Sölve (Old Norse:Sǫlvi) was asea-king who conqueredVendel-period Sweden by burning the Swedish kingEysteinn to death inside hishall.[1]
TheHeimskringla relates that he was the son ofHögne of Njardö, and that he had his home inJutland, although according to the older sourceHistoria Norwegiæ, he wasa Geat. He pillaged in theBaltic Sea and at night they made shore in thehundred of Lofond/Lovund (perhapsLovön or theLagunda Hundred) where they surrounded a house and set it on fire, killing everybody inside. In the house there was a feast where the Swedish kingEysteinn was invited. Then Sölve and his men arrived in Sigtuna (nowSignhildsberg) and declared that the Swedes had to accept him as king. The Swedes refused and fought Sölve for eleven days until they lost. Sölve then ruled Sweden until the Swedes rebelled and killed him.[2]
Historia Norwegiae only relates that the Geats burnt Östen and his people to death inside his house.
Sölvi also appears inHálfs saga ok Hálfsrekka, of which there is a version from the year 1300. This saga relates that Sölvi was the son of Högne the Rich ofNærøyafyrir Naumundalsminni inNorway and that he was the brother of Hild the Slender. Sölvi's brother-in-law, Hjorleiv, was the king ofHordaland andRogaland and Hjorleiv killed Hreidar, the king ofZealand.[3] Then Hjorleiv put Sölvi as thejarl of Zealand. Later in the saga, Sölvi is no longer the jarl of Zealand, but the king of Sweden. Hjorleiv had a son named Half (after whom the saga is named), and after the Norwegian king Asmund had killed Half, a couple of his champions go to Sweden and king Sölvi (til svíþjóðar ; fóru þeir ... á fund Sölva konungs) (see alsoGard Agdi).
Sölvi is also mentioned in a few other sources, but none of them relate of his Danish and Swedish dominions.
He was succeeded byIngvar Harra son of Eysteinn of theYngling, the Swedish royal dynasty.
| Preceded by | Legendary king of Sweden | Succeeded by |