Ragnvald Ulfsson
Encyclopedia
Ragnvald Ulfsson the Old (beginning 11th century) was a jarl
of Västergötland
or Östergötland
, and married to a sister of Olav Tryggvason.
Ragnvald is mentioned in the skald
ic poem Austrfaravísur, ascribed to Sigvatr Þórðarson
, skald
of King Olaf Haraldsson of Norway
(Olaf the Holy), who had been on a diplomatic mission to Sweden. This poem is quoted in the 13th century sagas Fagrskinna
and Snorri Sturluson
's Heimskringla
. In addition to the poem, Fagrskinna only briefly mentions Ragnvald, while Heimskringla contains a more elaborate account of him. This 13th century prose text is not considered historically reliable.
According to Snorri, Ragnvald was the son of jarl Ulf Tostesson
and Ingeborg
and the foster-son of Þorgnýr the Lawspeaker
. He was the cousin of Olof Skötkonung, through his aunt Sigrid the Haughty
, and he was married to Ingeborg Tryggvasdotter
.
During his days the Norwegians
pillaged in Västergötland
, but then the Norwegian king, Olaf the Holy, proposed to the Swedish princess Ingigerd Olofsdotter, the daughter of Sweden's king Olof Skötkonung. This pleased Ragnvald who was related to both.
However, at the Thing
at Gamla Uppsala
, Ragnvald and his foster-father Þorgnýr the Lawspeaker had to force Olof, the Swedish king, to promise his daughter to Olaf, the Norwegian king, whom he did not like. When the Swedish king failed to deliver his daughter, Ragnvald realized that he was in trouble. He has not only fallen out of grace with the Swedish king, but he could also expect the revenge of the Norwegians.
During a visit by the skald
Sigvatr Þórðarson
, Ragnvald learned that Prince Jaroslav
of Kievan Rus'
has proposed to Ingigerd, and so he had the idea that Olaf the Holy should marry the illegitimate daughter of Olof Skötkonung, Astrid
, who was staying with Ragnvald. Sigvat promised to deliver the message, and the Norwegian king accepted.
Ragnvald delivered Astrid
at Sarpsborg
in Norway
and she married the king after Christmas of 1019.
Olof Skötkonung was now so upset that he intended to hang Ragnvald at the next Thing. However, when Ingigerd Olofsdotter married Jaroslav
, Ingigerd managed to arrange that Ragnvald became the jarl of Staraja Ladoga (Aldeigjuborg) and Ingria
, and Olof let him depart with Ingigerd in the summer of 1019.
Fagrskinna's account of Olaf the Holy's betrothal to Ingigerd, and eventual wedding with Astrid, differs significantly from the account in Heimskringla. In Fagrskinna's account, Ragnvald is not given a prominent role in the proceedings.
Married to Ingeborg Tryggvasdotter
. Children:
He is considered to have fathered king Stenkil, with Astrid Nialsdotter from Norway, but this is based on later Icelandic sources, and the identification of Ragnvald with Ragnvald the Old of Hervarar saga
.
Jarl in Sweden
In Sweden, members of medieval royal families, such as the House of Stenkil and House of Bjelbo, held the title of jarl before their accession to the throne. Since the early 12th century, there usually was only one holder of the title at a time, second only to the King of Sweden.For special...
of Västergötland
Västergötland
', English exonym: West Gothland, is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden , situated in the southwest of Sweden. In older English literature one may also encounter the Latinized version Westrogothia....
or Östergötland
Östergötland
Östergötland, English exonym: East Gothland, is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden in the south of Sweden. It borders Småland, Västergötland, Närke, Södermanland, and the Baltic Sea. In older English literature, one might also encounter the Latinized version, Ostrogothia...
, and married to a sister of Olav Tryggvason.
Ragnvald is mentioned in the skald
Skald
The skald was a member of a group of poets, whose courtly poetry is associated with the courts of Scandinavian and Icelandic leaders during the Viking Age, who composed and performed renditions of aspects of what we now characterise as Old Norse poetry .The most prevalent metre of skaldic poetry is...
ic poem Austrfaravísur, ascribed to Sigvatr Þórðarson
Sigvatr Þórðarson
Sigvatr Þórðarson or Sigvat the Skald was an Icelandic skald. He was a court poet to King Olaf II of Norway, as well as Canute the Great, Magnus the Good and Anund Jacob, by whose reigns his floruit can be dated to the earlier eleventh century.Sigvatr was the best known of the court skalds of...
, skald
Skald
The skald was a member of a group of poets, whose courtly poetry is associated with the courts of Scandinavian and Icelandic leaders during the Viking Age, who composed and performed renditions of aspects of what we now characterise as Old Norse poetry .The most prevalent metre of skaldic poetry is...
of King Olaf Haraldsson of Norway
Olaf II of Norway
Olaf II Haraldsson was King of Norway from 1015 to 1028. He was posthumously given the title Rex Perpetuus Norvegiae and canonised in Nidaros by Bishop Grimkell, one year after his death in the Battle of Stiklestad on 29 July 1030. Enshrined in Nidaros Cathedral...
