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Healfdene

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Danish king (450 - 557)

For other persons named Halfdan, seeHalfdan (name).

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Healfdene
A mention of Halfdan in theBeowulf
Known for	Legendary Danish King mentioned inBeowulf

Halfdan (Old Norse:Halfdan,Old English:Healfdene,Medieval Latin:Haldānus: "halfDane") was a late 5th and early 6th centurylegendary Danish king of theScylding (Skjöldung) lineage, the son of king namedFróði in many accounts, noted mainly as the father to the two kings who succeeded him in the rule of Denmark, kings namedHroðgar andHalga in the Old English poemBeowulf and named Hróar and Helgi in Old Norse accounts.

Various accounts

[edit]

According to theChronicon Lethrense andSaxo Grammaticus'Gesta Danorum (Book 2), Halfdan had two brothers named Ro and Skat who also sought the throne. Both were killed by Halfdan. Saxo adds that his brothers' supporters were hanged and that Halfdan continued to reign with great cruelty, but that he reigned long and died peaceably in extreme old age.

TheYnglinga saga gives Halfdan (in this work also son of a king named Fróði) a brother named Fridleif and says both were great warriors but that Halfdan was the better of the two. This might have been a lead-in to a feud between the brothers if Snorri had been dealing with Danish matters rather than Swedish matters.

Snorri here only tells us that Halfdan attacked KingAun ofSweden and drove him into exile intoGötaland. Halfdan then ruled Sweden for twenty years until he died inUppsala of sickness and was buried in a mound.

According toYnglinga saga, a Danish king namedFróði the Bold aided Aun's successorEgil against the rebelling thrall Tunni. This may be Froda the Heathobard ofBeowulf who becomes Fróði the slayer of Halfdan in other Norse traditions which do not make his end peaceful.

In theSaga ofHrolf Kraki, this Fróði is Halfdan's younger brother but in the Latin epitome to theSkjöldunga saga the younger brother, here a half-brother, is named Ingjalldus and this Ingjalldus is later father of a son named Frothi. Since inBeowulf Froda is father of a son named Ingeld, it is usually considered that the names have accidentally been interchanged in the tradition behind theSkjöldunga saga. In theSaga of Hrolf Kraki, Fróði brother of Halfdan is ruler of a separate kingdom. Halfdan was calm and good-natured but Fróði was cruel and vicious. Fróði attacked Halfdan's hall by night and burned it. Halfdan was killed in the battle and Fróði took over his country and his widow.

But eventually Halfdan's sons in turn killed Fróði to avenge their father's death. Thus the tradition inBeowulf of a feud between the Danes and Heathobards in which Fróda king of the Heathobards was slain appears in Norse texts as a family feud in which Halfdan's brother Fróði kills Halfdan and Halfdan's sons kill Fróði.

Children of Halfdan

[edit]

The poemBeowulf mentions Healfdene as follows:


Beowulf 59–63	Gummere's translation
Ðǣm fēower bearn \| forðgerīmed in worold wōcun, \| weoroda rǣswa[n], Heorogār ond Hrōðgār \| ond Hālga til, hȳrde ic þæt ———elan cwēn, Heaðo-Scilfingas \| healsgebedda.	Then, one after one, there woke to him, to the chieftain of clansmen, children four: Heorogar, then Hrothgar, then Halga brave; and I heard that ———ela's queen, the Heathoscylfing’s helpmate dear.

There is obviously something wrong with line 62. A name of a daughter has dropped out, a daughter who was the wife of someone whose name ends in-ela and who was a Heatho-Scylfing, a battle-Scylfing. It is likely enough that at some time in copying the poem a scribe was unable to make out the exact spelling of these names and so left the text blank at that point to be fixed up later. It was never fixed up and so the names were lost in later copies.

Surviving Scandinavian texts know nothing about Heorogar though they speak much of the other two sons. Two sources also mention Halfdan's daughter. According to the Latin epitome of theSkjöldung saga, the sons of Halfdanus are called Roas and Helgo and their sister Sigyna is married to a certain Sevillus. InHrólf Kraki's Saga, Halfdan's eldest child is his daughter Signy who is married to a certain Jarl Sævil. Then Hróar and Helgi are born.

