Gudrød the Hunter
Encyclopedia
Gudrød the Hunter was a semi-legendary king in Vingulmark
in south-east Norway
, during the early Viking Age
from 804 until 810. He was the father of Halfdan the Black
Gudrödarson, king of Vestfold
, and the grandfather of Harald Fairhair, the first king of Norway.
, king of Romerike
and Vestfold
and Liv Dagsdotter, daughter of King Dag of Vestmar. The date and place of his birth is not known.
Gudrød is mentioned in the skald
ic poem Ynglingatal
. Snorri Sturluson
elaborates on Gudrød's story in Heimskringla
, written c. 1230; however, this is not considered to be a historical account by modern historians. The following account is taken from Heimskringla.
, (Bohuslän
), which was the name of the area between Glomma
and Göta älv
rivers. Gudrød inherited half the province of Vingulmark
. They had a son, Olaf Gudrødsson. When Alfhild died, Gudrød sent his warriors to Agder
and its king, Harald, to propose a marriage with his daughter Åsa Haraldsdottir. However, Harald Granraude
declined, so Gudrød decided to take his daughter by force. They arrived at night. When Harald realised that he was being attacked, he assembled his men and fought well, but died together with his son Gyrd. Gudrød carried away Åsa and married her. He raped her and she gave him a son named Halfdan who would be called Halfdan the Black
.
In the fall, when Halfdan was a year old, Gudrød was having at a feast in Stiflesund. He was very drunk and in the evening, as he was walking on the gangway to leave the ship, an assassin thrust a spear through Gudrød, killing him. Gudrød's men instantly killed the assassin, who turned out to be Åsa's page-boy. Åsa admitted that the page-boy had acted on her behalf. After Gudrød was killed, Åsa took the 1 year-old Halfdan and returned to Agder, where Halfdan was raised.
Vingulmark
Vingulmark is the old name for the area in Norway which today makes up the counties of Østfold, western parts of Akershus , and eastern parts of Buskerud , and includes the site of Norway's capital, Oslo...
in south-east Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, during the early Viking Age
Viking Age
Viking Age is the term for the period in European history, especially Northern European and Scandinavian history, spanning the late 8th to 11th centuries. Scandinavian Vikings explored Europe by its oceans and rivers through trade and warfare. The Vikings also reached Iceland, Greenland,...
from 804 until 810. He was the father of Halfdan the Black
Halfdan the Black
Halfdan the Black was a ninth-century king of Vestfold. He belonged to the House of Yngling and was the father of Harald Fairhair, the first king of Norway.-Biography:...
Gudrödarson, king of Vestfold
Vestfold
is a county in Norway, bordering Buskerud and Telemark. The county administration is in Tønsberg.Vestfold is located west of the Oslofjord, as the name indicates. It includes many smaller, but well-known towns in Norway, such as Larvik, Sandefjord, Tønsberg and Horten. The river Numedalslågen runs...
, and the grandfather of Harald Fairhair, the first king of Norway.
Background
Gudrød was of the House of Yngling. He was the son of Halfdan the MildHalfdan the Mild
Halfdan the Mild was the son of king Eystein Halfdansson, of the House of Yngling and he succeeded his father as king, according to Heimskringla. He was king of Romerike and Vestfold....
, king of Romerike
Romerike
Romerike is a traditional district located north-east of Oslo, in what is today south-eastern Norway. It consists of the Akershus municipalities Fet, Lørenskog, Nittedal, Rælingen, Skedsmo, Sørum and Aurskog-Høland in the southern end , and Ullensaker, Gjerdrum, Nannestad, Nes, Eidsvoll and Hurdal...
and Vestfold
Vestfold
is a county in Norway, bordering Buskerud and Telemark. The county administration is in Tønsberg.Vestfold is located west of the Oslofjord, as the name indicates. It includes many smaller, but well-known towns in Norway, such as Larvik, Sandefjord, Tønsberg and Horten. The river Numedalslågen runs...
and Liv Dagsdotter, daughter of King Dag of Vestmar. The date and place of his birth is not known.
