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121-610: Starkad appears in numerous accounts, and the stories of his adventures relate to different Scandinavian traditions. He is most fully treated in Gesta Danorum but he also appears in Icelandic sources. He is portrayed as a great warrior who performed many heroic deeds but also many crimes. A cognate of the Starkad legends can be found in the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf . In Beowulf ,

242-416: A cauldron large enough to brew ale for them all. They arrive, and Týr sees his nine-hundred-headed grandmother and his gold-clad mother, the latter of which welcomes them with a horn. After Hymir —who is not happy to see Thor—comes in from the cold outdoors, Týr 's mother helps them find a properly strong cauldron. Thor eats a big meal of two oxen (all the rest eat but one), and then goes to sleep. In

363-505: A Saxone Grammatico natione Zialandico necnon Roskildensis ecclesiae praeposito, abhinc supra trecentos annos conscriptae et nunc primum literaria serie illustratae tersissimeque impressae. English language: Histories of the Kings and heroes of the Danes, composed in elegant style by Saxo Grammaticus, a Zealander and also provost of the church of Roskilde , over three hundred years ago, and now for

484-580: A banquet that Ingild had with the sons of Swerting, his father's slayer. Starkad strongly admonished Ingild and humiliated his queen who tried to calm Starkad with kindness and her costly ribbon. Starkad succeeded in exciting Ingild to kill Swerting's sons and to divorce his Saxon bride. During the Battle of the Brávellir between the Swedish king Sigurd Hring and Harald Wartooth (Haraldus Hyldetan), Starkad fought on

605-418: A boat, out at sea. Hymir catches a few whales at once, and Thor baits his line with the head of the ox. Thor casts his line and the monstrous serpent Jörmungandr bites. Thor pulls the serpent on board, and violently slams him in the head with his hammer. Jörmungandr shrieks, and a noisy commotion is heard from underwater before another lacuna appears in the manuscript. After the second lacuna, Hymir

726-550: A bridal head-dress, and the necklace Brísingamen . Thor rejects the idea, yet Loki interjects that this will be the only way to get back Mjölnir . Loki points out that, without Mjölnir , the jötnar will be able to invade and settle in Asgard . The gods dress Thor as a bride, and Loki states that he will go with Thor as his maid, and that the two shall drive to Jötunheimr together. After riding together in Thor's goat-driven chariot ,

847-768: A few generations after the deaths of Alrek and Eirík. The Swedish king Aun was not a warlike king and had been chased away from his kingdom by Halfdan . When Halfdan had died, Aun returned to Uppsala to rule his old kingdom. After having sacrificed one of his sons to Odin, the god let him live for another sixty years. However, when twenty-five years had passed, a Danish prince named Áli the Bold appeared and chased Aun to exile in Götaland . Áli ruled for twenty-five years until Starkad appeared and killed him. Then Aun could return to his kingdom and ruled it for another period of twenty-five years. The Sögubrot deals with events taking place in

968-440: A finger. The battle ended with Swedish victory. In Norna-Gests þáttr , the account of Starkad takes place not long after the victory at the Battle of the Brávellir . The account deals with a meeting between Starkad and the hero Sigurd Dragonslayer. The old Norna-Gest told that during the time when he was with Sigurd Dragonslayer, the Swedish king Sigurd Hring demanded tribute from Sigurd and his people. When Sigurd refused,

1089-509: A grandson of a Danish king, whose father was murdered by his uncle, the governor of Jylland . Amleth pretends to be a fool in fear of his uncle who has married his mother. Deals with Amleth securing his place as the king of the Danes, and return to Britain where he ends up marrying a Britanian princess, whose father plots the demise of Amleth, and the queen of Scotland who is famous for murdering all her suitors. Focused on empire-building of Frotho III and his brilliant Norwegian advisor, Erick

1210-486: A mother whose name is not recorded, he fathered Móði , and he is the stepfather of the god Ullr . Thor is the son of Odin and Jörð , by way of his father Odin, he has numerous brothers , including Baldr . Thor has two servants, Þjálfi and Röskva , rides in a cart or chariot pulled by two goats, Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr (whom he eats and resurrects), and is ascribed three dwellings ( Bilskirnir , Þrúðheimr , and Þrúðvangr ). Thor wields

1331-473: A poem about this battle that would serve as a source for the sagas. When the battle had begun, a formidable champion named Ubbi of Friesland charged against Ragnvald the Good Councilor the foremost champion in the wedge formation of king Sigurd. After a fierce fight, Ragnvald died and Ubbi pushed on killing champion after champion. When king Sigurd Hring saw this he encouraged his warriors and said that it

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1452-447: A rage, causing all of the halls of the Æsir to tremble in her anger, and her necklace, the famed Brísingamen , falls from her. Freyja pointedly refuses. As a result, the gods and goddesses meet and hold a thing to discuss and debate the matter. At the thing, the god Heimdallr puts forth the suggestion that, in place of Freyja , Thor should be dressed as the bride, complete with jewels, women's clothing down to his knees,

1573-411: A ride from him. The ferryman, shouting from the inlet, is immediately rude and obnoxious to Thor and refuses to ferry him. At first, Thor holds his tongue, but Hárbarðr only becomes more aggressive, and the poem soon becomes a flyting match between Thor and Hárbarðr , all the while revealing lore about the two, including Thor's killing of several jötnar in "the east" and women on Hlesey (now

1694-573: A single time in Västergötland ( VG 150 ), Sweden. A fifth appearance may possibly occur on a runestone found in Södermanland , Sweden ( Sö 140 ), but the reading is contested. Pictorial representations of Thor's hammer appear on a total of five runestones found in Denmark ( DR 26 and DR 120 ) and in the Swedish counties of Västergötland ( VG 113 ) and Södermanland ( Sö 86 and Sö 111 ). It

1815-414: A sitting man, and the man lying down often barks out lies." Loki states that it was indeed an effort, and also a success, for he has discovered that Þrymr has the hammer, but that it cannot be retrieved unless Freyja is brought to Þrymr as his wife. The two return to Freyja and tell her to put on a bridal head dress, as they will drive her to Jötunheimr . Freyja , indignant and angry, goes into