Friedrich Kluge (1896) accordingly suggested that the line be restored ashyrde icþ Sigeneow wæs Sæwelan cwen, rendering the Norse names in Old English forms. But Kluge has been seldom followed by editors or translators, in part because Sævil inHrólf Kraki's Saga is in no way connected with Sweden so far as is told. Since the only certain Swedish (Scylfing) royal name ending in-ela that has come down to us isOnela, more often-ela is expanded instead toOnela. By Old English poetic rules of alliteration the name of the daughter must also begin with a vowel. The choice is usually the name Yrs or Yrse, since Scandinavian tradition speaks much ofYrsa the granddaughter of Halfdan and wife of KingAdils of Sweden. This assumes great shifting of names and roles, since Adils is the Eadgils ofBeowulf, the enemy of Onela. Onela appears in Norse texts as Áli. Accordingly, many editors and translators prefer to simply note that the line is corrupt. But modern commentary sometimes refers to the marriage of Onela and Yrsa without indicating that this exists only through somewhat dubious conjectural emendation.^[1]

If the tradition of Halfdan/Healfdene being slain by Fróði/Froda is an old one, it might be that theBeowulf poet knew that tale and that Heorogar (Healfdene's eldest son inBeowulf) was imagined Heorogar to have died with Halfdan. Unfortunately theBeowulf poet skims over all such matters.

Other traditions of Harold, Fróði and Halfdan

[edit]

A similar story is told in theGesta Danorum (Book 7) of two brother kings named Harold and Fróði in which the envious Fróði has his brother Harold killed by treachery. Harold leaves two sons behind named Harald and Halfdan, and the story of their vengeance on their uncle Fróði for killing their father Harald is almost identical to that found in Norse texts about Hróar and Helgi's vengeance on their uncle Fróði for killing their father Halfdan.

TheChronicon Lethrense indeed says that some call Halfdan's son Ro (that is Róar/Hrothgar) Halfdan instead.

As to this second Halfdan, Saxo has much to say about him, including his slaying of Siward king of Sweden and his battles against Erik son of his uncle Fróði by Signe, this Erik now the rightful king of Sweden. After many battles Halfdan gained the upper hand, Erik was bound with chains and left in a wild place for beasts to consume, and Halfdan became king of both Denmark and Sweden. Saxo relates further warlike exploits. Finally, this Halfdan died childless and left his kingdom to his friend KingUngvin ofGötaland (seeGeatish kings).

It is likely that more than one Halfdan has been confused with one another and with other kings, not to speak of simple invention by story tellers.

References

[edit]

^Kluge, Friedrich (1896). "Der Beowulf und die Hrolfs Saga Kraka".Englische Studien (22):144–145.

Legendary titles
Preceded by Fróði	Mythological king of Denmark	Succeeded by Helgi orHeorogar
Preceded by Siward	Mythological king of Sweden	Succeeded by Ragnvald
Preceded by Aun	Mythological king of Sweden	Succeeded by Aun
Preceded by Frotho I	Mythological king of Denmark inGesta Danorum	Succeeded by Ro andHelgo
Preceded by Dan	Mythological king of Denmark inChronicon Lethrense	Succeeded by Ro andHelghe

The family tree oflegendary Kings of the Danes, according to theGesta Danorum (Books I to VII)

Kings of the Danes are in bold and marked with an asterisk (*). Kings of the Swedes are marked with a dagger (†). Superscript numbers before a name indicate in which books ofGesta Danorum the individual is mentioned.

