Skjold Of The Danes

• General Notes
  • King Skjold - Danish myth
    Some of the oldest pre-English writings tell of a strange event at the beginning of time. They say that a ship once came drifting from the great sea and landed on the Danish coast. The only living creature on board was a little boy, sleeping on a golden shield. Otherwise the ship was loaded with tools and weapons. The Danes called the boy Skjold and made him King of Denmark. During his reign Denmark flourished. When King Skjold eventually died of old age, the Danes placed him on board the same ship as he had arrived on and sent him back to the gods. This legend probably originates from ancient conceptions of the king of the sun, who sailed the arch of heaven in his ship. - [1]
    
    The Old English name Scylding and the Old Norse Skjöldung, meaning in both languages Shielding, refer to the members of the legendary royal family of Denmark and sometimes to their people. The name is explained in many text by the descent of this family from an eponymous king Scyld. As of today, January 2005, Scylding is the most used Germanic family name here on Ancient Worlds. Such affection for this ancient royal family is at least partially explained by its prominence in the beloved Old English poem Beowulf, and partially by the fascinating complexity of their history. According to some sources, Scyld/Skjöld is the ancestor of the kings of England and of legendary characters such as Hadding, Halfdan/Healfdene and Odin himself. Accounts, however, differ wildly, as we shall see.
    A whole saga existed about the Scyldingas/Skjoldungar, the SKJOLDUNGA SAGA. Parts of it survive in the Flatey Book and we have Arngrímur Jónsson's Latin abstract of the sögu-brot (fragment) of the Skjoldunga Saga. It says that the warlord Odin, coming from Asia, gained dominion over Northern Europe, giving Sweden to his son Yngvi and Denmark to his son Skjoldr. So the rulers of Sweden are called Ynglings and the rulers of Denmark are called Scyldings.
    There goes a great mountain barrier from north-east to south-west, which divides the Greater Swithiod from other kingdoms. South of this mountain ridge it is not far to Turkland, where Odin had great possessions. In those times the Roman chiefs went wide around in the world, subduing to themselves all people; and on this account many chiefs fled from their domains. But Odin having foreknowledge, and magic-sight, knew that his posterity would come to settle and dwell in the northern half of the world. He therefore set his brothers Ve and Vilje over Asgaard; and he himself, with all the gods and a great many other people, wandered out, first westward to Gardarike, and then south to Saxland. He had many sons; and after having subdued an extensive kingdom in Saxland, he set his sons to rule the country. He himself went northwards to the sea, and took up his abode in an island which is called Odins in Fyen. Then he sent Gefion across the sound to the north to discover new countries; and she came to King Gylve, who gave her a ploughgate of land. Then she went to Jotunheim, and bore four sons to a giant, and transformed them into a yoke of oxen. She yoked them to a plough, and broke out the land into the ocean right opposite to Odins. This land was called Sealand, and there she afterwards settled and dwelt. Skjold, a son of Odin, married her, and they dwelt at Leidre. Where the ploughed land was is a lake or sea called Laage. In the Swedish land the fjords of Laage correspond to the nesses in Sealand. Brage the Old sings of it.
    Now when Odin heard that things were in a prosperous condition in the land to the east beside Gylve; he went thither, and Gylve made a peace with him, for Gylve thought he had no strength to oppose the people of Asaland. Odin and Gylve had many tricks and enchantments against each other; but the Asaland people had always the superiority. Odin took up his residence at the Maelare lake, at the place now called Old Sigtun. There he erected a large temple, where there were sacrifices according to the customs of the Asaland people. He appropriated to himself the whole of that district, and called it Sigtun. To the temple priests he gave also domains. Njord dwelt in Noatun, Frey in Upsal, Heimdal in the Himinbergs, Thor in Thrudvang, Balder in Breidablik; to all of them he gave good estates.