1936-531: A spear which Odin promised would appear to be only a reed-stalk. So Vikar met his death. After Vikar's death, Starkad fled to Sweden and the kings Alrek and Eirík at Uppsala . Starkad served them first as a companion on their viking expeditions and then, after Alrek and Eirík had settled down, he went on further Viking expeditions alone. Starkad is said to have composed poems himself which appear in Gautrek's saga . Thor's hate of Starkad because of his jotun origins

2057-557: A statue of Thor, who Adam describes as "mightiest", sits in the Temple at Uppsala in the center of a triple throne (flanked by Woden and "Fricco") located in Gamla Uppsala , Sweden . Adam details that "Thor, they reckon, rules the sky; he governs thunder and lightning, winds and storms, fine weather and fertility" and that "Thor, with his mace, looks like Jupiter". Adam details that the people of Uppsala had appointed priests to each of

2178-711: A stick bearing a runic message found among the Bryggen inscriptions in Bergen , Norway . On the stick, both Thor and Odin are called upon for help; Thor is asked to "receive" the reader, and Odin to "own" them. In the Poetic Edda , compiled during the 13th century from traditional source material reaching into the pagan period, Thor appears (or is mentioned) in the poems Völuspá , Grímnismál , Skírnismál , Hárbarðsljóð , Hymiskviða , Lokasenna , Þrymskviða , Alvíssmál , and Hyndluljóð . In

2299-563: A very brief period of mourning, Fengi marries Geruth, and declares himself sole leader of Jutland. Eventually, Amleth avenges his father's murder and plans the murder of his uncle, making him the new and rightful King of Jutland. However, while Hamlet dies in Shakespeare's version just after his uncle's death, in Saxo's version Amleth survives and begins ruling his kingdom, going on to other adventures. Thor Thor (from Old Norse : Þórr )

2420-532: Is cognate with Old High German Donarestag . All of these terms derive from a Late Proto-Germanic weekday name along the lines of * Þunaresdagaz ('Day of * Þun(a)raz '), a calque of Latin Iovis dies ('Day of Jove '; cf. modern Italian giovedì , French jeudi , Spanish jueves ). By employing a practice known as interpretatio germanica during the Roman period , ancient Germanic peoples adopted

2541-734: Is a prominent god in Germanic paganism . In Norse mythology , he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning , thunder , storms , sacred groves and trees , strength , the protection of humankind, hallowing , and fertility . Besides Old Norse Þórr , the deity occurs in Old English as Thunor , in Old Frisian as Thuner , in Old Saxon as Thunar , and in Old High German as Donar , all ultimately stemming from

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2662-461: Is also in this summary that the name Gesta Danorum is found. The title Saxo himself used for his work is unknown. Christiern Pedersen finally found a copy in the collection of Archbishop Birger Gunnersen of Lund , Skåne (Skåne is now part of Sweden , but at the time was still part of Denmark), which he gladly lent him. With the help of printer Jodocus Badius , Gesta Danorum was refined and printed. The first printed press publication and

2783-641: Is also seen on runestone DR 48 . The design is believed to be a heathen response to Christian runestones, which often have a cross at the centre. One of the stones, Sö 86 , shows a face or mask above the hammer. Anders Hultgård has argued that this is the face of Thor. At least three stones depict Thor fishing for the serpent Jörmungandr : the Hørdum stone in Thy , Denmark, the Altuna Runestone in Altuna , Sweden and

2904-403: Is because " Freyja " has not slept for eight nights in her eagerness. The "wretched sister" of the jötnar appears, asks for a bridal gift from " Freyja ", and the jötnar bring out Mjölnir to "sanctify the bride", to lay it on her lap, and marry the two by "the hand" of the goddess Vár . Thor laughs internally when he sees the hammer, takes hold of it, strikes Þrymr , beats all of

3025-572: Is described as red-bearded, but there is no evidence for a red beard in the Eddas. The name of the æsir is explained as "men from Asia ", Asgard being the "Asian city" (i.e., Troy). Alternatively, Troy is in Tyrkland (Turkey, i.e., Asia Minor), and Asialand is Scythia , where Thor founded a new city named Asgard. Odin is a remote descendant of Thor, removed by twelve generations, who led an expedition across Germany, Denmark and Sweden to Norway. In

3146-485: Is found. The Danish chronicler Saxo Grammaticus wrote that Starkad was the son of Stórvirkr (Storwerk/Storuerkus) and saved himself from a shipwreck . He entered the service of the Danish king Frotho and was given a ship so that he could patrol the shores. No man was Starkad's equal as he was endowed with a superhuman size and a noble disposition. Saxo Grammaticus gives two accounts of Starkad's origin. According to one, he

3267-489: Is frequently referred to in place names, the day of the week Thursday bears his name (modern English Thursday derives from Old English thunresdaeġ , 'Thunor's day'), and names stemming from the pagan period containing his own continue to be used today, particularly in Scandinavia. Thor has inspired numerous works of art and references to Thor appear in modern popular culture. Like other Germanic deities, veneration of Thor

3388-407: Is gone. Þrymr says that he has hidden Mjölnir eight leagues beneath the earth, from which it will be retrieved, but only if Freyja is brought to him as his wife. Loki flies off, the feather cloak whistling, away from Jötunheimr and back to the court of the gods. Thor asks Loki if his efforts were successful, and that Loki should tell him while he is still in the air as "tales often escape

3509-516: Is mentioned in Skáldskaparmál , where there is a lausavísa by Vetrliði Sumarliðason praising Thor for having killed giants and giantesses, and for having defeated Starkad: However, it could also be a reference to Starkad's grandfather, Starkad Ala-Warrior, whom Thor killed for having kidnapped Álfhildr, the princess of Alfheim. In the Ynglinga saga , Snorri Sturluson tells what happened

3630-598: Is revived in the modern period in Heathenry . The name Thor is derived from Norse mythology. Its medieval Germanic equivalents or cognates are Donar ( Old High German ), Þunor ( Old English ), Thuner ( Old Frisian ), Thunar ( Old Saxon ), and Þórr ( Old Norse ), the latter of which inspired the form Thor . Though Old Norse Þórr has only one syllable, it too comes from an earlier, Proto-Norse two-syllable form which can be reconstructed as * Þunarr and/or * Þunurr (evidenced by

