Yngling

Yngling
The Ynglings were the oldest known Scandinavian dynasty. It can refer to the clans of the Scylfings (Old Norse Skilfingar), the semi-legendary royal Swedish clan during the Age of Migrations, with kings such as Eadgils, Onela and Ohthere. When Beowulf and Ynglingatal were composed sometime in the eighth to tenth centuries, the respective scop and skald expected his audience to have a great deal of background information about these kings, which is shown in the allusiveness of the references. Ynglings also refers to the Fairhair dynasty, descending from the kings of Oppland, Norway. According to surviving early sources, such as Ynglingatal and The Yngling Ingjald slaying his kinsmen. slendingabk, these kings were descended from the Swedish Scylfings of Uppland, Sweden. The House of Muns, a Swedish dynasty, also falls under the definition of Yngling. The earliest kings of this dynasty that historians generally agree are historical are Eirik the Victorious and Olof Sktkonung. Some early kings were likely mythical, whereas others may have been real. Egil, Ottar, Ale and Adils are mentioned in several sources and are very likely to be real kings.

Alrek and Eirk fighting.

Yngling

Names
In the Scandinavian sources they are the descendants of Yngvi-Frey of Vanaheim. Yngling means descendant of Frey, and in the Gesta Danorum of Saxo Grammaticus they are called the sons of Frey. Several of these kings appear in Beowulf: Eadgils (Adils), Onela (Ale), and Ohthere (Ottar Vendelkrka), but here they are called Scylfings (see the Beowulf section below). Snorri Sturluson hints at a less divine origin in Skldskaparml for this dynasty: One war-king was named Skelfir; and his house is called the House of Skilfings: his kindred is in the Eastern Land. In the 13th century, the official Swedish/Scandinavian term for the modern-day Southern Finland was "Eastern Land", sterland, i.e. the eastern half of Sweden at the time.

Yngvi and Alf slaying each other.

In Ynglinga Saga in 1220 AD, Snorri Sturluson discusses marriages between Swedish and Finnish royal families. In 1220 AD (c.), in the Skldskaparml section of Edda, Sturluson discusses King Halfdan the Old, Nr's great-grandson, and nine of his sons who are the forefathers of various royal lineages, including "Yngvi, from whom the Ynglings are descended". According to Orkneyinga Saga in 1230 AD, Nr founded Norway. He was a direct descendant of Fornjtr, the King of Finland, Kvenland and Gotland. Many Scandinavian historians name Halfdan the Old as an ancestor to Rollo, the Viking conqueror who founded Normandy and took the name Robert I (the first) after converting to Christianity. He is William the Conqueror's great grandfather. In 1387 AD, Hversu Noregr byggist ('How Norway was inhabited') is an account of the origin of various legendary Norwegian lineages. It too traces the descendants of the primeval Finnish ruler Fornjotr down to Nr, who is here the eponym and first great king of Norway, and then gives details of the descendants of Nr and of his brother Gr in the following section known as the ttartlur ('Genealogies', a.k.a. Fundinn Noregr, 'Founding of Norway'). The Hversu account is closely paralleled by the opening of the Orkneyinga saga. The 'genealogies' also claim that many heroic families famed in Scandinavian tradition but not located in Norway were of a Finn-Kven stock, mostly sprung from Nr's great-grandson Halfdan the Old. Almost all the lineages sprung from Halfdan are then shown to reconvert in the person of Harald Fairhair, the first king of "all Norway". This information can be confirmed in other sources. The 'ttartlur' account ends to a genealogy of Harald's royal descendants down to Olaf IV of Norway with the statement that the account was written in 1387, and with a list of the kings of Norway from this Olaf back to Harald Fair-hair. Another origin for the name skilfing is possible: Snorri described Erik and Alrik, the sons of Skjalf to be the de facto ancestors of this Norse-Finnish clan. The kings who resided at Upsal had been the supreme chiefs over the whole Swedish dominions until the death of Agne, when, as before related, the kingdom came to be divided between brothers (Alrek and Erik). After that time the dominions and kingly powers were spread among the branches of the family as these increased; but some kings cleared great tracts of forest-land, and settled them, and thereby increased their domains.[1]

Yngling

From Sweden to Norway

According to Snorri Sturluson, the dynasty led the settlement of the Swedish provinces and established themselves as the kings of its provinces, accepting the overlordship of the Swedish king at Uppsala, until the dynasty all but exterminated itself with Ingjald Ill-Ruler and his downfall. A survivor Olof Trtlja was the ancestor of the Norwegian branch.

