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The Old Norse World

The Old Norse World

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Vol. I. Poetry for Scandinavian Rulers 1: From Mythological Times to c. 1035 8. Volume Introduction 4. Biographies 4.1. Ruler biographies 4.1.a. Kings and jarls of Norway 6. Hálfdan svarti Guðrøðarson (c. 820-c. 860)

6. Hálfdan svarti Guðrøðarson (c. 820-c. 860)

The son of Guðrøðr veiðikonungr ‘Hunting-king’, Hálfdan svarti ‘the Black’ is said to have succeeded to the rule of Agðir (Agder), the southern part of the Yngling kingdom (on the Ynglingar, see Þjóð Yt). He gained control of Vestfold to the east after the death of his half-brother Óláfr Geirstaðaálfr ‘Elf of Geirstaðir’, and from there subdued a number of small kingdoms in Upplǫnd (Opplandene, north of Oslofjorden), as well as claiming the district of Sogn in the west. He is the first Norwegian king to be the subject of an individual saga in Hkr and of an extensive narrative in Fsk. Hálfdan is said to have drowned in Lake Rǫnd (Randsfjorden, south-east Norway) at the age of forty, probably c. 860. He was succeeded by Haraldr hárfagri (q. v.), among whose numerous sons was another Hálfdan svarti. See Anon Nkt 4, 5II (c. 1190) and Notes; HN (MHN 103; Kunin and Phelpstead 2001, 14); Ágr (ÍF 29, 3; Ágr 2008, 2-3); Fsk (ÍF 29, 57-8; Finlay 2004, 41-2); HálfdSvHkr (ÍF 26, 84-93; Hollander 1964a, 51-8). No poetry dedicated to Hálfdan survives, and Skáldatal does not name him (it is his later namesake who is listed as patron of Guthormr sindri (Gsind; SnE 1848-87, III, 253)).

References

  1. Bibliography
  2. SnE 1848-87 = Snorri Sturluson. 1848-87. Edda Snorra Sturlusonar: Edda Snorronis Sturlaei. Ed. Jón Sigurðsson et al. 3 vols. Copenhagen: Legatum Arnamagnaeanum. Rpt. Osnabrück: Zeller, 1966.
  3. Ágr = [Anonymous] Ágrip af Nóregs konunga sögum.
  4. MHN = Storm, Gustav, ed. 1880. Monumenta historica Norvegiæ: Latinske kildeskrifter til Norges historie i middelalderen. Kristiania (Oslo): Brøgger. Rpt. 1973. Oslo: Aas & Wahl.
  5. ÍF 26-8 = Heimskringla. Ed. Bjarni Aðalbjarnarson. 1941-51.
  6. Finlay, Alison, trans. 2004. Fagrskinna: A Catalogue of the Kings of Norway. Leiden: Brill.
  7. HN = Historia Norwegiæ. In MHN 69-124.
  8. ÍF 29 = Ágrip af Nóregskonunga sǫgum; Fagrskinna—Nóregs konungatal. Ed. Bjarni Einarsson. 1985.
  9. Ágr 2008 = Driscoll, Matthew J., ed. and trans. 2008. Ágrip af Nóregskonungasǫgum: A Twelfth-Century Synoptic History of the Kings of Norway. 2nd edn. Viking Society for Northern Research Text Series 10. University College London: Viking Society for Northern Research.
  10. Kunin, Devra, trans., and Carl Phelpstead, ed., introd. and notes. 2001. A History of Norway and the Passion and Miracles of the Blessed Óláfr. Viking Society for Northern Research Text Series 13. London: Viking Society for Northern Research.
  11. Hollander, Lee M., trans. 1964a. Heimskringla: History of the Kings of Norway by Snorri Sturluson. Austin: The American-Scandinavian Foundation. Rpt. 1991 (rpt. cited in SkP II).
  12. Internal references
  13. (forthcoming), ‘ Unattributed, Heimskringla’ in Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2. Turnhout: Brepols, p. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=4> (accessed 25 November 2024)
  14. (forthcoming), ‘ Unattributed, Fagrskinna’ in Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2. Turnhout: Brepols, p. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=56> (accessed 25 November 2024)
  15. Russell Poole 2012, ‘(Biography of) Guthormr sindri’ in Diana Whaley (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 1: From Mythical Times to c. 1035. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 1. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 154.
  16. Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Anonymous Poems, Nóregs konungatal 4’ in Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 764.
  17. Edith Marold with the assistance of Vivian Busch, Jana Krüger, Ann-Dörte Kyas and Katharina Seidel, translated from German by John Foulks 2012, ‘ Þjóðólfr ór Hvini, Ynglingatal’ in Diana Whaley (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 1: From Mythical Times to c. 1035. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 1. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 3. <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=1440> (accessed 25 November 2024)
  18. Not published: do not cite ()
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