Sigurd Hring | |
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King of the Swedes King of the Danes (Annales Regni Francorum (ARF) 777, 782 og 798) |
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House | House of Munsö |
Religion | Pagan |
Sigurd Hring (Old Norse: Sigurðr hringr (Hringr meaning 'Ring')) (fl. ca. 750) was a legendary Swedish king mentioned in many old Scandinavian sagas. According to Bósa saga ok Herrauds, there was once a saga on Sigurd Hring, but this saga is now lost. In the old sources, he is notable for winning the Battle of the Brávellir against Harald Wartooth and for being the father of Ragnar Lodbrok.
The Hervarar saga tells that when Valdar died, his son Randver became the king of Sweden, while Harald Wartooth became the king of Denmark. Then Harald conquered all of his father Ivar Vidfamne's territory. After Randver's death, his son Sigurd Hring became the king of Sweden, presumably as the subking of Harald. Sigurd Ring and Harald fought the Battle of the Brávellir (Bråvalla) on the plains of Östergötland where Harald and many of his men died. Sigurd ruled Sweden and Denmark until his death and was succeeded by his son Ragnar Lodbrok. Harald Wartooth's son Eysteinn Beli ruled Sweden as a jarl until he was killed by the sons of Ragnar Lodbrok.
In Sögubrot af nokkrum fornkonungum, Sigurd is the paternal nephew of the Danish king Harald Wartooth, and presumably (the part of Sögubrot where this would have been narrated expressly has not been preserved) the son of Randver, who in his turn is the son of Harald's mother Auðr the Deep-Minded and her husband king Raðbarðr of Gardariki. Harald Wartooth was beginning to feel old, so he made Sigurd the king of Sweden and Västergötland. Sigurd beat his uncle at the colossal Battle of Bråvalla, and became the ruler of Denmark as well. He made a shieldmaiden the ruler of Denmark (cf. Chronicon Lethrense, below).