Remaining in Sweden?
However, both Snorri (as in the earlier quote) and Saxo described the clan as remaining in Sweden after this date. Saxo on the Battle of Brvalla (ca 750): Now the bravest of the Swedes were these: Arwakki, Keklu-Karl (Kelke-Karl), Krok the Peasant, (from Akr), Gudfast and Gummi from Gislamark. These were kindred of the god Frey, and most faithful witnesses to the gods. Ingi (Yngwe) also, and Oly, Alver, Folki, all sons of Elrik (Alrek), embraced the service of Ring (Sigurd Ring); they were men ready of hand, quick in counsel, and very close friends of Ring. The Battle of Brvalla. They likewise held the god Frey to be the founder of their race. Amongst these from the town of Sigtun (Old Sigtuna) also came Sigmund, a champion advocate, versed in making contracts of sale and purchase; besides him Frosti surnamed Bowl: allied with him was Alf the Lofty (Erect?spear-thrower?) from the district of Upsala (Old Uppsala); this man was a swift spear-thrower, and used to go in the front of the battle.[2] Moreover, both in Icelandic sources and in the Gesta Danorum, king Sigurd Ring would become the ancestor of the houses of Ragnar Lodbrok and would thus be the semi-legendary ancestor of the House of Muns through Bjrn Ironside, and the Danish royal house through Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye. Ragnar's eldest son Ivar the Boneless was the leader of the Great Heathen Army and appears to have been the founder of the U mair dynasty of the Kingdom of York and Kingdom of Dublin.

The line
Beowulf eighth c.-tenth c. Ynglingatal late ninth c. slendingabk early twelfth c. Historia Norvegi late twelfth c. Ynglinga saga c. 1225 Hversu Noregr byggist 1387 Burri Burr inn sakonungr Yngvi Tyrkjakonungr Njrr Svakonungr Freyr Fjlnir Sveigir Fjlnir Svegir Ingui Neorth Froyr Fiolnir Swegthir Njrr Yngvifreyr Fjlnir Svegir Freyr Njrr Freyr Fjlnir Sveigir

Yngling

4
Vanlandi Vsburr Dmaldi Dmarr Dyggvi Dagr Spaka Agni Alrekr and Eirkr Yngvi and lfr Jrundr Aun Vanlandi Visburr Dmaldr Dmarr Dyggvi Dagr Alrekr Agni Yngvi Jrundr Aun inn gamli Egill Vendilkrka ttarr Asl at Uppslum Wanlanda Wisbur Domald Domar Dyggui Dagr Alricr Hogni Ingialdr Jorundr Auchun Eigil Vendilcraca Ottarus Adils/Athisl Vanlandi Vsburr Dmaldi Dmarr Dyggvi Dagr Spaka Agni Alrekr and Eirkr Yngvi and lfr Jrundr and Eirkr Aun hinn gamli Egill Tunnudlgr ttarr Vendilkrka Ails Vanlandi Vsburr Dmaldr Dmarr Dyggvi/Tryggvi Dagr Agni Skjlfarbndi Alrekr Yngvi Jrmunfri/Jrundr Aunn inn gamli Egill Tunnadlgr ttarr Vendilskrka Ails at Uppslum

Ongeneow Ohthere and Onela Eadgils and Eanmund

Egill ttarr Ails

Eysteinn Yngvarr nundr Ingjaldr

Eysteinn Yngvarr Braut-nundr Ingjaldr inn illri

Eustein Ynguar Broutonundr Ingialdr

Eysteinn Yngvarr Brautnundr Ingjaldr hinn illri lfr trtelgja Hlfdan hvtbeinn

Eysteinn Yngvarr inn hri Braut-nundr Ingjaldr inn illri

lfr Hlfdan

lfr trtelgja Hlfdan hvtbeinn Upplendingakonungr

Olavus tretelgia Halfdan hwitbein

lafr trtelgja Hlfdan hvtbeinn

Eysteinn Hlfdan Gurr Gorr

Eustein Halfdan Guthrodr

Eysteinn Hlfdan hinn mildi Gurr veiikonungr lafr Rgnvaldr heium hra

Eysteinn Hlfdan inn mildi Gurr veiikonungr

lafr Rgnvaldr

lfr Helgi

Halfdan Niger Haraldus

Hlfdan svarti Haraldr inn hrfagri

The name Scylfing

In Old English several kings who are generally identified as Ynglings are called Scylfings. The genealogy is given as: Ongentheow | |_________________ | | Ohthere Onela | m with Healfdene's daughter |

