Sigurd Ring
Encyclopedia
Sigurd Hring (ca 750
) was a Swedish and Danish king mentioned in many old Scandinavian legends. According to Bósa saga ok Herrauds
, there was once a saga on Sigurd Hring, but this saga is now lost. In the old sources, he is notable for winning the Battle of the Brávellir
against Harald Wartooth
and for being the father of Ragnar Lodbrok
.
tells that when Valdar
died, his son Randver
became the king of Denmark, while Harald Wartooth became the king of Götaland
or Gotland
. Then Harald conquered all of his father Ivar Vidfamne
's territory. After Randver's death, his son Sigurd Hring became the king of Denmark, presumably as the subking of Harald. Sigurd Ring and Harald fought the Battle of the Brávellir
on the plains of Östergötland
where Harald and many of his men died. Sigurd ruled Denmark until his death and was succeeded by his son Ragnar Lodbrok
. Harald Wartooth's son Eysteinn Beli ruled Sweden until he was killed by the sons of Ragnar Lodbrok.
, Sigurd is the paternal nephew of the Danish king Harald Wartooth, and presumably (the part of Sögubrot where this would have been narrated expressly has not been preserved) the son of Randver
, who in his turn is the son of Harald's mother Auðr the Deep-Minded
and her husband king Raðbarðr of Gardariki. Harald Wartooth
was beginning to feel old he made Sigurd the king of Sweden
and Västergötland
. Sigurd beat his uncle at the colossal Battle of Bråvalla, and became the ruler of Denmark
as well. He made a shieldmaiden
the ruler of Denmark (cf. Chronicon Lethrense, below).
Sigurd married Alfhild, the daughter of king Alf of Alfheim
. Together with Alfhild, he had the son Ragnar Lodbrok
.
As Sigurd grew old, distant parts of his realm began to secede, and it is told how he lost England due to old age. One day, he was in Västergötland
and was visited by his brothers-in-law, the sons of Gandalf. They asked him to join them in attacking king Eysteinn of Vestfold
in Norway
. In Vestfold, there were great blót
s held at Skiringssal
. Unfortunately, Sögubrot (meaning the "fragment") ends there. However, the Skjöldunga saga
is believed to be the original story on which Sögubrot is based and it continues the story (see below).
tells that Sigurd Ring was married to Alfhild, the daughter of king Alf of Alfheim
, and their son was Ragnar Lodbrok
. Unfortunately, Alfhild died. When Sigurd Ring was an old man, he came to Skiringssal
to take part in the great blót
s. There he spotted a very beautiful girl named Alfsol, and she was the daughter of King Alf of Vendel (Vendsyssel
). The girl's two brothers refused to allow Sigurd to marry her. Sigurd fought with the brothers and killed them, but their sister had been given poison by her brothers so that Sigurd could never have her. When her corpse was carried to Sigurd, he went aboard a large ship where he placed Alvsol and her brothers. Then, he steered the ship with full sails out on the sea, as the ship burnt.
Ragnar Lodbrok succeeded his father, but put a subking on the throne of Sweden, king Eysteinn Beli, who later was killed by Ragnar's sons.
(book 7), by Saxo Grammaticus
, Hring was the son of the Swedish king Ingjald
(Ingild) and the maternal nephew of the Danish king Harald Wartooth
. His father Ingjald had raped the sister of Harald, but the latter did not mind in order preserve the friendship with Ingjald. Ring fought with Harald Wartooth in the Battle of the Brávellir
and became the king of Denmark as well. Saxo then describes the different subkings and their adventures. In book 9, he returns to Sigurd Hring as Siward, surnamed Hring, the father of Ragnar Lodbrok
.
, Sigurd was the son of Randver
, the brother of Harald Wartooth
. Randver and Harald were the sons of Hrærekr slöngvanbaugi.
