Gylfi

Gylfi, "Gylfe", "Gylvi", or "Gylve" was the earliest king in Scandinavia present in Norse mythology. The traditions on Gylfi deal with how he was tricked by the gods.

The creation of Zealand

The "Ynglinga saga" section of Snorri's "Heimskringla" and the Eddic poem "Ragnarsdrápa" tell a legend of how Gylfi was seduced by the goddess or giantess Gefjun to give her as much land as she could plow in one night. She transformed her four sons into oxen and took enough land to create the Danish island of Zealand, leaving the Swedish lake Mälaren. This legend is commemorated by the bronze Gefjun fountain in Copenhagen sculpted by Anders Bundgaard in 1908.

Meeting the Æsir

"Gylfaginning" in the "Prose Edda" and the "Ynglinga saga" tell how the supposedly historic Odin and his people the Æsir and Vanir, who later became the Swedes, obtained new land where they built the settlement of Old Sigtuna. Gylfi and the remaining older bronze-age inhabitants adapted the religion promulgated by the Æsir. Snorri presents an outline of Norse mythology through a dialogue between Gylfi and three rulers of the Æsir. In Snorri's account Gylfi is deluded by the Æsir into accepting their supposed religious beliefs, hence the name "Gylfaginning" 'Deluding of Gylfi'.

It is possible that Snorri's account is based on an old tradition tracing particular beliefs or foundations of particular cults to this legendary Gylfi.

Other appearances

In one version of "Hervarar saga", king Gylfi married his daughter Heiðr to Sigrlami, the king of Garðaríki (Russia). [ [http://www.home.ix.netcom.com/~kyamazak/myth/norse/kershaw/NLS-hervor-is.htm Sigrlami átti Heiði, dóttur Gylfa konungs; þau attu sun saman, sá hèt Svafrlami.] in N. M. Petersen's edition of "Hervarar saga".] Heiðr and Sigrlami had the son Svafrlami who forced the two dwarves Dvalin and Durin to forge the magic sword Tyrfing.

Notes