⁽¹⁾ Humble

KEY

⁽¹⁾Angul

⁽¹⁾Dan*

⁽¹⁾Grytha

Marriage or coupling

Parent and child

The Angles

⁽¹⁾Humble*

⁽¹⁾Lother*

⁽¹⁾ King of theSaxons

Succession by other or unclear means

⁽¹⁾Roar

⁽¹⁾Sigtryg, King of the Swedes†

⁽¹⁾Skiold*

⁽¹⁾Alfhild

⁽¹⁾ daughter of Roar

⁽¹⁾Bess

⁽¹⁾ sister of Gram

⁽¹⁾Gróa

⁽¹⁾Gram*†

⁽¹⁾Sumble, King of the Finns

⁽¹⁾ Wagnhofde

⁽¹⁾Signe

⁽¹⁾Henry, King of the Saxons

⁽¹⁾ Hakon, King of the Nitherians

⁽¹⁾Hardgrep

⁽¹⁾Swipdag*†, King of Norway

⁽¹⁾ sister of Guthorm

⁽¹⁾Guthorm*

^(1,2,5)Hadding*

⁽¹⁾ Ragnhild

⁽¹⁾ Asmund†

⁽¹⁾ Gunnhild

⁽¹⁾ Guthorm

^(1,2) Ulfhild

⁽²⁾Ubbe*

⁽¹⁾ Henry

⁽¹⁾ Uffe†

^(1,2) Hunding†

⁽²⁾ Thorhild

⁽²⁾ Scot

⁽¹⁾ daughter of Uffe

⁽²⁾ Ragnar†

⁽²⁾ Swanhwid

⁽²⁾ sisters of Swanhwid

⁽²⁾Handwan

⁽²⁾ Thorwald

^(2,5)Frode*

⁽²⁾ daughter of Handwan

^(2,3)Hothbrodd†

⁽²⁾Halfdan*

⁽²⁾ Ro

⁽²⁾ Skat

⁽²⁾ Thora

^(2,3)Helge*

⁽²⁾Ro*

^(2,3)Athisl†

⁽²⁾Urse

^(2,3) King Gewar

^(2,3)Rolf*† Krage

⁽²⁾ Rute

⁽²⁾Bjarke

⁽²⁾Skulde

^(2,3)Hiartuar†*

^(2,3)Hother†*

⁽³⁾Nanna

⁽³⁾ Herlek

⁽³⁾ Gerit

⁽³⁾ former King of Britain

⁽³⁾ mother of the King of Britain

⁽³⁾ a slave

⁽³⁾ a bondmaid

⁽³⁾Rorik*

⁽³⁾ Gerwendil

^(3,4) King of Britain

^(3,4) Queen of Britain

^(3,4) Gerutha

^(3,4)Horwendil

^(3,4)Feng

^(3,4) foster sister of Amleth

^(3,4) daughter of the King of Britain

^(3,4)Amleth

⁽⁴⁾Hermutrude, Queen of Scotland

⁽⁴⁾Wiglek*

⁽⁴⁾ son of Amleth

⁽⁴⁾Wermund*

⁽⁴⁾Frowin, governor of Sleswik

⁽⁴⁾Uffe*, aka Olaf the Gentle

⁽⁴⁾ daughter of Frowin

⁽⁴⁾Ket

⁽⁴⁾Wig

⁽⁴⁾Dan*

⁽⁴⁾Hugleik*

⁽⁴⁾Frode* the Vigorous

⁽⁴⁾Dan*

⁽⁵⁾ Kraka

⁽⁵⁾ Ragnar

⁽⁵⁾ Brak

^(4,5)Fridleif* the Swift

⁽⁵⁾ Hun, King of the Huns

⁽⁵⁾ Hun

⁽⁵⁾ Gotar, King of Norway

⁽⁵⁾ Westmar

⁽⁵⁾ Koll

⁽⁵⁾ Gotwar

⁽⁵⁾ Roller

^(5,6)Erik† Shrewd-spoken

⁽⁵⁾ Gunwar the Fair

⁽⁵⁾ Alfhild

^(5,6)Frode*

⁽⁵⁾ Hanund

⁽⁵⁾ Grep (eldest of three)

⁽⁵⁾ 11 other sons (two named Grep)