In the part of the Heimskringla
called the Saga of Harald Fairhair, Harald Fairhair learns that the Swedish king Erik Eymundsson had enlarged Sweden westwards, until it reached the same extent as it had during king Sigurd Ring and his son Ragnar Lodbrok
. This included Romerike
, Westfold all the way to Grenmar
, and Vingulmark
.
In Ragnar Lodbrok's saga, it is mentioned that Sigurd Ring and Harald Wartooth fought in the Battle of the Brávellir
and that Harald fell. After the battle Sigurd Ring was the king of Denmark, and he was the father of Ragnar Lodbrok.
Ragnarssona þáttr
only states that Ring was the king of Sweden and Denmark, and the father of Ragnar Lodbrok.
In Bósa saga ok Herrauds
, it is only said that Sigurd Ring, the father of Ragnar Lodbrok
fought with Harald Wartooth at the Battle of the Brávellir
where Harald died. It adds that there was a saga on Sigurd Ring (which today no longer exists).
According to the Chronicon Lethrense
, Harald Wartooth had made all the countries down to the Mediterranean pay tribute. However, when he went to Sweden to demand tribute, the Swedish king Ring met him at the Battle of the Brávellir
, and Harald lost and died. Hring made a shieldmaiden
the ruler of Denmark (cf. Sögubrot af nokkrum fornkonungum, above).
Gríms saga loðinkinna
and the younger version of Orvar-Odd's saga only mention Sigurd Hring in a few lines relating to the Battle of the Brávellir
with Harald Wartooth
.
In Norna-Gests þáttr
, it is said that Sigurd Hring was very old when Sigurd's sons-in-law, the sons of Gandalf, asked him to help them fight against Sigurd
Fafnisbani and the Gjukungs. Sigurd Ring could not help them in person, as he was busy fighting against ravaging Curonians
and Kœnir.
750
Year 750 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 750 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Asia :* Gopala is proclaimed as the first ruler of...
) was a Swedish and Danish king mentioned in many old Scandinavian legends. According to Bósa saga ok Herrauds
Bósa saga ok Herrauds
Bósa saga ok Herrauds or "Saga of Bósi and Herraud" is a legendary saga written around 1300 preserved in three 15th century manuscripts relating the fantastic adventures of the two companions Herraud and Bósi....
, there was once a saga on Sigurd Hring, but this saga is now lost. In the old sources, he is notable for winning the Battle of the Brávellir
Battle of the Brávellir
The Battle of Brávellir or the Battle of Bråvalla was a legendary battle that is described in the Norse sagas as taking place on the Brávellir between Sigurd Ring, king of Sweden and the Geats of West Götaland, and his uncle Harald Wartooth, king of Denmark and the Geats of East...
against Harald Wartooth
Harald Wartooth
Harald Wartooth or Harold Hiltertooth was a legendary king of Sweden, Denmark, Norway and the historical northern German province of Wendland, in the 8th and 9th century...
and for being the father of Ragnar Lodbrok
Ragnar Lodbrok
Ragnar Lodbrok was a Norse legendary hero from the Viking Age who was thoroughly reshaped in Old Norse poetry and legendary sagas.-Life as recorded in the sagas:...
.
Hervarar saga
The Hervarar sagaHervarar 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...
tells that when Valdar
Valdar
Valdar was the name of one or several legendary Danish kings.-Hervarar saga:The Hervarar saga tells that Ivar Vidfamne made Valdar the viceroy of Denmark and gave him his daughter Alfhild. When Valdar died, his son Randver became the king of Denmark, while his son Harald Wartooth became the king of...
died, his son Randver
Randver
Randvér or Randver was, according to Sögubrot and the Lay of Hyndla, the son of Ráðbarðr the king of Garðaríki and Auðr the Deep-Minded, the daughter of Ivar Vidfamne...
became the king of Denmark, while Harald Wartooth became the king of Götaland
Götaland
Götaland , Gothia, Gothland, Gothenland, Gautland or Geatland is one of three lands of Sweden and comprises provinces...
or Gotland
Gotland
Gotland is a county, province, municipality and diocese of Sweden; it is Sweden's largest island and the largest island in the Baltic Sea. At 3,140 square kilometers in area, the region makes up less than one percent of Sweden's total land area...