3751-577: Is sitting in the boat, unhappy and totally silent, as they row back to shore. On shore, Hymir suggests that Thor should help him carry a whale back to his farm. Thor picks both the boat and the whales up, and carries it all back to Hymir 's farm. After Thor successfully smashes a crystal goblet by throwing it at Hymir 's head on Týr 's mother's suggestion, Thor and Týr are given the cauldron. Týr cannot lift it, but Thor manages to roll it, and so with it they leave. Some distance from Hymir 's home, an army of many-headed beings led by Hymir attacks

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3872-420: Is so angry, and comments that Thor will not be so daring to fight "the wolf" ( Fenrir ) when it eats Odin (a reference to the foretold events of Ragnarök ). Thor again tells him to be silent, and threatens to throw him into the sky, where he will never be seen again. Loki says that Thor should not brag of his time in the east, as he once crouched in fear in the thumb of a glove (a story involving deception by

3993-477: Is the most ambitious literary undertaking of medieval Denmark and is an essential source for the nation's early history. It is also one of the oldest known written documents about the history of Estonia and Latvia . Consisting of sixteen books written in Latin on the invitation of Archbishop Absalon , Gesta Danorum describes Danish history and to some degree Scandinavian history in general, from prehistory to

4114-607: The Prose Edda euhemerises Thor as a prince of Troy , and the son of Menon by Troana, a daughter of Priam . Thor, also known as Tror , is said to have married the prophetess Sibyl (identified with Sif ). Thor is further said here to have been raised in Thrace by a chieftain named Lorikus , whom he later slew to assume the title of "King of Thrace", to have had a pale complexion and hair "fairer than gold", and to have been strong enough to lift ten bearskins. In later sagas he

4235-520: The Canterbury Charm from Canterbury , England , calls upon Thor to heal a wound by banishing a thurs . The second, the Kvinneby amulet , invokes protection by both Thor and his hammer. On four (or possibly five) runestones , an invocation to Thor appears that reads "May Thor hallow (these runes /this monument)!" The invocation appears thrice in Denmark ( DR 110 , DR 209 , and DR 220 ), and

4356-522: The Gosforth Cross in Gosforth , England. Sune Lindqvist argued in the 1930s that the image stone Ardre VIII on Gotland depicts two scenes from the story: Thor ripping the head of Hymir's ox and Thor and Hymir in the boat, but this has been disputed. In the 12th century, more than a century after Norway was "officially" Christianized, Thor was still being invoked by the population, as evidenced by

4477-529: The Prose Edda , Thor is mentioned in all four books; Prologue , Gylfaginning , Skáldskaparmál , and Háttatal . In Heimskringla , composed in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson , Thor or statues of Thor are mentioned in Ynglinga saga , Hákonar saga góða , Ólafs saga Tryggvasonar , and Óláfs saga helga . In Ynglinga saga chapter 5, a heavily euhemerized account of

4598-774: The Proto-Germanic theonym * Þun(a)raz , meaning 'Thunder'. Thor is a prominently mentioned god throughout the recorded history of the Germanic peoples , from the Roman occupation of regions of Germania , to the Germanic expansions of the Migration Period , to his high popularity during the Viking Age , when, in the face of the process of the Christianization of Scandinavia , emblems of his hammer, Mjölnir , were worn and Norse pagan personal names containing

4719-522: The Royal Danish Navy . In The Fionavar Tapestry trilogy by the Canadian author Guy Gavriel Kay , the fortress of Starkadh is the stronghold of the evil god Rakoth Maugrim. In The Settlers (novel) by Vilhelm Moberg , the main protagonists names the first ox he buys after emigrating to North America Starkodder. Starkad (or "Starkadder") is the central figure in a trilogy of fantasy novels by

4840-561: The Saxon wars against Charlemagne , voyages to Biarmia , and the death of Starkad. The book deals with Ragnar Lothbrok and his rising empire, he appoints many of his sons to govern parts of his empire all the way from Scotland to Scythia . Kings of the Danes are in bold and marked with an asterisk (*). Kings of the Swedes are marked with a dagger (†). Name spellings are derived from Oliver Elton 's 1905 translation, The First Nine Books of

4961-399: The Temple at Uppsala ) nauseated Starkad. He then enlisted with the Danish king Haki (Haco), and fought for him during the attack on king Hugleik (Hugletus) of Ireland . Hugleik wasted his riches on actors and jugglers, but was defended by Svipdag (Suibdagus) and Geigad (Gegathus), who gave Starkad the most vicious wound he had ever received. After winning the battle, Starkad had all

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5082-411: The jötnar , kills their "older sister", and so gets his hammer back. In the poem Alvíssmál , Thor tricks a dwarf , Alvíss , to his doom upon finding that he seeks to wed his daughter (unnamed, possibly Þrúðr ). As the poem starts, Thor meets a dwarf who talks about getting married. Thor finds the dwarf repulsive and, apparently, realizes that the bride is his daughter. Thor comments that

5203-475: The 12th century, folk traditions and iconography of the Christianizing king Olaf II of Norway (Saint Olaf; c. 995 – 1030) absorbed elements of both Thor and Freyr. After Olaf's death, his cult had spread quickly all over Scandinavia, where many churches were dedicated to him, as well as to other parts of Northern Europe. His cult distinctively mixed both ecclesiastical and folk elements. From Thor, he inherited

5324-572: The 22 years between the last event described in the last book (Book 16) and the 1208 event described in the preface. The original manuscripts of the work are lost, except for four fragments: the Angers Fragment , Lassen Fragment , Kall-Rasmussen Fragment and Plesner Fragment . The Angers Fragment is the biggest fragment, and the only one attested to be in Saxo 's own handwriting. The other ones are copies from c.  1275 . All four fragments are in

5445-525: The 8th century, a long time after Starkad killed Áli the Bold . When the Swedish king Sigurd Hring prepared for the Battle of the Brávellir against the Danish Harald Wartooth , a much later king Áli the Bold appeared with seven other kings to help him in the battle. These kings were accompanied by a great many champions, and among them Starkad the Old, the son of Stórverkr. Starkad would later compose

5566-503: The Danish History of Saxo Grammaticus , via Wikisource . When exactly Gesta Danorum was written is the subject of numerous works; however, it is generally agreed that Gesta Danorum was not finished before 1208. The last event described in the last book (Book 16) is King Canute VI of Denmark subduing Pomerania under Duke Bogislaw I , in 1186. However the preface of the work, dedicated to Archbishop Anders Sunesen , mentions