(Olaf the Holy), who had been on a diplomatic mission to Sweden. This poem is quoted in the 13th century sagas Fagrskinna
Fagrskinna
Fagrskinna is one of the kings' sagas, written around 1220. It takes its name from one of the manuscripts in which it was preserved, Fagrskinna meaning 'Fair Leather', i.e., 'Fair Parchment'. Fagrskinna proper was destroyed by fire, but copies of it and another vellum have been preserved...
and Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was twice elected lawspeaker at the Icelandic parliament, the Althing...
's Heimskringla
Heimskringla
Heimskringla is the best known of the Old Norse kings' sagas. It was written in Old Norse in Iceland by the poet and historian Snorri Sturluson ca. 1230...
. In addition to the poem, Fagrskinna only briefly mentions Ragnvald, while Heimskringla contains a more elaborate account of him. This 13th century prose text is not considered historically reliable.
According to Snorri, Ragnvald was the son of jarl Ulf Tostesson
Ulf Tostesson
Ulf Tostesson was a jarl and the son of the legendary Viking Skogul Toste. He was the brother of Sigrid the Haughty, and his son, Ragnvald Ulfsson, a jarl, was the father of Stenkil, who was elected king when the old House of Munsö died out....
and Ingeborg
Ingeborg
Ingeborg is a Scandinavian, predominantly Danish name carried by many prominent women in Scandinavian history and mythology. People named Ingeborg include:...
and the foster-son of Þorgnýr the Lawspeaker
Þorgnýr the Lawspeaker
Þorgnýr the Lawspeaker is the name of one of at least three generations of lawspeakers by the name Þorgnýr, who appear in the Heimskringla by the Icelandic scholar and chieftain Snorri Sturluson, and in the less known Styrbjarnar þáttr Svíakappa and Hróa þáttr heimska...
. He was the cousin of Olof Skötkonung, through his aunt Sigrid the Haughty
Sigrid the Haughty
Sigrid the Haughty, also known as Sigríð Storråda, is a queen appearing in Norse sagas as wife, first of Eric the Victorious of Sweden, then Sweyn Forkbeard of Denmark. While given the Nordic ancestry in sagas, she has been hypothesized to be identical to historically attested Polish or Pomeranian...
, and he was married to Ingeborg Tryggvasdotter
Ingeborg Tryggvasdotter
Ingeborg Tryggvasdotter was the daughter of Tryggve Olafsson, the granddaughter of Harald Fairhair, and the sister of Olaf I of Norway.She married Ragnvald Ulfsson, first the earl of Västergötland and later of Staraja Ladoga. They had two sons, Ulf and Eilif, who became earls in Kievan Rus'....
.
During his days the Norwegians
Norwegians
Norwegians constitute both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway. They share a common culture and speak the Norwegian language. Norwegian people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in United States, Canada and Brazil.-History:Towards the end of the 3rd...
pillaged in Västergötland
Västergötland
', English exonym: West Gothland, is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden , situated in the southwest of Sweden. In older English literature one may also encounter the Latinized version Westrogothia....
, but then the Norwegian king, Olaf the Holy, proposed to the Swedish princess Ingigerd Olofsdotter, the daughter of Sweden's king Olof Skötkonung. This pleased Ragnvald who was related to both.
However, at the Thing
Thing (assembly)
A thing was the governing assembly in Germanic and introduced into some Celtic societies, made up of the free people of the community and presided by lawspeakers, meeting in a place called a thingstead...
at Gamla Uppsala
Gamla Uppsala
Gamla Uppsala is a parish and a village outside Uppsala in Sweden. It had 16,231 inhabitants in 1991.As early as the 3rd century AD and the 4th century AD and onwards, it was an important religious, economic and political centre...
, Ragnvald and his foster-father Þorgnýr the Lawspeaker had to force Olof, the Swedish king, to promise his daughter to Olaf, the Norwegian king, whom he did not like. When the Swedish king failed to deliver his daughter, Ragnvald realized that he was in trouble. He has not only fallen out of grace with the Swedish king, but he could also expect the revenge of the Norwegians.
During a visit by the skald
Skald
The skald was a member of a group of poets, whose courtly poetry is associated with the courts of Scandinavian and Icelandic leaders during the Viking Age, who composed and performed renditions of aspects of what we now characterise as Old Norse poetry .The most prevalent metre of skaldic poetry is...
Sigvatr Þórðarson
Sigvatr Þórðarson
Sigvatr Þórðarson or Sigvat the Skald was an Icelandic skald. He was a court poet to King Olaf II of Norway, as well as Canute the Great, Magnus the Good and Anund Jacob, by whose reigns his floruit can be dated to the earlier eleventh century.Sigvatr was the best known of the court skalds of...