. Then Harald conquered all of his father Ivar Vidfamne
Ivar Vidfamne
Ivar Vidfamne was a Danish and Swedish king hailing from Scania. He may have died c. 700. According to the Heimskringla and the Hervarar saga, Ivar was also the king of Norway, Denmark, Saxony and parts of England.- Ivar in the Sagas :He began as king of Scania and conquered Sweden by defeating...
's territory. After Randver's death, his son Sigurd Hring became the king of Denmark, presumably as the subking of Harald. Sigurd Ring and Harald fought the Battle of the Brávellir
Battle of the Brávellir
The Battle of Brávellir or the Battle of Bråvalla was a legendary battle that is described in the Norse sagas as taking place on the Brávellir between Sigurd Ring, king of Sweden and the Geats of West Götaland, and his uncle Harald Wartooth, king of Denmark and the Geats of East...
on the plains of 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...
where Harald and many of his men died. Sigurd ruled Denmark until his death and was succeeded by his son Ragnar Lodbrok
Ragnar Lodbrok
Ragnar Lodbrok was a Norse legendary hero from the Viking Age who was thoroughly reshaped in Old Norse poetry and legendary sagas.-Life as recorded in the sagas:...
. Harald Wartooth's son Eysteinn Beli ruled Sweden until he was killed by the sons of Ragnar Lodbrok.
Sögubrot af nokkrum fornkonungum
In Sögubrot af nokkrum fornkonungumSögubrot af nokkrum fornkonungum
Sögubrot af nokkrum fornkonungum is a fragmentary Icelandic text dealing with some legendary Swedish and Danish kings...
, Sigurd is the paternal nephew of the Danish king Harald Wartooth, and presumably (the part of Sögubrot where this would have been narrated expressly has not been preserved) the son of Randver
Randver
Randvér or Randver was, according to Sögubrot and the Lay of Hyndla, the son of Ráðbarðr the king of Garðaríki and Auðr the Deep-Minded, the daughter of Ivar Vidfamne...
, who in his turn is the son of Harald's mother Auðr the Deep-Minded
Auðr the Deep-Minded
Auðr the Deep-Minded was a Norse princess, the daughter of Ivar Vidfamne, and the mother of Harald Wartooth, who appears in Sögubrot, Hversu Noregr byggdist and in the Lay of Hyndla...
and her husband king Raðbarðr of Gardariki. Harald Wartooth
Harald Wartooth
Harald Wartooth or Harold Hiltertooth was a legendary king of Sweden, Denmark, Norway and the historical northern German province of Wendland, in the 8th and 9th century...
was beginning to feel old he made Sigurd the king of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and 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....
. Sigurd beat his uncle at the colossal Battle of Bråvalla, and became the ruler of Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
as well. He made a shieldmaiden
Shieldmaiden
A shieldmaiden was a woman who had chosen to fight as a warrior in Scandinavian folklore and mythology. They are often mentioned in sagas such as Hervarar saga and in Gesta Danorum. Shieldmaidens also appear in stories of other Germanic nations: Goths, Cimbri, and Marcomanni. The mythical Valkyries...
the ruler of Denmark (cf. Chronicon Lethrense, below).
Sigurd married Alfhild, the daughter of king Alf of Alfheim
Álfheim
Alfheim is one of the Nine Worlds and home of the Light Elves in Norse mythology and appears also in Anglo-Scottish ballads under the form Elfhame as a fairyland, sometimes modernized as Elfland .-In Old Norse texts:Álfheim as an abode of the Elves is mentioned only twice in Old Norse texts.The...