5687-455: The Danish army, killing man after man, until he met the shieldmaiden Ursina who carried the banner of king Harald Wartooth. She told him that he had met his last opponent, but he cut off the hand that held the banner and killed her. Starkad continued killing warrior after warrior, until he finally was so severely wounded that he had a large gash on his neck and a large gash on his chest that made his two lungs hang out. On his right hand, he had lost

5808-469: The Danish conquest of the areas north of the Elbe in 1208. Book 14, comprising nearly one-quarter of the text of the entire work, ends with Absalon 's appointment to archbishop in 1178. Since this book is so large and Absalon has greater importance than King Valdemar I , this book may have been written first and comprised a work on its own. It is possible that Saxo then enlarged it with Books 15 and 16, telling

5929-495: The Danish island of Læsø ). In the end, Thor ends up walking instead. Thor is again the main character in the poem Hymiskviða , where, after the gods have been hunting and have eaten their prey, they have an urge to drink. They "sh[ake] the twigs" and interpret what they say. The gods decide that they would find suitable cauldrons at Ægir 's home. Thor arrives at Ægir 's home and finds him to be cheerful, looks into his eyes, and tells him that he must prepare feasts for

6050-628: The Eloquent . Ultimately Frotho ends up ruling over Britain, Scandinavia, the Slavs, and the Huns. Saxo makes many parallels to Augustus . Follows the adventurers of the legendary hero, Starkad who is disappointed in the decadent ways of Frothi III's descendants. Is a collection of short and unrelated love stories, many of these ventures feature shieldmaidens . Covers the famous Battle of Brávellir , between Harald Wartooth and Sigurd Ring . Danish involvement in

6171-563: The Germanic peoples were recorded by the Romans, and in these works Thor is frequently referred to – via a process known as interpretatio romana (where characteristics perceived to be similar by Romans result in identification of a non-Roman god as a Roman deity) – as either the Roman god Jupiter (also known as Jove ) or the Greco-Roman god Hercules . The first clear example of this occurs in

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6292-532: The Latin weekly calendar and replaced the names of Roman gods with their own. Beginning in the Viking Age , personal names containing the theonym Þórr are recorded with great frequency, whereas no examples are known prior to this period. Þórr -based names may have flourished during the Viking Age as a defiant response to attempts at Christianization, similar to the widespread Viking Age practice of wearing Thor's hammer pendants. The earliest records of

6413-494: The Norwegian petty king Vikar (Wicarus). Starkad had joined a Viking expedition with Vikar, but they found themselves stopped by a strong wind. They then had the idea that they could appease the gods by performing a blót with human blood, and decided to cast lots as to whom was to be sacrificed. Starkad made a noose of willow and put it around the king's neck in the pretense that it was only for show and not for killing. However,

6534-639: The Old . The last three books (14–16), which describe Danish conquests on the south shore of the Baltic Sea and wars against Slavic peoples (the Northern Crusades ), are very valuable for the history of West Slavic tribes ( Polabian Slavs , Pomeranians ) and Slavic paganism . Book 14 contains a unique description of the temple on the island of Rügen . The first book is mostly Saxo's original work, sharing little with other primary works, but taking some inspiration from Ancient Greek epics. It very briefly covers

6655-454: The Roman historian Tacitus 's late first-century work Germania , where, writing about the religion of the Suebi (a confederation of Germanic peoples ), he comments that "among the gods Mercury is the one they principally worship. They regard it as a religious duty to offer to him, on fixed days, human as well as other sacrificial victims. Hercules and Mars they appease by animal offerings of

6776-611: The Science Fiction novel "Ensign Flandry" by the Danish American writer Poul Anderson takes place on a planet named "Starkad". Anderson also included a short story about the meeting of Nornagest and Starkad in his book The Boat of a Million Years , in which both Nornagest and Starkad are part of a small group of humans who were born with an exceedingly rare genetic condition that makes them immortal. The modern Danish name, Stærkodder has been used for an ironclad warship in

6897-463: The Swedish side. He received such a severe wound that his lung hung out, his skull was cleft and a finger was cut off. He had to leave the battle to tend to his wounds. Starkad was accepted with honour in the warband of the Norwegian hero Olo . However, when Olo had succeeded in conquering Zealand , Starkad was convinced to join Lennius/Lenus/Lennus scheme to attack and kill Olo. However, Olo

7018-780: The Vedic weather-god Parjanya is also called stanayitnú- ('Thunderer'). The potentially perfect match between the thunder-gods * Tonaros and * Þunaraz , which both go back to a common form * ton(a)ros ~ * tṇros , is notable in the context of early Celtic–Germanic linguistic contacts, especially when added to other inherited terms with thunder attributes, such as * Meldunjaz –* meldo- (from * meldh - 'lightning, hammer', i.e. * Perk unos ' weapon) and * Fergunja –* Fercunyā (from * perk un-iyā 'wooded mountains', i.e. *Perk unos' realm). The English weekday name Thursday comes from Old English Þunresdæg , meaning 'day of Þunor', with influence from Old Norse Þórsdagr . The name

7139-666: The account given in Gesta Danorum below). Sophus Bugge derived the name Starkaðr from originally meaning "the strong Heaðobard". The first element is the Norse stark -. A version of the legend of Starkad can be found in the prologue of the U-version of Hervarar saga , and in a shortened form in the H-version of the Hauksbók . In this version a Starkad Ala-Warrior lived in northern Norway at

7260-504: The adventure concerns the loss of Denmark to the Swedes as well as Hading's attempts to reclaim it with the help of giants and Odin. The book concludes with Hading's suicide after hearing of his friend's death. Follows adventures of Hading's descendants, who perform cunning raids across the Baltic Sea and far as England, while encountering many supernatural events and being forced to solve disputes via single combat . Introduces Amleth as

7381-595: The author Bernard King, which draw heavily from traditional Starkad stories and from other aspects of Norse myth and legend. The trilogy comprises the novels "Starkadder" (1985), "Vargr-Moon" (1986), and "Death-Blinder" (1988). Gesta Danorum Gesta Danorum ("Deeds of the Danes ") is a patriotic work of Danish history, by the 12th-century author Saxo Grammaticus ("Saxo the Literate", literally "the Grammarian"). It

