Jorund

Jorund or Jörundr (5th century) was a Swedish king of the House of Yngling. He was the son of Yngvi, and he had reclaimed the throne of Sweden for his dynasty from Haki (the brother of Hagbard, the hero of the legend of Hagbard and Signy, and it should be noted that Snorri cites two kennings from this legend "Sigar's steed" and "Hagard's fell noose", when telling of Jorund).

Snorri Sturluson relates that when Jorund was young he used to travel the seas and plunder with his brother Erik, and they were great warriors. One summer they plundered in Denmark where they met another pillager, King Gudlög of Hålogaland (a province in Norway) with whom they fought. They took him prisoner and carried him ashore at Stromones where they hanged him. Gudlaug's surviving companions raised a mound over him there.

Snorri then cites the poem "Háleygjatal" by a Norwegian skald named Eyvindr skáldaspillir:

The even earlier source "Íslendingabók" also cites the line of descent in "Ynglingatal" and it gives the same line of succession: "xiiii Yngvi. xv Jörundr. xvi Aun inn gamli" [ [http://www.heimskringla.no/original/islendingesagaene/islendingabok.php Guðni Jónsson's edition of Íslendingabók] ] .

The "Skjöldunga saga" and the "Bjarkarímur" tell that Jorund was defeated by the Danish king Fróði (corresponds to the Heaðobard Froda in "Beowulf"), who made him a tributary and took his daughter. The daughter gave birth to Halfdan, but another woman became Fróði's legitimate wife and gave him an heir named Ingjaldr (corresponds to the Heaðobard Ingeld in "Beowulf"). Together with one of his earls, Swerting, Jorund conspired against Fróði and killed him during the blót.

Notes

Primary sources

*Ynglingatal
*Ynglinga saga (part of the Heimskringla)
*Historia Norwegiae
*Skjöldunga saga
*Bjarkarímur

econdary sources

Nerman, B. "Det svenska rikets uppkomst". Stockholm, 1925.