The 9th c.Rök runestone lists names of Germanic heroes and events, but the significance of most of them is nowadays lost.
The figures in the lists below are listed either by the name of their article on Wikipedia or, if there is no article, according to the name by which they are most commonly attested. A few figures widely known by an English, German and a Norse name will list both. As much as possible, names that vary greatly in different traditions indicate where the main entry is to be found.
Notes on theÞiðreks saga:
As names in theÞiðreks saga typically adapt a German name, only figures that are not attested outside of theÞiðreks saga are listed under that name, even if most information on the figure is from theÞiðreks saga.
Because theÞiðreks saga is based on German sources, it is counted as a German attestation.
Excluded from the list are:
figures who are only mentioned as a relative, or in a list, may not have been included.
figures who have been multiplicated in e.g.Gesta Danorum andSkjöldunga saga, such as the many Fróðis and Halfdans (corresponding to only oneFroda and oneHealfdene in the olderBeowulf), may be treated in the same entry.
figures who only appear in a Danish chronicle, such asGesta Danorum, or are only mentioned in legendary sagas that are not part of theHeroic sagas[1] may not have been included.
figures from the genre ofminstrel epic are generally not includedunless they are commonly discussed in secondary sources dealing with heroic epic in medieval Germany.