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7502-629: The basis for William Shakespeare 's play Hamlet . Saxo's version, told of in Books 3 and 4, is very similar to that of Shakespeare's Hamlet . In Saxo's version, two brothers, Orvendil and Fengi are given the rule over Jutland by King Rørik Slyngebond of the Danes. Soon after, Orvendil marries King Rørik's daughter, Geruth (Gertrude in Hamlet ). Amleth is their first and only child. Fengi becomes resentful of his brother's marriage, and also wants sole leadership of Jutland, so therefore murders Orvendil. After

7623-494: The beast: Benjamin Thorpe translation: Then comes the mighty son of Hlôdyn : (Odin's son goes with the monster to fight); Midgârd 's Veor in his rage will slay the worm. Nine feet will go Fiörgyn's son, bowed by the serpent, who feared no foe. All men will their homes forsake. Henry Adams Bellows translation: Hither there comes the son of Hlothyn, The bright snake gapes to heaven above; ... Against

7744-434: The behavior at odds with his impression of Freyja , and Loki, sitting before Þrymr and appearing as a "very shrewd maid", makes the excuse that " Freyja 's" behaviour is due to her having not consumed anything for eight entire days before arriving due to her eagerness to arrive. Þrymr then lifts " Freyja 's" veil and wants to kiss "her". Terrifying eyes stare back at him, seemingly burning with fire. Loki says that this

7865-498: The blessing of having children and cursed him to commit a crime every lifetime he lived and never to possess real estate. Thor further cursed Starkad never to feel that he had enough property, always to receive dangerous wounds in battle, never to remember his skaldic poems and ever to be hated by commoners. After blessings and curses laid on Starkad alternately by Odin and Thor, Odin asked Starkad to send him King Víkar in payment for Odin's blessings. Starkad agreed and Odin gave Starkad

7986-661: The collection of the Danish Royal Library in Copenhagen , Denmark. The text has, however, survived. In 1510–1512, Christiern Pedersen , a Danish translator working in Paris, searched Denmark high and low for an existing copy of Saxo's works, which by that time was nearly all but lost. By that time most knowledge of Saxo's work came from a summary located in Chronica Jutensis , from around 1342, called Compendium Saxonis . It

8107-569: The dative tanaro and the Gaulish river name Tanarus ), and further related to the Latin epithet Tonans (attached to Jupiter ), via the common Proto-Indo-European root for 'thunder' * (s)tenh₂- . According to scholar Peter Jackson, those theonyms may have emerged as the result of the fossilization of an original epithet (or epiclesis , i.e. invocational name) of the Proto-Indo-European thunder-god * Perk unos , since

8228-471: The duel. Hama contemptuously brought Starkad to his knees with a blow by his fist, but Starkad rose up and cut Hama to death. After a while Frotho was killed through treachery by a Saxon named Swerting (Swertingus). Frotho's son Ingild (Ingellus) lived a wanton life and married one of Swerting's daughters. This angered Starkad so much that he enlisted at the Swedish king Halfdan 's (Haldanus) court instead. However, when he learnt that Helga, Ingild's sister,

8349-559: The event, however, as he is away in the east for unspecified purposes. Towards the end of the poem, the flyting turns to Sif , Thor's wife, whom Loki then claims to have slept with. The god Freyr 's servant Beyla interjects, and says that, since all of the mountains are shaking, she thinks that Thor is on his way home. Beyla adds that Thor will bring peace to the quarrel, to which Loki responds with insults. Thor arrives and tells Loki to be silent, and threatens to rip Loki's head from his body with his hammer. Loki asks Thor why he

8470-403: The feather cloak whistling. In Jötunheimr , the jötunn Þrymr sits on a barrow , plaiting golden collars for his female dogs, and trimming the manes of his horses. Þrymr sees Loki, and asks what could be amiss among the Æsir and the elves ; why is Loki alone in Jötunheimr ? Loki responds that he has bad news for both the elves and the Æsir —that Thor's hammer, Mjölnir ,

8591-416: The feud between the Danes and the Heaðobards was to be ended with the marriage of Ingeld , the son of the fallen Heaðobard king Froda , and Freawaru , the daughter of the Danish king Hroðgar . During the wedding an unnamed old warrior reminded the Heaðobards of their defeat and encouraged them to revenge. That is the origin of Starkad's admonishing speech to the Danish king Ingellus, son of Frotho (see

8712-492: The fight. Starkad agreed, but left Helgi with his bride in order to fight with the nine brothers himself at the moor of Roliung. Starkad killed the nine brothers but had received seventeen wounds himself, and was so seriously wounded that his guts hung out. He refused the care of three lowly passers-by, but accepted the treatment of a peasant's son, and could return to Sweden. As Ingild continued his sinful life and did not do his duty to avenge his father, Starkad appeared during

8833-486: The first time illustrated and printed correctly in a learned compilation. The source of all existing translations and new editions is Christiern Pedersen's Latin Danorum Regum heroumque Historiae . There exist a number of different translations today, some complete, some partial. Gesta Danorum is also translated partially in other English, French and German releases. Certain aspects of Gesta Danorum formed

8954-476: The god Freyr 's messenger, Skírnir , threatens the fair Gerðr , with whom Freyr is smitten, with numerous threats and curses, including that Thor, Freyr , and Odin will be angry with her, and that she risks their "potent wrath". Thor is the main character of Hárbarðsljóð , where, after traveling "from the east", he comes to an inlet where he encounters a ferryman who gives his name as Hárbarðr (Odin, again in disguise), and attempts to hail

9075-543: The god. In relation, Thunor is sometimes used in Old English texts to gloss Jupiter , the god may be referenced in the poem Solomon and Saturn , where the thunder strikes the devil with a "fiery axe", and the Old English expression þunorrād ("thunder ride") may refer to the god's thunderous, goat-led chariot. A 9th-century AD codex from Mainz , Germany, known as the Old Saxon Baptismal Vow , records

9196-451: The goddesses, and Álfhildr took part in it. As she was reddening the horgr (altar) with blood, Starkad kidnapped her. King Álfr called on the god Thor to help him rescue his daughter. Thor granted his wish by killing Starkad and rescuing the girl. Gautreks saga continues the account found in Hervarar saga . It tells among other things the adventures of Starkad, the son of Stórvirkr who

