720:
The situation these account envisages appears to be the reign of two simultaneous lines of kings within Hördaland, perhaps historically true or perhaps arising from artificial conflation of different traditions—traditions perhaps of rulers who reigned over Hördaland at different times, if they ever reigned at all. Such a conflation would encourage the roles played by
Geirthjóf and Fridthjóf to be assigned to Jösur and Hjör who in this chronology would become Víkar's contemporaries.
461:'hood') and bargained with Geirhild that he would make her into Alrek's wife if Geirhild agreed to call on Hött in all things. Geirhild accepted. When Alrek saw Geirhild, he took her as his second wife. But Signý and Geirhild quarreled to the point that Alrek decided to give up one of them and announced he would keep whoever had brewed the best beer when he returned from his raiding. Signý called on
43:
355:), Starkad's foster father, took Stakad to a secret council of the gods and revealed himself to be Odin. 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 a spear which Odin promised would appear to be only a reed-stalk. So Vikar met his death.
676:, Víkar is father of Vatnar, father of Eirík, father of Gyda, wife of Harald Fairhair, indicating three generations from Víkar's time to Harald Fairhair's time. Generations are not exact chronological measurements, so a difference between four generations and three generations does not break the relative chronology. (See
232:) or some other region within Norway. After Starkad's destiny was laid on him, Starkad came to Vikar (perhaps for the first time) for the purpose of accomplishing Vikar's death. Starkad lodged with King Víkar, and so was present on the raiding expedition where Vikar was becalmed for the greater part of a year.
785:
of
Denmark, the uncle of Hrólf Kraki (called Hrothwulf in the poem). Beowulf foresees that Ingeld's planned wedding to King Hrothgar's daughter will be thwarted by an old warrior who will bring up details of past quarrels and wrongs between the Danes and Heathobards and fighting will result. In the
719:
suggests an explanation. This saga first says that Alrek and his son Víkar ruled Hördaland but Hjörleif's ancestors were kings of
Rogaland. But after the peace agreement between Víkar and Hjör (and presumably after Víkar's death), Hjörleif son of Hjör is called king of both Hördaland and Rogaland.
212:
Saxo's account is short, seemingly a summary. He claims that Odin had given
Starkad three times the span of a mortal life in order to commit a proportionate number of crimes. But this follows on a discussion about Odin and Thor which interrupts his story and seems out of place. The discussion may
465:
but
Geirhild prayed to Hött, who appeared before her, spat into the beer, but said he would be back to take what was between herself and the beer vat in exchange, meaning the child of Alrek in Geirhild's womb. When Alrek returned he judged Geirhild's beer the best and so kept her as his wife, but
477:
in a war Alrek made against Koll of
Kollsey. Alrek had died and Jösur had already departed before Alrek's son Víkar arrived at the battlefield. But years later, when Jösur was again in Kollsey, King Víkar attacked Jösur and slew him along with all the farmers in the area, leaving only the women,
201:(book 6) refers to a similar version relating a magic transformation, but prefers or invents a more rational account in which Starkad tied the osier very tightly so that Víkar could hardly breathe and then stabbed Víkar with his sword. This was the first of Starkad's three great crimes.
652:
the Old, the great-grandson of King Alrek to whom
Starkad fled. This is a good chronological match considering Starkad's supposed lifespan of 300 years and that Aun was 60 years old when Áli usurped his throne. This tradition places Vikar and Starkad far back in the mists of time.
350:
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 was put off till the next day. Then Grani
Horsehair
191:, when Starkad let loose the branch, the apparent reed-stalk with which Starkad stabbed at the king was seen to be a real spear, the stump under Víkar's feet fell away, and the calf guts which had been used instead of rope turned into a strong withy. Víkar died.
618:. In both Vikar's father is slain in battle by another king and in both Víkar in turn attacked and slew that king some years later. An heir to that king then made war on Víkar, either a younger brother or a son. This war ends with a peace agreement.
621:
That Víkar's opponents and father and descendants are differently named may in part come from varying ideas of when Víkar lived. The accounts provide three contradictory synchronisms with the dynasty of
Yngling kings in the
282:
But after some years Víkar gathered some champions to himself, including the young
Starkad, made a surprise attack on Herthjóf's hall, and slew King Herthjóf and thirty of his men. Víkar then became king of Agdir, Jadar
265:) of Hördaland made a surprise attack one night, slew Harald Agder-king and took his son Víkar hostage to ensure the behavior of Harald's former subjects. This Herthjóf was son of King Hunthjóf (
521:
and Neri Jarl of the Uplands. Upon Víkar's death, the brothers came to an agreement by which Harald became King of Agdir and Hördaland and Neri became Jarl of Telemark and the Uplands.
493:
At that point Víkar is out of the story which does not relate his death, being concerned instead with Hjör, his son Hjörleif (Hjǫleifr), and then Hjörleif's son Hálf (
173:
king who found himself and his ships becalmed for a long period. To raise a wind, a human blood sacrifice was needed, and the lots fell on King Víkar himself.