. Together with Alfhild, he had the son Ragnar Lodbrok
Ragnar Lodbrok
Ragnar Lodbrok was a Norse legendary hero from the Viking Age who was thoroughly reshaped in Old Norse poetry and legendary sagas.-Life as recorded in the sagas:...
.
As Sigurd grew old, distant parts of his realm began to secede, and it is told how he lost England due to old age. One day, he was 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....
and was visited by his brothers-in-law, the sons of Gandalf. They asked him to join them in attacking king Eysteinn of Vestfold
Vestfold
is a county in Norway, bordering Buskerud and Telemark. The county administration is in Tønsberg.Vestfold is located west of the Oslofjord, as the name indicates. It includes many smaller, but well-known towns in Norway, such as Larvik, Sandefjord, Tønsberg and Horten. The river Numedalslågen runs...
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...
. In Vestfold, there were great blót
Blót
The blót was Norse pagan sacrifice to the Norse gods and the spirits of the land. The sacrifice often took the form of a sacramental meal or feast. Related religious practices were performed by other Germanic peoples, such as the pagan Anglo-Saxons...
s held at Skiringssal
Skiringssal
Skiringssal is the name of an area situated in the Norwegian municipalities of Larvik and Sandefjord, in the southern region of the county of Vestfold...
. Unfortunately, Sögubrot (meaning the "fragment") ends there. However, 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...
is believed to be the original story on which Sögubrot is based and it continues the story (see below).
Skjöldunga saga
The Skjöldunga sagaSkjöldunga 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...
tells that Sigurd Ring was married to Alfhild, the daughter of king Alf of Alfheim
Álfheim
Alfheim is one of the Nine Worlds and home of the Light Elves in Norse mythology and appears also in Anglo-Scottish ballads under the form Elfhame as a fairyland, sometimes modernized as Elfland .-In Old Norse texts:Álfheim as an abode of the Elves is mentioned only twice in Old Norse texts.The...
, and their son was Ragnar Lodbrok
Ragnar Lodbrok
Ragnar Lodbrok was a Norse legendary hero from the Viking Age who was thoroughly reshaped in Old Norse poetry and legendary sagas.-Life as recorded in the sagas:...
. Unfortunately, Alfhild died. When Sigurd Ring was an old man, he came to Skiringssal
Skiringssal
Skiringssal is the name of an area situated in the Norwegian municipalities of Larvik and Sandefjord, in the southern region of the county of Vestfold...
to take part in the great blót
Blót
The blót was Norse pagan sacrifice to the Norse gods and the spirits of the land. The sacrifice often took the form of a sacramental meal or feast. Related religious practices were performed by other Germanic peoples, such as the pagan Anglo-Saxons...
s. There he spotted a very beautiful girl named Alfsol, and she was the daughter of King Alf of Vendel (Vendsyssel
Vendsyssel
Vendsyssel is the northernmost traditional district of Denmark and of Jutland. Being divided from mainland Jutland by the Limfjord, it is technically a part of the North Jutlandic Island. Vendsyssel is part of the North Denmark Region....
). The girl's two brothers refused to allow Sigurd to marry her. Sigurd fought with the brothers and killed them, but their sister had been given poison by her brothers so that Sigurd could never have her. When her corpse was carried to Sigurd, he went aboard a large ship where he placed Alvsol and her brothers. Then, he steered the ship with full sails out on the sea, as the ship burnt.
Ragnar Lodbrok succeeded his father, but put a subking on the throne of Sweden, king Eysteinn Beli, who later was killed by Ragnar's sons.
Gesta Danorum
According to Gesta DanorumGesta Danorum
Gesta Danorum is a patriotic work of Danish history, by the 12th century author Saxo Grammaticus . It is the most ambitious literary undertaking of medieval Denmark and is an essential source for the nation's early history...