⁽⁶⁾ Hythin, King of Tellemark

⁽⁵⁾ Alf

⁽⁵⁾Eyfura

⁽⁵⁾Arngrim

⁽⁶⁾ Grubb

⁽⁶⁾Hiarn*

⁽⁶⁾ Amund, King of Norway

⁽⁶⁾ child of Hythin

⁽⁶⁾ Halfdan†

⁽⁵⁾ 12 sons, includingAnganty

⁽⁶⁾ Ane

⁽⁶⁾ Juritha

⁽⁶⁾Fridleif*

⁽⁶⁾ Frogertha

⁽⁶⁾ Hanef, King of Saxony

⁽⁶⁾Swerting, King of Saxony

⁽⁶⁾ Olaf

⁽⁶⁾Frode*

^(6,7) Siward†

⁽⁶⁾ sons of Swerting

⁽⁶⁾ sister of the sons of Swerting

^(6,7)Ingild*

⁽⁶⁾ Helga

⁽⁶⁾ Helge

⁽⁶⁾ Asa

^(6,7) Frode

^(6,7) Fridleif

^(6,7) Ingild

^(6,7)Olaf*

⁽⁷⁾ Karl, governor of Gothland

⁽⁷⁾ Ulfhild

⁽⁷⁾Frode*

⁽⁷⁾ Hather, a chief

⁽⁷⁾Harald*

⁽⁷⁾ Signe

⁽⁷⁾ Erik†

⁽⁷⁾ Thorhild

⁽⁷⁾Halfdan*† Biargramm

⁽⁷⁾ Harald

⁽⁷⁾ Asmund

Kings of Norway

Name spellings are derived fromOliver Elton's 1905 translation,The First Nine Books of the Danish History of Saxo Grammaticus,via Wikisource.

Old Norse religion andmythology

Mythological Norse people, items and places

Deities,
dwarfs,jötnar,
and other figures

Æsir	Almáttki áss Baldr Bragi Dellingr Forseti Heimdall Hermóðr Höðr Hœnir Ítreksjóð Lóðurr Loki Máni Meili Mímir Móði and Magni Odin Óðr Thor Týr Ullr Váli (son of Odin) Víðarr Vili and Vé
Ásynjur	Bil Eir Frigg Fulla Gefjon Gerðr Gná Hlín Iðunn Ilmr Irpa Lofn Nanna Njörun Rán Rindr Sága Sif Sigyn Sjöfn Skaði Snotra Sól Syn Þorgerðr Hölgabrúðr Þrúðr Vár Vör
Vanir	Freyja Freyr Ingunar-Freyr Yngvi Gersemi Gullveig Hnoss Kvasir Njörðr Sister-wife of Njörðr
Jötnar	Ægir Alvaldi Angrboða Aurboða Baugi Beli Bergelmir Bestla Bölþorn Býleistr Eggþér Fárbauti Fjölvar Fornjót Gangr Geirröðr Gillingr Gjálp and Greip Gríðr Gunnlöð Gymir Harðgreipr Helblindi Helreginn Hljod Hræsvelgr Hrímgerðr Hrímgrímnir Hrímnir Hroðr Hrungnir Hrymr Hymir Hyrrokkin Iði Ím Járnsaxa Laufey Leikn Litr Logi Mögþrasir Narfi (father of Nott) Sökkmímir Surtr Suttungr Þjazi Þökk Þrívaldi Þrúðgelmir Þrymr Útgarða-Loki Vafþrúðnir Víðblindi Vosud Vörnir Ymir
Dwarfs	Alvíss Andvari Austri, Vestri, Norðri and Suðri Billingr Dáinn Durinn Dúrnir Dvalinn Fáfnir Fjalar and Galar Gandalf Hreiðmarr Litr Mótsognir Ótr Regin Sons of Ivaldi Brokkr Eitri
Heroes	List of figures in Germanic heroic legend A B–C D–E F–G H–He Hi–Hy I–O P–S T–Y people, clan, and place names in Germanic heroic legend named animals and plants named weapons, armour and treasures
Others	Ask and Embla Auðr Auðumbla Aurvandill Beyla Borr Búri Byggvir Dísir Landdísir Dragons Draugs Einherjar Eldir Elves Dark elves (Dökkálfar) Light elves (Ljósálfar) Black elves (Svartálfar) Fimafeng Fjalar (rooster) Fenrir Fjörgyn and Fjörgynn Fylgja Garmr Gullinbursti Hati Hróðvitnisson Hel Hildisvíni Hjúki Horses of the Æsir Árvakr and Alsviðr Blóðughófi Falhófnir Gísl Glaðr Glær Glenr Grani Gullfaxi Gulltoppr Gyllir Hamskerpir and Garðrofa Hófvarpnir Skinfaxi and Hrímfaxi Sleipnir Svaðilfari Jörð Jörmungandr Líf and Lífthrasir Loddfáfnir Móðguðr Nine Daughters of Ægir and Rán Nine Mothers of Heimdallr Narfi (son of Loki) Níðhöggr Norns Personifications Dagr Elli Nótt Sumarr and Vetr Sæhrímnir Skírnir Sköll Shield-maiden Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr Troll Þjálfi and Röskva Vættir Landvættir Váli (son of Loki) Valkyries Völundr Vörðr