632:, in the material about Starkad, relates that after Víkar's sacrificial death, which was Starkad's first crime, Starkad took refuge in Sweden with the kings
327:
which belonged to Geirthjóf's brother Fridthjóf who was not there at the time. When Fridthjóf returned and attacked, Víkar defeated him with the aid of King
1075:
400:) of Hördaland with no mention of King Harald of Agdir or King Herthjóf of Hördaland. Alrek's ancestry is not given in the saga, but according to the
751:
therefore contains two contradictory synchronisms with the Yngling lineage. But about that time of Adils, reckoning by generations, is when the
759:
also indicate this third synchronism. King Hjör who warred against Víkar is father of King Hjörleif, one of whose wives was the sister of
134:
275:
661:
343:). Fridthjóf agreed to a treaty by which his kingdom was turned over to Víkar but Fridthjóf kept his life and freedom. At the
181:), Víkar's counselor urged a mock hanging from a tree instead, but in giving this advice Starkad had been prompted by the god
68:
392:
115:
445:), presumably named after himself. Alrek had married Signý, daughter of an unnamed king of Vörs, but was urged by Koll (
87:
53:
490:) until at last they agreed to make peace. Since Hjör and his descendants are afterwards called kings of Hördaland.
790:'s, in a parallel story about Ingeldus, the part assigned in prophecy to the unnamed warrior is played by Starkad.
94:
72:
57:
344:
64:
672:
who settled in Iceland, indicating roughly four generations from Vikar's time to Harald Fairhair's time. In the
320:
781:
may agree with this intermediate synchronism. In that poem, the first section occurs during the reign of King
723:
The third chronological placement of Víkar and Starkad is intermediate between these two. The final parts of
328:
296:
101:
31:
660:, King Hjör who warred against Víkar is father of King Hjörleif, father of Hálf, father of Hjör, father of
83:
217:
where Starkad's fate is decided by an interchange of blessings and curses laid on Starkad by Odin and
743:
is sixth in descent from King Alrek of Sweden, the contemporary of Víkar in the Starkad section of
669:
589:
483:
152:
633:
261:), young Starkad was brought up in Harald's court along with Harald's son Víkar. King Herthjóf (
775:) who was purportedly Adils' son and seventh in descent from King Alrek. The Old English poem
715:
that Geirmund was son of Hjör, son of Hálf, son of Hjörleif who was king of the Hjördalanders.
707:
711:(2.19) instead tells that Geirmund had a dominion in Rogaland but also agrees with the later
192:
517:
Víkar had two sons named Harald and Neri. During his life, Víkar made Harald the King of
108:
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187:
640:
Starkad is mentioned in a single reference to Starkad's third crime, the slaying of
598:
701:, rules Hördaland. But other accounts appear to contradict this. The beginning of
42:
705:('Saga of Grettir') states that Hördaland was ruled by Geirmund Hellskin. The
30:
This article is about the Norse king. For the former Faroe Islands city, see
731:
of Denmark. Hrólf Kraki of Denmark is noted for his interactions with King
678:
442:
425:
292:
257:) whose ancestry is not given. After the death of Starkad's father Stóvirk (
229:
300:
295:) which Herthjóf had also ruled. The tale then tells of Víkar's successful
610:
There are resemblances between the variant back stories of Víkar found in
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768:
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518:
474:
340:
324:
777:
430:
174:
457:). Meanwhile, Odin came to Geirhild in the guise of a man named Hött (
228:) is simply "king of Norway" rather than of king of Hördaland (modern
336:
170:
17:
732:
462:
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478:
whence the area was purportedly afterwards known as Kvennaherad (
486:'). War continued between King Víkar and King Jösur's son Hjör (
421:
396:
provides a different King. Here Víkar is the son of King Alrek (
312:
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218:
182:
466:
said he that foresaw her son on a gallows, sacrificed to Odin.
649:
213:
have been inspired by a fuller account such as the version in
36:
323:, and how Víkar then took over not only the Uplands but also
347:
In all these battles Starkad was Víkar's greatest warrior.
469:
The account then tells how Alrek was slain by King Jösur (
315:, of Víkar's defeat of Herthjóf's brother King Geirthjóf (
592:. This is the King Eirík of Hördaland who appears in the
319:) of the Uplands in a war in which Geirthjóf fell in the
185:, who desired Víkar's death. According to the account in
767:) the Viking who usurped the Swedish throne from King
689:
In both accounts Víkar is king of Hördaland, though
697:and elsewhere, King Eirík, Víkar's grandson in the
428:. Skelfir was the ancestor of the Skilfings. See
648:). Áli had usurped the Swedish throne from King
412:), son of Alrek, son of Eirík, son of Skjöld (
307:, conjectured to refer to the Slavic title of
287:, modern Jaederen in Hördaland), and Hardang (
755:places King Gautrek. Some of the details in
584:) and Eirík, Eirík being the father of Gyda (
449:), one of his men, to also look at Geirhild (
8:
693:connects Víkar primarily with Agdir. In the
408:), Alrek was the son of Eirík the Eloquent (
71:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
569:) whose bodies lay in the Brothers' Howe (
357:
727:make Neri son of Víkar a contemporary of
497:) who is the central figure in the saga.