(book 7), by Saxo Grammaticus
Saxo Grammaticus
Saxo Grammaticus also known as Saxo cognomine Longus was a Danish historian, thought to have been a secular clerk or secretary to Absalon, Archbishop of Lund, foremost advisor to Valdemar I of Denmark. He is the author of the first full history of Denmark.- Life :The Jutland Chronicle gives...
, Hring was the son of the Swedish king Ingjald
Ingjald
Ingjald illråde or Ingjaldr hinn illráði was a legendary Swedish king of the House of Ynglings. Ingjald may have ruled in the 7th century, and he was the son of the former king Anund....
(Ingild) and the maternal nephew of the Danish king Harald Wartooth
Harald Wartooth
Harald Wartooth or Harold Hiltertooth was a legendary king of Sweden, Denmark, Norway and the historical northern German province of Wendland, in the 8th and 9th century...
. His father Ingjald had raped the sister of Harald, but the latter did not mind in order preserve the friendship with Ingjald. Ring fought with Harald Wartooth in the Battle of the Brávellir
Battle of the Brávellir
The Battle of Brávellir or the Battle of Bråvalla was a legendary battle that is described in the Norse sagas as taking place on the Brávellir between Sigurd Ring, king of Sweden and the Geats of West Götaland, and his uncle Harald Wartooth, king of Denmark and the Geats of East...
and became the king of Denmark as well. Saxo then describes the different subkings and their adventures. In book 9, he returns to Sigurd Hring as Siward, surnamed Hring, the father of Ragnar Lodbrok
Ragnar Lodbrok
Ragnar Lodbrok was a Norse legendary hero from the Viking Age who was thoroughly reshaped in Old Norse poetry and legendary sagas.-Life as recorded in the sagas:...
.
Other sources
According to Hversu Noregr byggdistHversu Noregr byggdist
Hversu Noregr byggðist is an account of the origin of various legendary Norwegian lineages, which survives only in the Flatey Book. It traces the descendants of the primeval Finnish ruler Fornjót down to Nór, who is here the eponym and first great king of Norway, and then gives details of the...
, Sigurd was the son of Randver
Randver
Randvér or Randver was, according to Sögubrot and the Lay of Hyndla, the son of Ráðbarðr the king of Garðaríki and Auðr the Deep-Minded, the daughter of Ivar Vidfamne...
, the brother of Harald Wartooth
Harald Wartooth
Harald Wartooth or Harold Hiltertooth was a legendary king of Sweden, Denmark, Norway and the historical northern German province of Wendland, in the 8th and 9th century...
. Randver and Harald were the sons of Hrærekr slöngvanbaugi.
In the part of the 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...
called the Saga of Harald Fairhair, Harald Fairhair learns that the Swedish king Erik Eymundsson had enlarged Sweden westwards, until it reached the same extent as it had during king Sigurd Ring and his son Ragnar Lodbrok
Ragnar Lodbrok
Ragnar Lodbrok was a Norse legendary hero from the Viking Age who was thoroughly reshaped in Old Norse poetry and legendary sagas.-Life as recorded in the sagas:...
. This included Romerike
Romerike
Romerike is a traditional district located north-east of Oslo, in what is today south-eastern Norway. It consists of the Akershus municipalities Fet, Lørenskog, Nittedal, Rælingen, Skedsmo, Sørum and Aurskog-Høland in the southern end , and Ullensaker, Gjerdrum, Nannestad, Nes, Eidsvoll and Hurdal...
, Westfold all the way to Grenmar
Grenmar
Grenmar is a part of Telemark county of Norway. The region consists of the communities of Kragerø and Drangedal....
, and Vingulmark
Vingulmark
Vingulmark is the old name for the area in Norway which today makes up the counties of Østfold, western parts of Akershus , and eastern parts of Buskerud , and includes the site of Norway's capital, Oslo...
.