Locations

Underworld	Hel Éljúðnir Gjallarbrú Náströnd Niflhel Niðafjöll
Rivers	Élivágar Gjöll Ífingr Kerlaugar Körmt and Örmt Slidr River Vadgelmir Vimur River
Other locations	Asgard Amsvartnir Andlang Barri Bifröst Bilskirnir Brávellir Brimir Fensalir Fólkvangr Fornsigtuna Fyrisvellir Gálgviðr Gandvik Gastropnir Gimlé Ginnungagap Glaðsheimr Glæsisvellir Glitnir Gnipahellir Grove of fetters Heiðr Himinbjörg Hindarfjall Hlidskjalf Hnitbjorg Hoddmímis holt Iðavöllr Járnviðr Jötunheimr Mímameiðr Myrkviðr Munarvágr Nóatún Okolnir Sessrúmnir Sindri Singasteinn Þrúðheimr Þrúðvangr Þrymheimr Uppsala Útgarðar Valaskjálf Valhalla Vanaheimr Víðbláinn Vígríðr Vingólf Wells Hvergelmir Mímisbrunnr Urðarbrunnr Ýdalir Yggdrasil

Events

Sources

Society

Religious practice	Anthropomorphic wooden cult figurines of Central and Northern Europe Blót Hof Heitstrenging Horses Hörgr Worship Öndvegissúlur Reginnaglar Sacred trees and groves Sonargöltr Temple at Uppsala Til árs ok friðar Vé Wetlands and islands
Festivals and holy periods	Álfablót Dísablót Germanic calendar Þorrablót Vetrnætr Yule
Other	Death Ergi Félag Galdr Goði Hamingja Heiti Kenning Mead hall Nīþ Norse cosmology Numbers Philosophy Rings Runes Seiðr Skald Viking Age Völva

v t e Beowulf
Old English Alliterative verse Kenning
Clans (characters)	Geats Beowulf Heardred Hygd Hygelac Hundings Scyldings Æschere Healfdene Heorogar Hroðgar Unferð Scylfings Eadgils Eanmund Ohthere Onela Ongentheow Waegmundings Ecgþeow Weohstan Wiglaf Wulfings Wealhtheow Monsters Grendel Grendel's mother The Dragon
Translating Beowulf	List of translations Seamus Heaney Beowulf: A New Verse Translation J. R. R. Tolkien Beowulf: A Translation and Commentary "Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics" Beowulf and the Critics "On TranslatingBeowulf" "Sellic Spell" Finn and Hengest
Scholars	Nora K. Chadwick Michael D. C. Drout Robert D. Fulk Kevin Kiernan Leonard Neidorf John D. Niles Geoffrey Russom Tom Shippey
Related	Adaptations Anglo-Saxon paganism Battle of Finnsburg Beowulf and Middle-Earth Heorot Hrunting Nægling Nowell Codex

Movatterモバイル変換

Various accounts

Children of Halfdan

Other traditions of Harold, Fróði and Halfdan

See also

References