135:Learn how and when to remove this message
686:traditions about Geirmund's ancestors.)
249:, Víkar was the son of a king of Agdir (
524:
580:the two sons are instead named Ímald (
7:
544:, Víkar had a son named Vatnar whom
69:adding citations to reliable sources
548:says was buried in Vatnar's Howe (
25:
1076:Heroes in Norse myths and legends
434:for further details and comment.
561:names Vartnar's sons as Snjall (
416:) son of Skelfir, king of Vörs (
41:
1:
269:) son of Fridthjóf the Bold (
437:Alrek dwelt at Alreksstead (
253:) named Harald Agder-king (
799:Other anglicized spellings:
1092:
555:Vatnar fathered two sons.
404:(genealogies' attached to
276:Fridthjófs saga ins frækna
29:
870:Eiríkr the Wise in Speech
786:account in book 6 of the
668:) a contemporary of King
373:
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360:
345:Second Battle of Telemark
393:Hálfs saga og hálfsrekka
321:First Battle of Telemark
27:Legendary Norwegian king
739:) of Sweden who in the
695:Saga of Harald Fairhair
594:Saga of Harald Fairhair
406:Hversu Noregr byggdist
335:), king of Nærríki in
303:) against King Sísar (
273:), the protagonist of
666:Geirmundr heljarskinn
918:Geirmund Swarthyskin
501:Descendants of Víkar
453:) daughter of Dríf (
376:Jarl Neri and Harald
297:battle at Lake Vænir
271:Friðþjófr inn frækna
155:nominative case form
65:improve this article
32:Víkar, Faroe Islands
410:Eiríkr inn málspaki
898:Frithjof the Brave
890:Fridthjof the Bold
886:Fridthjóf the Bold
866:Eirik the Eloquent
862:Eirík the Eloquent
329:Óláf the Keen-eyed
255:Haraldr inn egðski
169:) was a legendary
910:Geirmund Hellskin
894:Frithiof the Bold
794:Variant spellings
662:Geirmund Hellskin
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63:Please help
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830:Alreksstead
729:Hrólf Kraki
708:Landnámabók
571:Bræðrahaugr
559:Half's saga
538:Hálf's saga
527:Hálf's saga
480:Kvennaherað
439:Alreksstaðr
965:Horthaland
757:Hálfs saga
717:Hálfs saga
713:Hálfs saga
699:Ættartolur
684:Ættartolur
674:Ættartolur
658:Hálfs saga
616:Hálfs saga
606:Commentary
578:Ættartolur
546:Hálfs saga
542:Ættartolur
531:Ættartolur
420:), modern
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386:Hálfs saga
95:newspapers
961:Hördaland
906:Geirthjof
902:Geirthjóf
878:Fridthjof
874:Fridthjóf
846:Fridthjóf
679:Gard Agdi
636:. In the
482:'Women's
451:Geirhildr
443:Alrekstad
441:, modern
426:Hordaland
317:Geirþjófr
293:Hardanger
291:, modern
259:Stórvirkr
230:Hordaland
171:Norwegian
153:Old Norse
52:does not
1070:Category
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783:Hrothgar
773:Eysteinn
682:for the
540:and the
529:and the
519:Telemark
475:Rogaland
431:Scylfing
371:Unknown
339:(modern
325:Telemark
289:Harðangr
267:Hunþjófr
263:Herþjófr
179:Starkaðr
1049:Stóvirk
1041:Starkad
995:
828:
778:Beowulf
769:Eystein
747:. The
656:But in
596:in the
576:In the
563:Snjallr
484:hundred
226:Wicarus
175:Starkad
167:Wicarus
109:scholar
84:"Víkar"
73:removed
58:sources
1029:Skiold
1025:Skjold
1021:Skjöld
818:Agthir
806:Athils
582:Ímaldr
567:Hjallr
471:Jǫsurr
463:Freyja
414:Skǫldr
398:Alrekr
337:Sweden
305:Sísarr
301:Vänern
299:(Lake
158:Víkarr
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1017:Sisar
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1005:Signý
993:Josur
989:Jösur
930:Hálf:
926:Gytha
858:Eirik
854:Eirík
814:Agder
810:Agdir
802:Adils
765:Sǫlvi
761:Sölvi
737:Aðils
733:Adils
525:From
506:From
495:Hálfr
488:Hjǫrr
473:) of
459:Hǫttr
455:Drífr
447:Kollr
384:From
341:Närke
311:) of
285:Jaðar
251:Agðir
236:From
205:From
163:Latin
148:Víkar
116:JSTOR
102:books
18:Vikar
1057:Vörs
1001:Olaf
997:Óláf
985:Hott
981:Hött
949:Hjor
945:Hjör
933:Half
922:Gyda
842:Drif
838:Dríf
614:and
586:Gyða
422:Voss
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