the Swift

Gotar, King of Norway

Hun, King of the Huns

Westmar

Koll

Gotwar

Roller

Erik†

Gunwar the Fair

Alfhild

Frode*

Hanund

Grep

11 other brothers (two named Grep)

Hythin, King of Tellemark

Alf

Eyfura

Arngrim

Grubb

Hiarn*

Amund, King of Norway

[unnamed]

Halfdan†

12 sons, including Anganty

Ane

Juritha

Fridleif*

Frogertha

Frok

Hanef, King of Saxony

Swerting, King of Saxony

Olaf

Frode*

Siward†

Unnamed sons

[unnamed]

Ingeld*

Helga

Helge

Asa

Frode

Fridleif

Ingeld

Olaf*

Karl, governor of Gothland

Ulfhild

Frode*

Hather, a chief

Harald*

Signe

Erik

Thorhild

Halfdan*† Biargramm

Harald

Asmund

Kings of Norway

Name spellings are derived from Oliver Elton's 1905 translation, The First Nine Books of the Danish History of Saxo Grammaticus, via Wikisource.

Legendary titles
Preceded by N/A	King of the Norwegians	Succeeded by N/A
Preceded by Gram	King of the Swedes	Succeeded by Asmund
Preceded by Gram	King of the Danes	Succeeded by Guthorm
Preceded by Guthorm	King of the Danes	Succeeded by Hading

References

^ The Danish History, Book One.
^ "Peter A. Munch. Norse Mythology: Legends of Gods and Heroes – The Gold Scales". oaks.nvg.org.
^ Pulsiano, Phillip; Wolf, Kirsten (2017). Routledge Revivals: Medieval Scandinavia (1993): An Encyclopedia. Routledge. ISBN 9781351665018.

[1] The Danish History, Book One.

[2] "Peter A. Munch. Norse Mythology: Legends of Gods and Heroes – The Gold Scales". oaks.nvg.org.

[3] Pulsiano, Phillip; Wolf, Kirsten (2017). Routledge Revivals: Medieval Scandinavia (1993): An Encyclopedia. Routledge. ISBN 9781351665018.

[1]

[2]

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