In the Skjöldunga saga and the Ynglinga saga, Odin came from Asia (Scythia) and conquered Northern Europe. He gave Sweden to his son Yngvi and Denmark to his son Skjöldr. Since then the kings of Sweden were called Ynglings and those of Denmark Skjöldungs.
Scyld Scefing is the legendary ancestor of the Danish royal lineage known as the Scyldings. He is the counterpart of the Skioldus or Skjöldr of Danish and Icelandic sources.
He appears in the opening lines of Beowulf, where he is referred to as Scyld Scefing, implying he is a descendant of Sceafa, Scyld son of Scef, or Scyld of the Sheaf. The Beowulf poet places him in a boat which is seen in other stories about Scef as a child in a boat:
Scyld the Sheaf-Child from scourging foemen, From raiders a-many their mead-halls wrested. He lives to be feared, the first has a waif, Puny and frail he was found on the shore. He grew to be great, and was girt with power Till the border-tribes all obeyed his rule, And sea-folk hardy that sit by the whale-path Gave him tribute, a good king was he.[1]
After relating in general terms the glories of Scyld's reign, the poet describes Scyld's funeral, his body was laid in a ship surrounded by treasures:
They decked his body no less bountifully with offerings than those first ones did who cast him away when he was a child and launched him alone out over the waves.
In Beowulf 33, Scyld's ship is called īsig, literally, "icy." The meaning of this epithet has been discussed many times. Anatoly Liberman gives a full survey of the literature and suggests that the word meant "shining."[2]
William of Malmesbury's 12th century Chronicle tells the story of Sceafa as a sleeping child in a boat without oars with a sheaf of corn at his head.[3]
Olrik (1910) suggested Peko, a parallel "barley-figure" in Finnish, in turn connected by Fulk (1989) with Eddaic Bergelmir.[4]
References
^ McCallum, James Dow (1929). The Beginnings to 1500. New York, NY: Charles Scribner's Sons. p. 1.
^Liberman, Anatoly (2016). In Prayer and Laughter. Essays on Medieval Scandinavian and Germanic Mythology, Literature, and Culture. Paleograph Press. pp. 270–278. ISBN9785895260272.
^Owen-Crocker, Gale R. (2000). The Four Funerals in Beowulf. Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press.
^Fulk, R.D. (1989). "An eddic analogue to the scyld Scefing story". The Review of English Studies (159): 313–322. doi:10.1093/res/XL.159.313.
Davidson, Hilda Ellis, ed. (1999) [1979-1980 (first pub.)]. Saxo Grammaticus: The History of the Danes: Books I-IX. Translated by Fisher, Peter. Bury St Edmunds: St Edmundsbury Press. ISBN0-85991-502-6.
The Nine Books of the Danish History of Saxo Grammaticus. Translated by Elton, Oliver. New York, NY: Norroena Society. 1905.
Olrik, J.; Ræder, H. (1931). Saxo Grammaticus: Gesta Danorum.
skjöldr, latinized, skioldus, sometimes, anglicized, skjold, skiold, among, first, legendary, danish, kings, mentioned, prose, edda, ynglinga, saga, chronicon, lethrense, sven, aggesen, history, arngrímur, jónsson, latin, abstract, lost, skjöldunga, saga, saxo. Skjoldr Latinized as Skioldus sometimes Anglicized as Skjold or Skiold was among the first legendary Danish kings He is mentioned in the Prose Edda in Ynglinga saga in Chronicon Lethrense in Sven Aggesen s history in Arngrimur Jonsson s Latin abstract of the lost Skjoldunga saga and in Saxo Grammaticus Gesta Danorum Under the name Scyld he also appears in the Old English poem Beowulf The various accounts have little in common SkjoldrKing of the DanesPredecessorOdinSuccessorGramConsortAlfhildIssueGramHouseScyldingFatherOdinReligionGermanic paganismIn the Skjoldunga saga and the Ynglinga saga Odin came from Asia Scythia and conquered Northern Europe He gave Sweden to his son Yngvi and Denmark to his son Skjoldr Since then the kings of Sweden were called Ynglings and those of Denmark Skjoldungs Scyld Scefing is the legendary ancestor of the Danish royal lineage known as the Scyldings He is the counterpart of the Skioldus or Skjoldr of Danish and Icelandic sources He appears in the opening lines of Beowulf where he is referred to as Scyld Scefing implying he is a descendant of Sceafa Scyld son of Scef or Scyld of the Sheaf The Beowulf poet places him in a boat which is seen in other stories about Scef as a child in a boat Scyld the Sheaf Child from scourging foemen From raiders a many their mead halls wrested He lives to be feared the first has a waif Puny and frail he was found on the shore He grew to be great and was girt with power Till the border tribes all obeyed his rule And sea folk hardy that sit by the whale path Gave him tribute a good king was he 1 After relating in general terms the glories of Scyld s reign the poet describes Scyld s funeral his body was laid in a ship surrounded by treasures They decked his body no less bountifully with offerings than those first ones did who cast him away when he was a child and launched him alone out over the waves In Beowulf 33 Scyld s ship is called isig literally icy The meaning of this epithet has been discussed many times Anatoly Liberman gives a full survey of the literature and suggests that the word meant shining 2 William of Malmesbury s 12th century Chronicle tells the story of Sceafa as a sleeping child in a boat without oars with a sheaf of corn at his head 3 Olrik 1910 suggested Peko a parallel barley figure in Finnish in turn connected by Fulk 1989 with Eddaic Bergelmir 4 References Edit McCallum James Dow 1929 The Beginnings to 1500 New York NY Charles Scribner s Sons p 1 Liberman Anatoly 2016 In Prayer and Laughter Essays on Medieval Scandinavian and Germanic Mythology Literature and Culture Paleograph Press pp 270 278 ISBN 9785895260272 Owen Crocker Gale R 2000 The Four Funerals inBeowulf Manchester UK Manchester University Press Fulk R D 1989 An eddic analogue to the scyld Scefing story The Review of English Studies 159 313 322 doi 10 1093 res XL 159 313 Davidson Hilda Ellis ed 1999 1979 1980 first pub Saxo Grammaticus The History of the Danes Books I IX Translated by Fisher Peter Bury St Edmunds St Edmundsbury Press ISBN 0 85991 502 6 The Nine Books of the Danish History of Saxo Grammaticus Translated by Elton Oliver New York NY Norroena Society 1905 Olrik J Raeder H 1931 Saxo Grammaticus Gesta Danorum Legendary titlesPreceded byLother King of the Danes Succeeded byGram Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Skjoldr amp oldid 1130852118, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
