Herleif
Encyclopedia
Herleif was one of the earliest legendary Danish kings according to Arngrímur Jónsson
's Latin summary of the lost Skjöldunga saga
. He was the son of Frodo I and the father of Havardus hinn handramme and Leifus hinn frekne. He supposedly "left behind many sons" but their names are not recorded and they seem to be excluded from the royal line of succession.
Originally, Herleif was named simply Leif (Leifus) after his grandfather, but later in life he became known as Herleif due to his courage in battle. Herleif derives from the Old Norse elements herr "army" and leifr "heir" or "descendent". During his reign, peace and tranquillity were replaced by growing wars and banditry. The Skjöldunga saga
does not record how he died. He was succeeded by his son Havardus.
Arngrímur Jónsson
Arngrímur Jónsson the Learned was an Icelandic scholar and an apologist. His father was Jón Jónsson, who died in 1591...
's Latin summary of the lost Skjöldunga saga
Skjöldunga saga
The Skjöldunga saga was a Norse saga on the legendary Danish dynasty of the Skjöldungs, the same dynasty featured in the Old English poem Beowulf...
. He was the son of Frodo I and the father of Havardus hinn handramme and Leifus hinn frekne. He supposedly "left behind many sons" but their names are not recorded and they seem to be excluded from the royal line of succession.
Originally, Herleif was named simply Leif (Leifus) after his grandfather, but later in life he became known as Herleif due to his courage in battle. Herleif derives from the Old Norse elements herr "army" and leifr "heir" or "descendent". During his reign, peace and tranquillity were replaced by growing wars and banditry. The Skjöldunga saga
Skjöldunga saga
The Skjöldunga saga was a Norse saga on the legendary Danish dynasty of the Skjöldungs, the same dynasty featured in the Old English poem Beowulf...
does not record how he died. He was succeeded by his son Havardus.
Sources
- "Fragments of Danish History" by Clarence Miller.
- English translation of Arngrímur Jónsson's paraphrase in the journal ANQ 20.3 (2007): 3-33