9317-425: The gods is provided, where Thor is described as having been a gothi —a pagan priest—who was given by Odin (who himself is explained away as having been an exceedingly powerful magic-wielding chieftain from the east) a dwelling in the mythical location of Þrúðvangr , in what is now Sweden. The saga narrative adds that numerous names—at the time of the narrative, popularly in use—were derived from Thor . Around

9438-453: The gods, and that the priests were to offer up sacrifices . In Thor's case, he continues, these sacrifices were done when plague or famine threatened. Earlier in the same work, Adam relays that in 1030 an English preacher, Wulfred, was lynched by assembled Germanic pagans for "profaning" a representation of Thor. Two objects with runic inscriptions invoking Thor date from the 11th century, one from England and one from Sweden. The first,

9559-401: The gods. Annoyed, Ægir tells Thor that the gods must first bring to him a suitable cauldron to brew ale in. The gods search but find no such cauldron anywhere. However, Týr tells Thor that he may have a solution; east of Élivágar lives Hymir , and he owns such a deep kettle. So, after Thor secures his goats at Egil 's home, Thor and Týr go to Hymir 's hall in search of

9680-583: The hall, for "I know alone that you do strike", and the poem continues. In the comedic poem Þrymskviða , Thor again plays a central role. In the poem, Thor wakes and finds that his powerful hammer, Mjölnir , is missing. Thor turns to Loki, and tells him that nobody knows that the hammer has been stolen. The two go to the dwelling of the goddess Freyja , and so that he may attempt to find Mjölnir , Thor asks her if he may borrow her feather cloak. Freyja agrees, and says she would lend it to Thor even if it were made of silver or gold, and Loki flies off,

9801-492: The hammer Mjölnir , wears the belt Megingjörð and the iron gloves Járngreipr , and owns the staff Gríðarvölr . Thor's exploits, including his relentless slaughter of his foes and fierce battles with the monstrous serpent Jörmungandr —and their foretold mutual deaths during the events of Ragnarök —are recorded throughout sources for Norse mythology. Into the modern period, Thor continued to be acknowledged in folklore throughout Germanic-speaking Europe . Thor

9922-637: The heath of Roljung to Skåne . According to the Annales Ryenses (late 13th century), it was still possible to see Starkad's sword in the water beneath the bridge of Boilyngh when the water was low. It is likely that Boilyngh is a misspelling of Roljung . Later this spot was located to Rönne river , and in the 16th century, people talked of the Stones of Starkkarl at Vegeholm . The Danish folklorist Axel Olrik and Arthur Stille recorded many recent traditions about Starkad in north-western Skåne. The plot of

10043-653: The jotun Tanna in Byzantium and the Polish champion Wasce/Wilzce. (It is theorized that Polish writer Theodor Narbutt picked the name of the mountain and the villain (Anafial and Wisinnus) to embellish a legend about mount Anafielas , allegedly a place of the afrerlife in Lithuanian pagan mythology). When the Saxons rebelled against Frotho, and challenged him to a duel against Hama, Starkad unexpectedly returned and took Frotho's place in

10164-401: The king of Sweden sent an army to subdue him, led by the sons of Gandalf. In the Swedish army, there was a man who was even bigger and stronger than the sons of Gandalf. The giant man killed both men and horses and nothing could defeat him. Sigurd and Gest approached the huge warrior and asked who he was. He answered that he was Starkad the son of Stórvirkr. When Starkad learnt that Sigurd was

10285-565: The knot was so strong that the king was dying, and Starkad gave him the coup de grace with his sword. Others say that the noose of willow suddenly became so strong that the king was strangled. Starkad joined the Danish Viking Bemon (Bemonus) and they had a tough discipline on their crew, forbidding them alcoholic beverages. During an attack in Russia , they discovered that the Russians had riddled

10406-575: The late 12th century. In addition, Gesta Danorum offers singular reflections on European affairs in the High Middle Ages from a unique Scandinavian perspective, supplementing what has been handed down by historians from Western and Southern Europe. The sixteen books, in prose with an occasional excursion into poetry, can be categorized into two parts: Books 1–9, which deal with Norse mythology and semi-legendary Danish history, and Books 10–16, which deal with medieval history. Book 9 ends with Gorm

10527-558: The magic of Útgarða-Loki , recounted in the Prose Edda book Gylfaginning )—which, he comments, "was hardly like Thor". Thor again tells him to be silent, threatening to break every bone in Loki's body. Loki responds that he intends to live a while yet, and again insults Thor with references to his encounter with Útgarða-Loki . Thor responds with a fourth call to be silent, and threatens to send Loki to Hel . At Thor's final threat, Loki gives in, commenting that only for Thor will he leave

10648-667: The mimes and jugglers flogged, and all the riches looted. Starkad was then sent with the Slavic prince Win (Winus) to quell a rebellion in the East. He fought against Curonians , Sambians , Semigallians , until all the Easterlings had been defeated. By covering his sword with a hide, he also defeated a warlord named Wisin (Wisinnus), who lived at Anafial in Russia, and who could make a weapon blunt only by looking at it. He continued his victories by killing

10769-446: The morning, he awakes and informs Hymir that he wants to go fishing the following evening, and that he will catch plenty of food, but that he needs bait. Hymir tells him to go get some bait from his pasture, which he expects should not be a problem for Thor. Thor goes out, finds Hymir 's best ox, and rips its head off. After a lacuna in the manuscript of the poem, Hymiskviða abruptly picks up again with Thor and Hymir in

10890-513: The name of the god appears upon the Nordendorf fibulae , a piece of jewelry created during the Migration Period and found in Bavaria . The item bears an Elder Futhark inscribed with the name Þonar (i.e. Donar ), the southern Germanic form of Thor's name. Around the second half of the 8th century, Old English texts mention Thunor ( Þunor ), which likely refers to a Saxon version of

11011-526: The name of the god bear witness to his popularity. Narratives featuring Thor are most prominently attested in Old Norse, where Thor appears throughout Norse mythology . In stories recorded in medieval Iceland , Thor bears at least fifteen names , is the husband of the golden-haired goddess Sif and the lover of the jötunn Járnsaxa . With Sif , Thor fathered the goddess (and possible valkyrie ) Þrúðr ; with Járnsaxa , he fathered Magni ; with

