Hagbard

Hagbard, the brother of Haki and son of Hamund, was a famous Scandinavian sea-king, in Norse mythology. He is mentioned in "Skáldskaparmál", "Ynglinga saga", "Nafnaþulur", "Völsunga saga" and "Gesta Danorum". The heroes' connections with other legendary characters place the events in the 5th century AD.

Hagbard remained well-known until recent times in the legend of Hagbard and Signy. This famous legend tells that Hagbard fell in love with Signy the daughter of king Sigar, the nephew of king Siggeir (of the Völsunga saga), a love affair which ended tragically in their deaths, when Sigar wanted to have Hagbard hanged. This legend is told in fullest in "Gesta Danorum" (book 7).

However, most legends surrounding Hagbard are probably lost. In the "Völsunga saga", Gudrun and Brynhild have a discussion on the "greatest of men" referring to a legend now lost, where Hagbard is mentioned together with Haki's sons, who have not yet avenged their sisters by killing the evil Sigar (the feud with Sigar is still going on and Hagbard not yet hanged):

Snorri Sturluson wrote in the "Ynglinga saga" that Hagbard occasionally plundered together with his brother Haki. Concerning, the adventures and death of the Swedish king Jorund (whom Snorri makes a successor of Haki), he cites the poem "Háleygjatal" by a Norwegian skald named Eyvindr skáldaspillir containing the Kenning "Sigar's steed" referring to the legend of Hagbard and Signy:

The same kenning appears with Hagard's name in a stanza from "Ynglingatal", which Snorri also quotes in the same section:

Notes