In Ragnar Lodbrok's saga, it is mentioned that Sigurd Ring and Harald Wartooth fought in the Battle of the Brávellir
Battle of the Brávellir
The Battle of Brávellir or the Battle of Bråvalla was a legendary battle that is described in the Norse sagas as taking place on the Brávellir between Sigurd Ring, king of Sweden and the Geats of West Götaland, and his uncle Harald Wartooth, king of Denmark and the Geats of East...
and that Harald fell. After the battle Sigurd Ring was the king of Denmark, and he was the father of Ragnar Lodbrok.
Ragnarssona þáttr
Ragnarssona þáttr
Ragnarssona þáttr, Þáttr af Ragnars sonum or the Tale of Ragnar's sons is a short story on Ragnar Lodbrok and his sons.-Ragnar Lodbrok:When Sigurd Ring dies, Ragnar succeeds him as the king of Sweden and Denmark...
only states that Ring was the king of Sweden and Denmark, and the father of Ragnar Lodbrok.
In Bósa saga ok Herrauds
Bósa saga ok Herrauds
Bósa saga ok Herrauds or "Saga of Bósi and Herraud" is a legendary saga written around 1300 preserved in three 15th century manuscripts relating the fantastic adventures of the two companions Herraud and Bósi....
, it is only said that Sigurd Ring, the father of Ragnar Lodbrok
Ragnar Lodbrok
Ragnar Lodbrok was a Norse legendary hero from the Viking Age who was thoroughly reshaped in Old Norse poetry and legendary sagas.-Life as recorded in the sagas:...
fought with Harald Wartooth at the Battle of the Brávellir
Battle of the Brávellir
The Battle of Brávellir or the Battle of Bråvalla was a legendary battle that is described in the Norse sagas as taking place on the Brávellir between Sigurd Ring, king of Sweden and the Geats of West Götaland, and his uncle Harald Wartooth, king of Denmark and the Geats of East...
where Harald died. It adds that there was a saga on Sigurd Ring (which today no longer exists).
According to the Chronicon Lethrense
Chronicon Lethrense
Chronicon Lethrense is a small Danish medieval work from the 12th century, written in Latin.-Themes:...
, Harald Wartooth had made all the countries down to the Mediterranean pay tribute. However, when he went to Sweden to demand tribute, the Swedish king Ring met him at the Battle of the Brávellir
Battle of the Brávellir
The Battle of Brávellir or the Battle of Bråvalla was a legendary battle that is described in the Norse sagas as taking place on the Brávellir between Sigurd Ring, king of Sweden and the Geats of West Götaland, and his uncle Harald Wartooth, king of Denmark and the Geats of East...
, and Harald lost and died. Hring made a shieldmaiden
Shieldmaiden
A shieldmaiden was a woman who had chosen to fight as a warrior in Scandinavian folklore and mythology. They are often mentioned in sagas such as Hervarar saga and in Gesta Danorum. Shieldmaidens also appear in stories of other Germanic nations: Goths, Cimbri, and Marcomanni. The mythical Valkyries...
the ruler of Denmark (cf. Sögubrot af nokkrum fornkonungum, above).
Gríms saga loðinkinna
Gríms saga loðinkinna
Gríms saga loðinkinna, or The Saga of Grim Shaggy-Cheek is one of the legendary sagas. It is from the 14th century and takes place in 8th century Norway. It is one of the sagas called the Hrafnistumannasögur surrounding Kettil Hoeng and his relatives.It is about Grim, the son of Ketil Hoeng, and...
and the younger version of Orvar-Odd's saga only mention Sigurd Hring in a few lines relating to the Battle of the Brávellir
Battle of the Brávellir
The Battle of Brávellir or the Battle of Bråvalla was a legendary battle that is described in the Norse sagas as taking place on the Brávellir between Sigurd Ring, king of Sweden and the Geats of West Götaland, and his uncle Harald Wartooth, king of Denmark and the Geats of East...
with Harald Wartooth
Harald Wartooth
Harald Wartooth or Harold Hiltertooth was a legendary king of Sweden, Denmark, Norway and the historical northern German province of Wendland, in the 8th and 9th century...
