TheScyldings (OE Scyldingas) orSkjǫldungs (ON Skjǫldungar), both meaning "descendants ofScyld/Skjǫldr", were, according to legends, a clan or dynasty ofDanish kings, that in its time conquered and ruled Denmark and Sweden together with part of England, Ireland and North Germany.^[1] The name is explained in many texts, such asFriedrich Christoph Dahlmann's 'Research on the Field of History' (German:Forschungen auf dem Gebiete der Geschichte),^[2] by the descent of this family from an eponymous king Scyld, but the title is sometimes applied to rulers who purportedly reigned before him, and the supposed king may be an invention to explain the name. There was once aNorse saga on the dynasty, theSkjöldunga saga, but it survives only in a Latin summary byArngrímur Jónsson.

According to Anglo-Saxon legends recounted inWidsith and other sources such asÆthelweard (Chronicon), the earliest ancestor of Scyld was a culture-hero namedSceaf, who was washed ashore as a child in an empty boat, bearing asheaf of wheat. This is said to have occurred on an island named Scani orScandza (Scania), and according toWilliam of Malmesbury (Gesta regum Anglorum) he was later chosen as King of the Angles, reigning fromSchleswig. His descendants became known as Scefings, or more usually Scyldings (afterSceldwea).Snorri Sturluson adopted this tradition in hisPrologue to the Prose Edda, giving Old Norse forms for some of the names.The following list gives the supposed pedigree.

The number, names, and order of the Skjöldung kings vary greatly in different texts until one comes toHalfdan/Healfdene.

All Old English texts call Scyld's son and successor Beaw or some similar name. (The name was expanded to Beowulf in the poemBeowulf, probably in error by a scribe who thought it was an abbreviation for the name of the poem's hero, who is quite a different person). Halfdan/Healfdene seems to be the direct son of Beaw in the poem. But all Scandinavian sources that mention both Skjöld and Halfdan put Halfdan some generations after Skjöld and make no mention of King Beaw (save for a genealogy in the Prologue toSnorri Sturluson'sEdda which is taken from English traditions).

According toSaxo Grammaticus'Gesta Danorum (Book 1), Skjöld was succeeded by a son namedGram. Sincegram is also a simple adjective meaning "fierce" and a common kenning for "king", it might be that Saxo or a source has misunderstood some account referring to Beaw as beinggram or agram and wrongly taken it here as a personal name. Saxo has much to tell of this Gram who becomes the father ofHadingus of whom he has even more to relate, Hadingus in turn becomes the father of a kingFrotho I who is father ofHaldanus I.

Snorri Sturluson in hisEdda, along with some other Old Norse texts, makes Skjöld to be father ofFridleif father ofFróði under whose reign the world was at peace. Snorri mentions this Fróði son of Fridleif in theYnglinga saga also. But in this work Snorri also introduces a second, later Fróði, said to be son of certainDan Mikilláti. The second Fróði is known both as Fróði Mikilláti and Fróði the Peace-lover and looks suspiciously like a duplicate of the other peaceful Fróði. Snorri makes this second Fróði the father of Halfdan and of another son named Fridleif.

Saxo in Books 4–5, long after the reign of Halfdan and the fall of the Skjöldung dynasty, also introduces a king named Dan, the third king with that name in his account, whose son is Fridleif whose son is Fróði under whose reign the world achieves peace. This Fróði is also the father of a son named Fridleif according to Saxo.

There are other differing accounts of Halfdan's ancestors. The names, number, and order oflegendary Danish kings are very inconsistent in extant texts and it would appear that different writers and story tellers differently arranged what tales of legendary Danish kings they knew in whatever order seemed best to them.

In all accounts Halfdan is father ofHelgi (called Halga inBeowulf) and Hróar (calledHrothgar inBeowulf). Helgi is father of the famousHrólf Kraki (called Hrothulf inBeowulf). InBeowulf, another son of Healfdene/Halfdan named Heorogar is father ofHeoroweard who corresponds to Hjörvard in the Old Norse accounts where Hjörvard's parentage is not told. The Old Norse accounts make Hjörvard to be the husband of Hrólf's sister and tell how Hjörvard rebelled against King Hrólf and burned him in his hall. But Hjörvard was himself soon slain and with him the rule of the Skjöldung dynasty ended.

A later lineage said to be of Skjöldung descent:

• Halfdan the Valiant
• Ivar Vidfamne
• Harald Hildetand
• Östen Beli

• Beowulf and Hrólf Kraki
• Rurik Dynasty, a possible branch of the Scyldings in theGarðaríki (allegedly throughRorik of Dorestad)
• Skjoldungen Island
• Uí Ímair, a possible British/Irish branch of the Scyldings

• Scyldings
• English heroic legends
• Characters in Beowulf
• Norse clans

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Articles containing German-language text
• Articles containing Latin-language text