Gudrød SIGFREDSSON VEIDEKONGE ( -bef827)

Individual Events and Attributes

Additional Information

Marriage

Individual Note

Gudrød the Hunter (Old Norse: Guðroðr veiðikonungr, Norwegian: Gudrød Sigfredsson Veidekonge) was a semi-legendary king in Vingulmark in south-east Norway, during the early Viking Age from 804 until 810. He was the father of Halfdan the Black Gudrödarson, king of Vestfold, and the grandfather of Harald Fairhair, the first king of Norway.[1]

Gudrød was of the House of Yngling. He was the son of Halfdan the Mild, king of Romerike and Vestfold and Liv Dagsdotter, daughter of King Dag of Vestmar. The date and place of his birth is not known.

Gudrød is mentioned in the skaldic poem Ynglingatal. Snorri Sturluson elaborates on Gudrød's story in Heimskringla, written c. 1230; however, this is not considered to be a historical account by modern historians. The following account is taken from Heimskringla. [2]

Gudrød married Alfhild, a daughter of Alfarin the king of Alfheim, (Bohuslän), which was the name of the area between Glomma and Göta älv rivers. Gudrød inherited half the province of Vingulmark. They had a son, Olaf Gudrødsson. When Alfhild died, Gudrød sent his warriors to Agder and its king, Harald, to propose a marriage with his daughter Åsa Haraldsdottir. However, Harald Granraude declined, so Gudrød decided to take his daughter by force. They arrived at night. When Harald realised that he was being attacked, he assembled his men and fought well, but died together with his son Gyrd. Gudrød carried away Åsa and married her. He raped her and she gave him a son named Halfdan who would be called Halfdan the Black.

In the fall, when Halfdan was a year old, Gudrød was having at a feast in Stiflesund. He was very drunk and in the evening, as he was walking on the gangway to leave the ship, an assassin thrust a spear through Gudrød, killing him. Gudrød's men instantly killed the assassin, who turned out to be Åsa's page-boy. Åsa admitted that the page-boy had acted on her behalf. After Gudrød was killed, Åsa took the 1 year-old Halfdan and returned to Agder, where Halfdan was raised.

NOTES:

1. The Unification of Norway (Archaeology in Europe)

2. Gudrød Veidekonge (Store norske leksikon)

SOURCES:

Krag, C. Ynglingatal og Ynglingesaga: en studie i historiske kilder (Oslo 1991)

Salvesen, A., transl. Norges historie; Historia Norvegiae (Oslo 1978)²

Sources