.
In Norna-Gests þáttr
Norna-Gests þáttr
Norna-Gests þáttr or the Story of Norna-Gest is a legendary saga about the Norse hero Norna-Gest.-Summary:Norna-Gest was the son of a Danish man named Thord of Thinghusbit, who once dwelt on the estate of Grøning in Denmark. When he was born, three Norns arrived and had foretold the child's...
, it is said that Sigurd Hring was very old when Sigurd's sons-in-law, the sons of Gandalf, asked him to help them fight against Sigurd
Sigurd
Sigurd is a legendary hero of Norse mythology, as well as the central character in the Völsunga saga. The earliest extant representations for his legend come in pictorial form from seven runestones in Sweden and most notably the Ramsund carving Sigurd (Old Norse: Sigurðr) is a legendary hero of...
Fafnisbani and the Gjukungs. Sigurd Ring could not help them in person, as he was busy fighting against ravaging Curonians
Curonians
The Curonians or Kurs were a Baltic tribe living on the shores of the Baltic sea in what are now the western parts of Latvia and Lithuania from the 5th to the 16th centuries, when they merged with other Baltic tribes. They gave their name to the region of Courland , and they spoke the Old...
and Kœnir.
Primary sources
- Bósa saga ok HerraudsBósa saga ok HerraudsBósa saga ok Herrauds or "Saga of Bósi and Herraud" is a legendary saga written around 1300 preserved in three 15th century manuscripts relating the fantastic adventures of the two companions Herraud and Bósi....
- Chronicon LethrenseChronicon LethrenseChronicon Lethrense is a small Danish medieval work from the 12th century, written in Latin.-Themes:...
- Gesta DanorumGesta DanorumGesta Danorum is a patriotic work of Danish history, by the 12th century author Saxo Grammaticus . It is the most ambitious literary undertaking of medieval Denmark and is an essential source for the nation's early history...
- Gríms saga loðinkinnaGríms saga loðinkinnaGríms saga loðinkinna, or The Saga of Grim Shaggy-Cheek is one of the legendary sagas. It is from the 14th century and takes place in 8th century Norway. It is one of the sagas called the Hrafnistumannasögur surrounding Kettil Hoeng and his relatives.It is about Grim, the son of Ketil Hoeng, and...
- HeimskringlaHeimskringlaHeimskringla 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...
(Saga of Harald Fairhair) - Hervarar sagaHervarar sagaHervarar 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...
- Hversu Noregr byggdistHversu Noregr byggdistHversu Noregr byggðist is an account of the origin of various legendary Norwegian lineages, which survives only in the Flatey Book. It traces the descendants of the primeval Finnish ruler Fornjót down to Nór, who is here the eponym and first great king of Norway, and then gives details of the...
- Norna-Gests þáttrNorna-Gests þáttrNorna-Gests þáttr or the Story of Norna-Gest is a legendary saga about the Norse hero Norna-Gest.-Summary:Norna-Gest was the son of a Danish man named Thord of Thinghusbit, who once dwelt on the estate of Grøning in Denmark. When he was born, three Norns arrived and had foretold the child's...
- Orvar-Odd's saga
- Ragnar Lodbrok's saga
- Ragnarssona þáttrRagnarssona þáttrRagnarssona þáttr, Þáttr af Ragnars sonum or the Tale of Ragnar's sons is a short story on Ragnar Lodbrok and his sons.-Ragnar Lodbrok:When Sigurd Ring dies, Ragnar succeeds him as the king of Sweden and Denmark...
- Skjöldunga sagaSkjöldunga sagaThe Skjöldunga saga was a Norse saga on the legendary Danish dynasty of the Skjöldungs, the same dynasty featured in the Old English poem Beowulf...
- Sögubrot