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Saxo's kings of Sweden

Saxo's kings of Sweden appear in the Danish Gesta Danorum by Saxo Grammaticus.

Some kings (e.g. Athisl/Adils, Hunding /Fjölnir, Halfdan, Sigurd Ring, Ragnar Lodbrok and Erik and Alrik) are based on the same traditions as the West Norse Ynglingatal, Ynglinga saga and Historia Norwegiae. Moreover, the dynasties are the same, i.e. the descendants of the god Frey (i.e. the Ynglings) and intermediary Skjöldungs.

However, there are many differences. These differences are not only due to a considerable distance in time from the kings they describe and to the traditions being kept in different parts of Scandinavia. Whereas Ynglingatal glorifies the Norwegian kings by their Swedish origins, Saxo's Swedish kings are there to glorify the Danes by being dominated by them, the task of which might have needed some creativity from Saxo's side and/or Danish tradition. On the other hand, it did not need to move the Ynglings to Norway and so describes kings following Ingjald as kings of Sweden as Ynglings as well.

This list is presently incomplete:

Last updated: 08-04-2005 20:25:46
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