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Hrólfs saga Gautrekssonar is a Scandinavian legendary saga which was put to text in Iceland in the 13th century. It has a prequel in Gautreks saga.

Summary[edit]

Gautrekr was a Geatish king who descended from Odin himself. He lost his wife Alfhild and went somewhat out of his mind, ignored all matters of state, and spent all his time on Alfhild's burial mound, flying his hawk.

He had two sons Ketill and Hrólfr Gautreksson, and Ketill became a great Viking who inherited his father's kingdom.

In Uppsala ruled Erik, the king of Sweden, who had only had one child, Þornbjörg, born a daughter. She was a ruler who would rather fight and act manly - to Erik's disdain. She also called herself by the masculine-associated name Þórbergr, and insisted on not being referred to as a virgin or as womanly. She is called a few times throughout the saga Þórbergr konungr, king Thorberg. Throughout the saga it does keep referring to her as female and as queen, however. Þorbjörg's father gave her the royal estate of Ulleråker, where she kept a retinue of housecarls.

Ketill suggested that Hrólfr make a try to woo the queen and after much hesitation, Hrólfr agreed. His brother said that "it would be the most noble marriage in the Northlands to have the daughter of the king at Uppsala for wife" and "many have little courage in a big body and it is a shame that you who are a man durst not speak to womenfolk".

Hrólfr summoned his courage and went to Ulleråker with his fosterbrother Ingjald of Denmark and sixty well-armed warriors to woo Thorbjörg.

Þorbjörg was sitting on the throne, dressed in armor. When Hrólfr proposed, she rushed up, grabbed her weapons and ordered his men to "fetch and bind the fool who offended king Þórbergr". Hrólfr put on his helmet and asked his housecarls to leave and then he manfully slew no less than twelve of Þorbjörg's champions before he had to flee the overwhelming foe. Everybody in his company returned to Geatland alive.

After a Viking campaign in the West to both Scotland and Brittany, Hrólfr steered his fleet of six ships and a selected crew northwards and did not stop until he reached Uppsala. When the new peace agreement between Hrólfr and king Erik had been established, Hrólf went to Ulleråker to propose once more to the queen.

Þorbjörg screamed that she'd become a shepherd in Geatland before he had any power over her. After a hard fight Þorbjörg was captured and eventually she fell in love with Hrólf son of Gautrek and agreed to marry him, at which point she gave up her weapons to her father King Eirík and took up embroidery.

After some time Hrólfr succeeded his brother Ketill as the king of the Geats, but that story was not recorded.

According to a Swedish tradition, he is buried in Bälinge near Alingsås on Rolfsborg on Rolf's hill. [1].

Editions and translations[edit]

Six Sagas of Adventure, trans. by Ben Waggoner (New Haven, CT: Troth Publications, 2014).
Hrolf Gautreksson: A Viking Romance, trans. by Hermann Pálsson and Paul Edwards (Edinburgh: Southside, 1972).
Fornaldarsögur Norðurlanda, ed. by Bjarni Vilhjálmsson and Guðni Jónsson (Reykjavík, 1943-1944), vol. 3, 43-151.
The original text at Snerpa.

External links[edit]

References[edit]

