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Angantyr was the name of three male characters from the same line inNorse mythology, and who appear inHervarar saga,Gesta Danorum, andFaroese ballads.
The last generation named Angantyr also appears to be mentioned asIncgentheow inWidsith, line 115, together with his fatherHeiðrekr (Heathoric), half-brotherHlöð (Hlith) and Hlöð's motherSifka (Sifeca).
Angantyr's fatherArngrim had given him themagic swordTyrfing, which cut through anything as if through cloth, and which killed a man every time it was unsheathed. He was the tallest of the twelve sons of the berserkerArngrim, and he and his eleven brothers spread fear and destruction through the North.
OneYule, they were back home onBolmsö when the next eldest son Hjörvard, swore that he would winIngeborg, the daughter ofYngve, the king ofSweden.
The twelve brothers departed forUppsala and Hjorvard proposed to Ingeborg. However thenHjalmar, one of the Swedish king's champions, stepped forth and claimed he deserved the princess rather than a berserker.
The Swedish king, who feared opposing twelve uncontrollable and infamous berserkers in hishall, suggested that Ingeborg herself should decide. Naturally, she chose Hjalmar, and Hjorvard was besides himself with rage. He challenged Hjalmar to a duel onSamsø and declared that Hjalmar would lose his honour if he did not turn up.
When the twelve brothers arrived on Samsø, they started to go berserk. They bit their shields, screamed loud and coarsely and let themselves loose on Hjalmar and Orvar-Odd's crewmen and began to cut them to pieces.
Hjalmar andOrvar-Odd arrived to the scene to find their crew slain and Orvar-Odd, with only his club, slew Angantyr's eleven brothers. After the melee, he found Angantyr dead and Hjalmar mortally wounded by the cursed sword, Tyrfing.
Orvar-Odd buried the twelve brothers in barrows on Samsø together with the cursed sword, so that it would no longer cause any harm. However Angantyr's daughterHervor would later return and claim Tyrfing as her own. This event is known as "the waking of Angantyr", as recorded in the poemThe Waking of Angantyr.
Angantyr's daughter Hervor marriedHöfund ofGlæsisvellir and they had the sonsHeidrek and Angantyr. Angantyr would be the next of Tyrfing's victims. Angantyr's brotherHeidrek had made himself impossible at home and was banished by his father. Angantyr wanted to follow his brother for a while on the road to say farewell, but then he asked to see the swordTyrfing which Heidrek had got from their mother Hervor. Heidrek kindly showed his brother the weapon, but since Tyrfing could not be unsheathed without slaying a man, Angantyr became its next victim.
Heidrek would have the daughterHervor and the sons Angantyr andHlöd. When Heidrek, the king of the Goths died, Angantyr inherited and refused to give Hlöd equal share. Hlöd attacked with the Hunnish army and in an epic battle, Hlöd was slain. Angantyr would be one of the ancestors of the Swedish kings of theHouse of Munsö.