Gudrød is mentioned in the skald
Skald
The skald was a member of a group of poets, whose courtly poetry is associated with the courts of Scandinavian and Icelandic leaders during the Viking Age, who composed and performed renditions of aspects of what we now characterise as Old Norse poetry .The most prevalent metre of skaldic poetry is...
ic poem Ynglingatal
Ynglingatal
Ynglingatal is a skaldic poem listing the kings of the House of Ynglings, dated by most scholars to the late 9th century.The original version is attributed to Þjóðólfr af Hvini who was the skald of a Norwegian petty king named Ragnvald the Mountain-High and who was a cousin of Harald Fairhair...
. Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was twice elected lawspeaker at the Icelandic parliament, the Althing...
elaborates on Gudrød's story in Heimskringla
Heimskringla
Heimskringla is the best known of the Old Norse kings' sagas. It was written in Old Norse in Iceland by the poet and historian Snorri Sturluson ca. 1230...
, written c. 1230; however, this is not considered to be a historical account by modern historians. The following account is taken from Heimskringla.
Biography
Gudrød married Alfhild, a daughter of Alfarin the king of AlfheimÁlfheim
Alfheim is one of the Nine Worlds and home of the Light Elves in Norse mythology and appears also in Anglo-Scottish ballads under the form Elfhame as a fairyland, sometimes modernized as Elfland .-In Old Norse texts:Álfheim as an abode of the Elves is mentioned only twice in Old Norse texts.The...
, (Bohuslän
Bohuslän
' is a Swedish traditional province, or landskap, situated in Götaland on the northernmost part of the country's west coast. It is bordered by Dalsland to the northeast, Västergötland to the southeast, the Skagerrak arm of the North Sea to the west, and the county of Østfold in Norway to the north...
), which was the name of the area between Glomma
Glomma
The Glomma or Glåma is the longest and largest river in Norway. The long river has a drainage basin that covers a full 13% of Norway's area, all in the southern part of Norway.-Geography:...
and Göta älv
Göta älv
The Göta is a river that drains lake Vänern into the Kattegat at the city of Gothenburg on the western coast of Sweden. It is located in Götaland, with the river itself being a site of early Geatish settlement. The length is 93 km. Often the combination of Göta älv and Klarälven is mentioned...
rivers. Gudrød inherited half the province of Vingulmark
Vingulmark
Vingulmark is the old name for the area in Norway which today makes up the counties of Østfold, western parts of Akershus , and eastern parts of Buskerud , and includes the site of Norway's capital, Oslo...
. They had a son, Olaf Gudrødsson. When Alfhild died, Gudrød sent his warriors to Agder
Agder
Agder is a historical district of Norway in the southernmost region of Norway, corresponding to the two counties Vest-Agder and Aust-Agder. Today, the term Sørlandet is more commonly used.-Name:...
and its king, Harald, to propose a marriage with his daughter Åsa Haraldsdottir. However, Harald Granraude
Harald Granraude
Haraldr hinn granrauði was a king of the district Agder, Norway, and lived in the 9th century.He was married to Gunnhild Ragnvaldsdottir, daughter of Ragnvald Sigurdsson, Lord of Huseby on Lista...
declined, so Gudrød decided to take his daughter by force. They arrived at night. When Harald realised that he was being attacked, he assembled his men and fought well, but died together with his son Gyrd. Gudrød carried away Åsa and married her. He raped her and she gave him a son named Halfdan who would be called Halfdan the Black
Halfdan the Black
Halfdan the Black was a ninth-century king of Vestfold. He belonged to the House of Yngling and was the father of Harald Fairhair, the first king of Norway.-Biography:...
.
In the fall, when Halfdan was a year old, Gudrød was having at a feast in Stiflesund. He was very drunk and in the evening, as he was walking on the gangway to leave the ship, an assassin thrust a spear through Gudrød, killing him. Gudrød's men instantly killed the assassin, who turned out to be Åsa's page-boy. Åsa admitted that the page-boy had acted on her behalf. After Gudrød was killed, Åsa took the 1 year-old Halfdan and returned to Agder, where Halfdan was raised.
Other sources
- Krag, C. Ynglingatal og Ynglingesaga: en studie i historiske kilder (Oslo 1991)
- Salvesen, A., transl. Norges historie; Historia Norvegiae (Oslo 1978)