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+{{Italic title}}
-'''Hrólfs saga Gautrekssonar''' is a Scandinavian [[legendary saga]] which was put to text in [[Iceland]] in the [[13th century]]. It has a prequel in ''[[Gautreks saga]]''.
+'''''Hrólfs saga Gautrekssonar''''' is a Scandinavian [[legendary saga]] which was put to text in [[Iceland]] in the 13th century. It has a prequel in ''[[Gautreks saga]]''.
+==Summary==
-Gautrek was a [[Geatish king]] who descended from [[Odin]] himself. He lost his wife Alfhild and went somewhat out of his mind, ignored all matters of state, and spent all his time on Alfhild's burial mound, flying his hawk.
+[[Gautrekr]] was a [[Geatish king]] who descended from [[Odin]] himself. He lost his wife Alfhild and went somewhat out of his mind, ignored all matters of state, and spent all his time on Alfhild's burial mound, flying his hawk.
-He had two sons Hrólf and Ketill Gautreksson, and Ketill became a great Viking who inherited his father's kingdom.
+He had two sons Ketill and [[Hrólfr Gautreksson]], and Ketill became a great Viking who inherited his father's kingdom.
-In [[Gamla Uppsala|Uppsala]] ruled [[Alrek and Eirík|Erik]], the king of Sweden, who had only had one daughter, Þornbjörg. She was a [[shieldmaiden]] who would rather spend her days fighting and doing male sports instead of female activites. Due to this behaviour she was called ''Þórbergr konungr'', king Thorberg. Her father gave her the royal estate of [[Ulleråker]], where she kept a retinue of [[housecarl]]s who helped her chase away undesirable suitors.
+In [[Gamla Uppsala|Uppsala]] ruled [[Alrek and Eirík|Erik]], the king of Sweden, who had only had one child, Þornbjörg, born a daughter. She was a ruler who would rather fight and act manly - to Erik's disdain. She also called herself by the masculine-associated name Þórbergr, and insisted on not being referred to as a virgin or as womanly. She is called a few times throughout the saga ''Þórbergr konungr'', king Thorberg. Throughout the saga it does keep referring to her as female and as queen, however. Þorbjörg's father gave her the royal estate of [[Ulleråker]], where she kept a retinue of [[housecarl]]s.
-Ketill suggested that Hrólf make a try to woo the princess and after much hesitation, Hrólf agreed. His brother said that "it would be the most noble marriage in the Northlands to have the daughter of the king at [[Uppsala]] for wife" and "many have little courage in a big body and it is a shame that you who are a man durst not speak to womenfolk".
+Ketill suggested that Hrólfr make a try to woo the queen and after much hesitation, Hrólfr agreed. His brother said that "it would be the most noble marriage in the Northlands to have the daughter of the king at [[Uppsala]] for wife" and "many have little courage in a big body and it is a shame that you who are a man durst not speak to womenfolk".
-Hrólf summoned his courage and went to [[Ulleråker]] with his fosterbrother Ingjald of Denmark and sixty well-armed warriors, in order to woo the warrior princess of Sweden.
+Hrólfr summoned his courage and went to [[Ulleråker]] with his fosterbrother Ingjald of Denmark and sixty well-armed warriors to woo Thorbjörg.
-Þornbjörg was sitting on the throne full dressed in armour and proud. When Hrólf proposed, she rushed up, grabbed her weapons and ordered her men to "fetch and bind the fool who offended king Þórbergr". Hrólf put on his helmet and asked his housecarls to leave and then he manfully slew no less than twelve of Þórbergr's champions before he had to flee the overwhelming foe. Everybody in his company returned to [[Geatland]] alive.
+Þorbjörg was sitting on the throne, dressed in armor. When Hrólfr proposed, she rushed up, grabbed her weapons and ordered his men to "fetch and bind the fool who offended king Þórbergr". Hrólfr put on his helmet and asked his housecarls to leave and then he manfully slew no less than twelve of Þorbjörg's champions before he had to flee the overwhelming foe. Everybody in his company returned to [[Götaland|Geatland]] alive.
-After a Viking campaign in the West to both [[Scotland]] and [[Brittany]], Hrólf steered his fleet of six ships and a selected crew northwards and did not stop until he reached [[Uppsala]]. When the new peace agreement between Hrólf and king Erik had been established, Hrólf went to Ulleråker to propose once more to the princess.
+After a Viking campaign in the West to both [[Scotland]] and [[Brittany]], Hrólfr steered his fleet of six ships and a selected crew northwards and did not stop until he reached [[Uppsala]]. When the new peace agreement between Hrólfr and king Erik had been established, Hrólf went to Ulleråker to propose once more to the queen.
-Þórbergr screamed that he'd become a shepherd in Geatland before he had any power over her. After a hard fight Þórbergr was captured and not long afterwards she married Hrólf.
+Þorbjörg screamed that she'd become a shepherd in Geatland before he had any power over her. After a hard fight Þorbjörg was captured and eventually she fell in love with Hrólf son of Gautrek and agreed to marry him, at which point she gave up her weapons to her father King Eirík and took up embroidery.
-After some time Hrólf succeeded his brother Ketill as the [[king of the Geats]], but nobody wrote down that story.
+After some time Hrólfr succeeded his brother Ketill as the [[king of the Geats]], but that story was not recorded.
-==Swedish tradition==
-According to a Swedish tradition, he is buried in Bälinge near [[Alingsås]] on ''Rolfsborg'' on ''Rolf's hill''. [http://www.school.alingsas.se/nolby/arkeolog/arkeolog.htm].
+According to a Swedish tradition, he is buried in Bälinge near [[Alingsås]] on ''Rolfsborg'' on ''Rolf's hill''. [https://web.archive.org/web/20040827191634/http://www.school.alingsas.se/nolby/arkeolog/arkeolog.htm].
+==Editions and translations==
+* ''Six Sagas of Adventure'', trans. by Ben Waggoner (New Haven, CT: Troth Publications, 2014).
+* ''Hrolf Gautreksson: A Viking Romance'', trans. by Hermann Pálsson and Paul Edwards (Edinburgh: Southside, 1972).
+* ''Fornaldarsögur Norðurlanda'', ed. by Bjarni Vilhjálmsson and Guðni Jónsson (Reykjavík, 1943-1944), [http://www.heimskringla.no/wiki/Hr%C3%B3lfs_saga_Gautrekssonar vol. 3, 43-151].
+* [http://www.snerpa.is/net/forn/hr-gaut.htm The original text at Snerpa].
 ==External links==
+*[http://fasnl.ku.dk/bibl/bibl.aspx?sid=hsg&view=manuscript Bibliographic entry in the ''Stories for all Time'' database]
-*[http://www.snerpa.is/net/forn/hr-gaut.htm The original text in Old Norse]
-*[http://runeberg.org/braundik/3/0054.html A more recent Swedish poem on Hrólf and Torborg by Wilhelm von Braun]
+*[https://runeberg.org/braundik/3/0054.html A more recent Swedish poem on Hrólf and Torborg by Wilhelm von Braun]
+== References ==
+{{Reflist}}
-{{NorseMythology}}
+{{Legendary sagas}}
+{{Norse mythology}}
+{{DEFAULTSORT:Hrolfs saga Gautrekssonar}}
-[[Category:Sources of Norse mythology]]
-[[Category:Sagas of Iceland]]
+[[Category:13th-century literature]]
 [[Category:Geats]]
+[[Category:Legendary sagas]]