Yngling |____________________ | | Eadgils Eanmund Ohthere (Ottar) also occurs as the father of Aedgils (Adils) in Ynglingatal. There Skilfing (Skilfingr) appears as a synonym of Yngling, in a line on Egil, the father of Ottar, so that Ongentheow is considered identical to Egil.
Ok lofsll r landi fl Ts ttungr Tunna rki, en flming farra trjnu jtuns eykr Agli rau. Ss of austr an hafi brna hrg of borinn lengi, en sklauss Skilfinga ni hfis hjrr til hjarta st.[3] The fair-haired son of Odin's race, Who fled before fierce Tunne's face, Has perished by the demon-beast Who roams the forests of the East. The hero's breast met the full brunt Of the wild bull's shaggy front; The hero's heart's asunder torn By the fell Jotun's spear-like horn."(Laing's translation [4])

Likewise in the Skldskaparml the Scylfings are described as an eastern family and East King was a conventional kenning for a Swedish king. However, in the ttartolur, (the genealogies attached to Hversu Noregr byggdist), the Skilfings are of Norwegian origin and include a family identified as Skjldungs. In the eddic poem Grmnisml (stanza 55), Skilfing appears as one of Odin's names, the information there also appearing in the Gylfaginning..

Beowulf
In the Old English poem Beowulf, the word Scylfing occurs twice in the singular and twice in the plural. For alliterative purposes the name could be extended, such as the form Heathoscylfing 'Battle-Scylfing', which occurs once in the singular and twice in the plural. A Scylfing whose name is partly missing but ends in -ela married the sister of Hrothgar and Halga. Specifically identified as Scylfings are Ongentheow, king of Sweden, and by extension his subject Wiglaf son of Weohstan. Wiglaf and Weohstan belonged to the family of the Wgmundings to which Beowulf and his father Ecgtheow also belonged. Another extended form is helm Scylfinga. This literally means 'Scylfings'-helmet'; it is a pun meaning both "ruler of the Scylfings" and "protector of the Scylfings". The Beowulf poet uses it to refer to Ongentheow's son Onela.

Yngling

In Norse tradition
From the Hyndlulj The eddic poem Hyndlulj, in stanza 16 speaks of descendants of an ancient king named Halfdan the Old: Hence come the Skjldungs, hence the Skilfings, Hence the dlings [lingar], hence the Ylfings, ...[5] From the Skldskaparml In the Skldskaparml, Snorri Sturluson speaks of the second group of nine sons of Halfdan the Old, from whom many families of legend descend, one of these sons being Yngvi, purported ancestor of the Yngling lineage. But neither Skylfings or Skjldungs are specifically derived from these sons. Snorri continues with examples of famous descendants of three of those lineages, followed by: "Of the house of the Ylfings was Eirk the Eloquent (Eirkr inn mlspaki)." But Ylfings have not been previously mentioned. Then follows the names of four ancestors of four lineages not descended from Halfdan, which include Yngvi and the Ynglings a second time. There is obvious confusion or corruption in this passage or its source. The fourth lineage is identified: One war-king was named Skelfir; and his house is called the House of Skilfings: his kindred is in the Eastern Region. A connection with the east might mean a connection to Sweden, but the vagueness of expression suggests Snorri knows no more about these Skilfings than he has written. Snorri also gives Skilfing as a kenning for "king" and it appears as a kenning for "sword" in the thulur found in some versions of the Skldkskaparml. From the ttartolur The ttartolur connected to Hversu Noregr byggdist are a longer variant of the genealogical passages in the Skldskaparml, also speaking of Halfdan the Old and lineages descended from him and of other notable lineages, but in much greater detail. In this list of the sons of Halfdan, Yngvi the ancestor of the Ynglings is missing and Skelfir the ancestor of the Skilfings appears in his place. This might be a remembrance of an earlier identity or connection of the Swedish Ynglings and the Swedish Scylfings in Beowulf. But nothing in the following genealogy is necessarily Swedish though possible Swedish parallels do appear, particular the names Alrek and Eirk as discussed below. There are many oddities in this account. It claims Skelfir was king of Vrs (Vrs), modern Voss in northern Hordaland in southwestern Norway, but Halfdan's inheritance was in southeastern Norway. Skelfir was the father of Skjld (Skjldr). The account ends by saying that lineage of Skelfir was called the Skilfing lineage or the Skjldung lineage, seemingly identifying the two. But Skjldungs are normally the legendary royal family of the rulers of Denmark and no connection with Denmark is made here. Indeed the ttartolur later twice gives a quite different list of descendants of the Danish Skjld who is there made a son of Odin as commonly in Norse texts. Skjld as son of Skelfir might be related to English traditions of Scyld being a son or descendant of Sceafa (as discussed under Sceafa), though here too (at least in Beowulf) the connection is to Danish matters, not to Norway. This Norwegian Skjld, ancestor of the Norwegian Skjldungs, is father of Eirk, father of Alrek (Alrekr), father of Eirk the Eloquent, whom the Skldskaparml presented as an Ylfing. These two mentions are the only occurrences of Eirk the Eloquent in Norse texts. But what seems to be the same figure appears prominently in book 5 of Saxo Grammaticus' Gesta Danorum as Ericus disertus. This Ericus disertus is indeed a Norwegian, but his father is not named Alrek but rather Regnerus pugilex, that is Ragnar the Champion. The Gesta Danorum then somewhat forcibly identifies Ericus disertus with Eirk, a legendary king of Sweden, a king who in the Ynglinga saga and elsewhere has

