InNorse mythology,Gylfi (Old Norse:[ˈɡylve]),Gylfe,Gylvi, orGylve was the earliest recorded king of Sviþjoð, Sweden, in Scandinavia. He is known by the name Gangleri when appearing in disguise. The Danish tradition on Gylfi tells how he was tricked byGefjon and her sons from Jötunheim, who were able to shapeshift into tremendous oxen.
TheYnglinga saga section ofSnorri'sHeimskringla and the Eddic poemRagnarsdrápa tell a legend of how Gylfi was seduced by the goddess Gefjon to give her as much land as she could plow in one night. Gefjon transformed her four sons into oxen and took enough land to create theDanish island ofZealand, leaving the Swedish lakeVänern.
Gylfaginning in theProse Edda and theYnglinga saga tell how the supposedly historic (non-deified version)Odin and his people theÆsir andVanir, who later became the Swedes, obtained new land where they built the settlement ofOld Sigtuna. In Snorri's account Gylfi is supposedly deluded by the Æsir into accepting their religion; hence the name "Gylfaginning",[1] most often interpreted as the "deluding of Gylfi", although '-ginning' is regarded the same as what we recognise in "beginning", thus "the origin of Gylfi" is also possible. Gylfi and the remaining older bronze-age inhabitants of the land then supposedly adopted the religion of the Æsir and began to live under their rule. Snorri presents an outline ofNorse mythology through a dialogue between Gylfi and three rulers of the Æsir.
It is possible that Snorri's account is based on an old tradition tracing particular beliefs or foundations of particular Norse cults to this legendary Gylfi. However, it is much more likely that the historic King Gylfi was simply already a follower of the ancient Norse religion and, as such, could easily have passed on these beliefs or stories.
In one version ofHervarar saga, king Gylfi married his daughter Heiðr toSigrlami, the king ofGarðaríki (Russia).[2] Heiðr and Sigrlami had the son Svafrlami, who forced the two dwarvesDvalin andDurin to forge the magic swordTyrfing.
A Gylfi is attested in the lineage of sea-kings inHversu Noregr byggðist, a saga sketching out an origin myth of Norway, where he appears as the brother of Glamma, eponymous of the longest river in Norway, now spelledGlomma, sons of Geitir, apparently one of four sons of Gor the brother of Nór, eponymous first king of Nórway. The connection with Glamma is interesting regarding how Gylfi is attested inYnglinga saga particularly connecting him to the longest river system in Scandinavia, now carrying four different names beginning asFemund river andTrysil river in Norway, thenKlarälven in Sweden, above the rather big lake Vänern into which it drains, central to the story ofGefjon in Ynglinga saga, and finallyGöta älv that drains lakeVänern into theKattegat, at the city ofGothenburg, on the western coast of Sweden. Hversu Noregr byggðist is loaded witheponymous tales to such an extent that to not connect this Gylfi with this river system would be kind of ignorant. One will find some common sources of the drainage-system forming the signified rivers in the Mountain-region of Norway, turning into Rena River as a tributary to Glomma, and Femund River, as a tributary to Kläraälven. The lake Korssjøen which drains to the east into the Femund River and the drainage system reaching the sea byGothenburg in Sweden, and the lake Narsjøen that drains to the north into Nørå River and Glomma running south, reaching the sea close toFredrikstad by theOslofjord.
| Preceded by New creation | Mythological king of Sweden | Succeeded by |