, Ragnvald learned that Prince Jaroslav
Yaroslav I the Wise
Yaroslav I, Grand Prince of Rus, known as Yaroslav the Wise Yaroslav I, Grand Prince of Rus, known as Yaroslav the Wise Yaroslav I, Grand Prince of Rus, known as Yaroslav the Wise (Old Norse: Jarizleifr; ; Old East Slavic and Russian: Ярослав Мудрый; Ukrainian: Ярослав Мудрий; c...
of Kievan Rus'
Kievan Rus'
Kievan Rus was a medieval polity in Eastern Europe, from the late 9th to the mid 13th century, when it disintegrated under the pressure of the Mongol invasion of 1237–1240....
has proposed to Ingigerd, and so he had the idea that Olaf the Holy should marry the illegitimate daughter of Olof Skötkonung, Astrid
Astrid Olofsdotter
Astrid Olofsdotter was the Queen Consort of King Olav II of Norway.-Biography:...
, who was staying with Ragnvald. Sigvat promised to deliver the message, and the Norwegian king accepted.
Ragnvald delivered Astrid
Astrid Olofsdotter
Astrid Olofsdotter was the Queen Consort of King Olav II of Norway.-Biography:...
at Sarpsborg
Sarpsborg
is a city and municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Sarpsborg.Sarpsborg is part of the fifth largest urban area in Norway when paired with neighbouring Fredrikstad...
in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and she married the king after Christmas of 1019.
Olof Skötkonung was now so upset that he intended to hang Ragnvald at the next Thing. However, when Ingigerd Olofsdotter married Jaroslav
Yaroslav I the Wise
Yaroslav I, Grand Prince of Rus, known as Yaroslav the Wise Yaroslav I, Grand Prince of Rus, known as Yaroslav the Wise Yaroslav I, Grand Prince of Rus, known as Yaroslav the Wise (Old Norse: Jarizleifr; ; Old East Slavic and Russian: Ярослав Мудрый; Ukrainian: Ярослав Мудрий; c...
, Ingigerd managed to arrange that Ragnvald became the jarl of Staraja Ladoga (Aldeigjuborg) and Ingria
Ingria
Ingria is a historical region in the eastern Baltic, now part of Russia, comprising the southern bank of the river Neva, between the Gulf of Finland, the Narva River, Lake Peipus in the west, and Lake Ladoga and the western bank of the Volkhov river in the east...
, and Olof let him depart with Ingigerd in the summer of 1019.
Fagrskinna's account of Olaf the Holy's betrothal to Ingigerd, and eventual wedding with Astrid, differs significantly from the account in Heimskringla. In Fagrskinna's account, Ragnvald is not given a prominent role in the proceedings.
Married to Ingeborg Tryggvasdotter
Ingeborg Tryggvasdotter
Ingeborg Tryggvasdotter was the daughter of Tryggve Olafsson, the granddaughter of Harald Fairhair, and the sister of Olaf I of Norway.She married Ragnvald Ulfsson, first the earl of Västergötland and later of Staraja Ladoga. They had two sons, Ulf and Eilif, who became earls in Kievan Rus'....
. Children:
- Ulf Ragnvaldsson Jarl
- Eilif Ragnvaldsson Jarl
- Ostrida Ragnvalsdatter
He is considered to have fathered king Stenkil, with Astrid Nialsdotter from Norway, but this is based on later Icelandic sources, and the identification of Ragnvald with Ragnvald the Old of Hervarar saga
Hervarar saga
Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks is a legendary saga from the 13th century combining matter from several older sagas. It is a valuable saga for several different reasons beside its literary qualities. It contains traditions of wars between Goths and Huns, from the 4th century, and the last part is used as...
.
Literature
- Larsson, Lars-Ove (1993, 2000). Vem är vem i svensk historia, från år 1000 till 1900. Prisma, Stockholm. ISBN 91-518-3427-8
- Larsson, Mats G (2002). Götarnas Riken : Upptäcktsfärder Till Sveriges Enande. Bokförlaget Atlantis AB ISBN 9789174866414
- Lagerquist, Lars O. (1997). Sveriges Regenter, från forntid till nutid. Norstedts, Stockholm. ISBN 91-1-963882-5
- Winroth, AndersAnders WinrothAnders Winroth is a history professor at Yale University.After graduation from Stockholm University, Winroth did his master's and doctoral studies at Columbia University under Robert Somerville. He worked on the Decretum of Gratian. He discovered that the original version was only about half the...
(1995–1997) "Ragnvald Ulfsson", Svenskt Biografiskt Lexikon, volume 29, page 616. - Wisén, TheodorTheodor WisénTheodor Wisén was a Swedish philologist of Scandinavian languages who held the chair of Scandinavian languages at Lund University from 1865, was the rector of the university 1876-1877, its prorector 1877-1885, and again rector 1885-1891. He was elected a member of the Swedish Academy in...
[Th.W.], revised by Erik Brate [B-e.] (1915), "Ragnvald Ulfsson", Nordisk familjebokNordisk familjebokNordisk familjebok is a Swedish encyclopedia, published between 1876 and 1957.- History :The first edition was published in 20 volumes between 1876 and 1899. The first edition is known as the "Iðunn edition" because of the picture of Iðunn on the cover...
, volume 22, 913–914