Yngling an elder brother (rather than a father) named Alrek. See Alrek and Eirk for details. In the Ynglinga saga the mother of the Swedish kings Alrek and Eirk is named Skjlf, which might also be an eponym for Skilfing. Returning to the ttartolur, there Eirk the Eloquent is father of Alrek, father of Vkar (Vkarr), father of Vatnar. This Vkar is the famous Vkar, king of Hrdaland, who was sacrificed to Odin by Starkad. The chain of descent from Alrek to Vkar to Vatnar is also found in Hlfs saga ok Hlfsrekka ('The saga of Hlf and his heroes'). However Gautreks saga gives an entirely different ancestry and different descendants to Vkar. See Vkar for details. This genealogy may have been based on attempts to ascribe a Norwegian origin to both Swedish Scylfings and Danish Skjldungs and also be related to Saxo's account of the Norwegian Ericus desertus. If so, as it stands, it has been edited to remove material that would obviously conflict with the standard genealogies of the Skjldungs and Ynglings which also appear in the ttartolur.

Variant spellings
Other anglicized spellings: Eirk: Eirik ; Eirk the Eloquent: Eirik the Eloquent, Eirkr the Wise in Speech ; Halfdan the Old: Hlfdan the Old ; Skjld: Skjold, Skiold, Scyld ; Starkad: Starkath ; Vkar: Vikar ; Vrs: Vor.

References
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] http:/ / www. northvegr. org/ lore/ heim/ 001_07. php http:/ / www. northvegr. org/ lore/ saxo/ 008_01. php http:/ / www. hi. is/ ~eybjorn/ ugm/ skindex/ yt. html http:/ / www. sacred-texts. com/ neu/ heim/ 02ynglga. htm http:/ / www. sacred-texts. com/ neu/ poe/ poe15. htm

Article Sources and Contributors

Article Sources and Contributors

Yngling Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=571137681 Contributors: Againme, Altenmann, Andreasxxx, Audaciter, Berig, BodvarBjarki, Bonio, Breno, CLW, Cavidaga, Charles Matthews, Cmdrjameson, Cordless Larry, Darsie, Deanlaw, Denhulde, DopefishJustin, Egil, Fredrik, Fumblebruschi, Gaius Cornelius, George Ponderevo, Ghirlandajo, Gongshow, Hemlock Martinis, Holt, Inge, Isse, Jvhertum, Kallerdis, Kenneth Alan, Leifern, Nol Aders, Nora lives, PatGallacher, Pieter Kuiper, RandomCritic, Rich Farmbrough, Safetidhehyria, Sigo, Susvolans, TallNapoleon, The Man in Question, Victoriaearle, Wiglaf, 16 anonymous edits

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