11132-593: The name of three Old Saxon gods, UUôden (Old Saxon " Wodan ") , Saxnôte , and Thunaer , by way of their renunciation as demons in a formula to be repeated by Germanic pagans formally converting to Christianity . According to a near-contemporary account, the Christian missionary Saint Boniface felled an oak tree dedicated to "Jove" in the 8th century, the Donar's Oak in the region of Hesse , Germany . The Kentish royal legend , probably 11th-century, contains

11253-444: The old warrior to lie unburied, but showed him respect by making a barrow for him on the heath of Roljung, at the same spot where Starkad's heavy body long ago had made an imprint on a stone. Olaus Magnus' cites the story of Starkad from Gesta Danorum . He disputes Saxo about origin of the hero and informs that Starkad was from the nation of Tavastians , 'Starchaterum Thauestum'. Later medieval traditions locate Starkad's death and

11374-689: The oldest known complete text of Saxo's works is Christiern Pedersen's Latin edition, printed and published by Jodocus Badius in Paris, France, on 15 March 1514 under the title of Danorum Regum heroumque Historiae ("History of the Kings and heroes of the Danes"). The edition features the following colophon : ... impressit in inclyta Parrhisorum academia Iodocus Badius Ascensius Idibus Martiis. MDXIIII. Supputatione Romana. (the Ides of March , 1514). The full front page reads (with abbreviations expanded) in Latin: Danorum Regum heroumque Historiae stilo eleganti

11495-598: The permitted kind" and adds that a portion of the Suebi also venerate " Isis ". In this instance, Tacitus refers to the god Odin as " Mercury ", Thor as "Hercules", and the god Týr as " Mars ", and the identity of the Isis of the Suebi has been debated. In Thor's case, the identification with the god Hercules is likely at least in part due to similarities between Thor's hammer and Hercules' club. In his Annals , Tacitus again refers to

11616-432: The poem Grímnismál , the god Odin, in disguise as Grímnir , and tortured, starved and thirsty, imparts in the young Agnar cosmological lore, including that Thor resides in Þrúðheimr , and that, every day, Thor wades through the rivers Körmt and Örmt , and the two Kerlaugar . There, Grímnir says, Thor sits as judge at the immense cosmological world tree, Yggdrasil . In Skírnismál ,

11737-401: The poem Völuspá , a dead völva recounts the history of the universe and foretells the future to the disguised god Odin, including the death of Thor. Thor, she foretells, will do battle with the great serpent during the immense mythic war waged at Ragnarök , and there he will slay the monstrous snake, yet after he will only be able to take nine steps before succumbing to the venom of

11858-406: The poems Hymiskviða and Þórsdrápa , and modern Elfdalian tųosdag 'Thursday'), through the common Old Norse development of the sequence -unr- to -ór- . All these forms of Thor's name descend from Proto-Germanic , but there is debate as to precisely what form the name took at that early stage. The form * Þunraz has been suggested and has the attraction of clearly containing

11979-463: The pushing throng of warriors, and Ubbi finally fell riddled with arrows from the archers of Telemark . The shieldmaiden Vebiorg took on the Swedish army. First she killed the champion Söti, but then Starkad attacked her. After giving Vebiorg a number of slashes, she cut his mouth so that his chin fell. Starkad had to bite his beard to keep his chin in place. She was killed by Thorkil the Bold. Biting his beard and ignoring his wounds, Starkad charged

12100-573: The question and answer session turns out to be a ploy by Thor, as, although Thor comments that he has truly never seen anyone with more wisdom in their breast, Thor has managed to delay the dwarf enough for the Sun to turn him to stone; "day dawns on you now, dwarf, now sun shines on the hall". In the poem Hyndluljóð , Freyja offers to the jötunn woman Hyndla to blót (sacrifice) to Thor so that she may be protected, and comments that Thor does not care much for jötunn women. The prologue to

12221-412: The rule of the eponymous founder of the Danish nation, Dan, but also his brother Angul , his sons Humble and Lother , and Dan's grandson, Skiold , whose son, Gram is the first Danish king to be given some detail, his reign revolves around conquering Sweden and Finland, only to die in a battle. Most of the book deals with the adventures of Hading , the son of Gram and Finnish princess, Signe . Here

12342-423: The same Sigurd who had killed the dragon Fafnir , he tried to escape. However, Sigurd went after him and dealt a blow with his sword Gramr that ripped two teeth off Starkad's mouth. Sigurd then asked Starkad to go home. When Starkad had left the battle, the sons of Gandalf retired as well, and so Sigurd had won the battle against the Swedes. It is in Gesta Danorum that the most comprehensive treatment of Starkad

12463-457: The same time and slew Hergrim. Ogn did not wish to be Starkad's wife and committed suicide by stabbing herself with a sword. Starkad contented himself by taking everything Hergrim owned, including his son Grimr. Álfhildr was the daughter of king Álfr of Álfheim (modern Bohuslän ) and like the people of Álfheim, she was very beautiful. One autumn, king Álfr performed the Dísablót , a sacrifice to

12584-515: The sequence -unr- , needed to explain the later form Þórr . The form * Þunuraz is suggested by Elfdalian tųosdag ('Thursday') and by a runic inscription from around 700 from Hallbjäns in Sundre, Gotland , which includes the sequence "þunurþurus". Finally, * Þunaraz is attractive because it is identical to the name of the ancient Celtic god Taranus (by metathesis –switch of sounds–of an earlier * Tonaros , attested in

12705-461: The serpent goes Othin's son. In anger smites the warder of earth,— Forth from their homes must all men flee;— Nine paces fares the son of Fjorgyn, And, slain by the serpent, fearless he sinks. Afterwards, says the völva , the sky will turn black before fire engulfs the world, the stars will disappear, flames will dance before the sky, steam will rise, the world will be covered in water and then it will be raised again, green and fertile. In

12826-423: The story of King Valdemar I's last years and King Canute VI's first years. It is believed that Saxo then wrote Books 11, 12, and 13. Svend Aagesen 's history of Denmark, Brevis Historia Regum Dacie (circa 1186), states that Saxo had decided to write about "The king-father and his sons," which would be King Sweyn Estridson , in Books 11, 12, and 13. He would later add the first ten books. This would also explain

12947-444: The story of a villainous reeve of Ecgberht of Kent called Thunor, who is swallowed up by the earth at a place from then on known as þunores hlæwe (Old English 'Thunor's mound'). Gabriel Turville-Petre saw this as an invented origin for the placename demonstrating loss of memory that Thunor had been a god's name. In the 11th century, chronicler Adam of Bremen records in his Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum that

13068-551: The terrain with caltrops to stop the Vikings. However, Starkad and his men donned clogs and so won the battle. When Bemon was dead, Starkad entered the service of the Bjarmians and did many heroic deeds among them. Later, Starkad stayed for seven years in Sweden at Uppsala , with the sons of Frey . However the effeminate jingle of bells, the dancing and the mimes at the sacrifices (see

13189-417: The two, but are killed by the hammer of Thor. Although one of his goats is lame in the leg, the two manage to bring the cauldron back, have plenty of ale, and so, from then on, return to [Týr] Error: {{Lang}}: invalid parameter: |3= ( help ) 's for more every winter. In the poem Lokasenna , the half-god Loki angrily flites with the gods in the sea entity Ægir 's hall. Thor does not attend

13310-535: The two, disguised, arrive in Jötunheimr . Þrymr commands the jötnar in his hall to spread straw on the benches, for Freyja has arrived to be his wife. Þrymr recounts his treasured animals and objects, stating that Freyja was all that he was missing in his wealth. Early in the evening, the disguised Loki and Thor meet with Þrymr and the assembled jötnar . Thor eats and drinks ferociously, consuming entire animals and three casks of mead . Þrymr finds

13431-504: The veneration of "Hercules" by the Germanic peoples; he records a wood beyond the river Weser (in what is now northwestern Germany ) as dedicated to him. A deity known as Hercules Magusanus was venerated in Germania Inferior ; due to the Roman identification of Thor with Hercules, Rudolf Simek has suggested that Magusanus was originally an epithet attached to the Proto-Germanic deity * Þunraz . The first recorded instance of

13552-418: The waterfalls of Alufoss. He descended from the giants known as the þursar ( jotuns ), and his father's name was Storkvid. Starkad was very much a jotun himself and had eight arms, but he was betrothed to a girl named Ogn Elf-burst. One day, when Starkad had gone north across the Élivágar , another giant named Hergrim kidnapped Ogn. Starkad challenged Hergrim to a holmgang , a duel. Starkad used four swords at

13673-457: The wedding agreement was made among the gods while Thor was gone, and that the dwarf must seek his consent. To do so, Thor says, Alvíss must tell him what he wants to know about all of the worlds that the dwarf has visited. In a long question and answer session, Alvíss does exactly that; he describes natural features as they are known in the languages of various races of beings in the world, and gives an amount of cosmological lore. However,

13794-468: Was about to marry a lowly goldsmith , Starkad appeared in disguise and castrated the goldsmith. He gave Helga a slap on her face and lambasted her. Then he returned to Sweden and king Halfdan. Ingild gave Helga to a Norwegian named Helgi (Helgo), on the condition that he fight nine brothers from Zealand who courted her, and among whom the eldest was named Angantyr (Angaterus). Helgi went to Sweden's most famous city Uppsala and asked Starkad to help him in

13915-408: Was born in the land of Estonians east of the Baltic Sea . According to the second, which the chronicler considers fantastic and unlikely, Starkad was born of jotuns, and he had formerly many arms until Thor cut off all arms but two. Odin had bestowed on Starkad the curse and the blessing that he would live the lives of three men, and commit three evil deeds. His first evil deed was the murder of

14036-615: Was hard to kill as his gaze scared everyone. It was not until Starkad managed to cover Olo's face that he could kill him. Starkad was rewarded with 120 pounds in gold, but regretted his crime, and avenged Olo's death by killing Lennius. When Starkad was so old that he wished to die and his eyesight was bad, he hung his gold around his neck and went out to wander. He killed a man who wanted one of his swords and some riders who were contracted to kill Starkad by Hather (Hatherus), Lennius' son. In front of Hather, Starkad sung about his accomplishments, and as Hather's response showed Starkad that Hather

14157-494: Was not possible that no one could defeat Ubbi. He then asked "where is Starkad?". The old warrior answered "it is difficult to win sire. However, I will do my best and do what I can, but Ubbi is a tough fighter". Starkad engaged with Ubbi and a fight began that was long and the most fierce of the entire battle. Eventually, Starkad gave Ubbi a single wound, but Starkad had received six big ones, and thought that no one had been closer to kill him before. The two champions were separated by

14278-417: Was of noble birth, Starkad asked him to be his slayer. Starkad promised Hather all his gold and imperviousness, should Hather cut off his head and run between the head and the body as he fell. Hather cut off Starkad's head but avoided running, as he feared being crushed by Starkad's huge body. When the head had hit the ground, it bit a tussock of grass which showed how ferocious Starkad was. Hather did not want

14399-482: Was put off till the next day. Then Grani Horsehair, Starkad's foster father, took Starkad to a secret council of the gods and revealed himself to be Odin . Odin bestowed on Starkad the blessings of living three lifetimes, of possessing the most excellent of weapons, an abundance of riches, victory in battle, the gift of poetry and always to be held in the highest esteem among the rich and powerful. Thor , however, who hated Starkad because of his jotun origin, denied Starkad

14520-481: Was the son of Starkad Ala-warrior, whom Thor had killed. It tells that young Starkad was raised at the court of Harald, the king of Agder , together with Harald's son Vikar . One day, Herþjófr, the king of Hordaland , made a raid and killed king Harald. He also took Vikar hostage to ensure the loyalty of the people of Agder. When Vikar had grown up, he assembled a warband, including Starkad and avenged his father by killing Herþjófr with thirty of his warriors. Vikar

14641-522: Was then king of Agder, Hordaland , and Hardanger . Starkad took part in Víkar's many battles for the hegemony of the petty kingdoms of southern Norway, one of the battles where Battle at Lake Vænir and he was Víkar's greatest warrior. After all these victories, when sailing north from Agdir to Hördaland with a large army, Víkar was becalmed. Divination showed Odin required a sacrifice of one person chosen by lot and Víkar's lot came up each time. The decision

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