Ynglinga Saga

19. OF DOMAR, DOMALD'S SON.

Domald's son, called Domar, next ruled over the land. He reigned
long, and in his days were good seasons and peace. Nothing is
told of him but that he died in his bed in Upsal, and was
transported to the Fyrisvold, where his body was burned on the
river bank, and where his standing stone still remains. So says
Thjodolf: --

"I have asked wise men to tell
Where Domar rests, and they knew well.
Domar, on Fyrie's wide-spread ground,
Was burned, and laid on Yngve's mound."

20. OF DYGVE, DOMAR'S SON.

Dygve was the name of his son, who succeeded him in ruling the
land; and about him nothing is said but that he died in his bed.
Thjodolf tells of it thus: --

"Dygve the Brave, the mighty king,
It is no hidden secret thing,
Has gone to meet a royal mate,
Riding upon the horse of Fate.
For Loke's daughter in her house
Of Yngve's race would have a spouse;
Therefore the fell-one snatched away
Brave Dygve from the light of day."

Dygve's mother was Drott, a daughter of King Danp, the son of
Rig, who was first called "king" in the Danish tongue. His
descendants always afterwards considered the title of king the
title of highest dignity. Dygve was the first of his family to
be called king, for his predecessors had been called "Drottnar",
and their wives "Drottningar", and their court "Drott". Each of
their race was called Yngve, or Yngune, and the whole race
together Ynglinger. The Queen Drott was a sister of King Dan
Mikillati, from whom Denmark a took its name.

21. OF DAG THE WISE.

King Dygve's son, called Dag, succeeded to him, and was so wise a
man that he understood the language of birds. He had a sparrow
which told him much news, and flew to different countries. Once
the sparrow flew to Reidgotaland, to a farm called Varva, where
he flew into the peasant's corn-field and took his grain. The
peasant came up, took a stone, and killed the sparrow. King Dag
was ill-pleased that the sparrow did not come home; and as he, in
a sacrifice of expiation, inquired after the sparrow, he got the
answer that it was killed at Varva. Thereupon he ordered a great
army, and went to Gotland; and when he came to Varva he landed
with his men and plundered, and the people fled away before him.
King Dag returned in the evening to his ships, after having
killed many people and taken many prisoners. As they were going
across a river at a place called Skjotan's [the Weapon's] Ford, a
labouring thrall came running to the river-side, and threw a hay-
fork into their troop. It struck the king on the head, so that
he fell instantly from his horse and died. In those times the
chief who ravaged a country was called Gram, and the men-at-arms
under him Gramer. Thjodolf sings of it thus: --

"What news is this that the king's men,
Flying eastward through the glen,
Report? That Dag the Brave, whose name
Is sounded far and wide by Fame --
That Dag, who knew so well to wield
The battle-axe in bloody field,
Where brave men meet, no more will head
The brave -- that mighty Dag is dead!

"Varva was wasted with the sword,
And vengeance taken for the bird --
The little bird that used to bring
News to the ear of the great king.
Varva was ravaged, and the strife
Was ended, when the monarch's life
Was ended too -- the great Dag fell
By the hay-fork of a base thrall!"

22. OF AGNE, DAG'S SON.

Agne was the name of Dag's son, who was king after him -- a
powerful and celebrated man, expert, and exercised in all feats.
It happened one summer that King Agne went with his army to
Finland, and landed and marauded. The Finland people gathered a
large army, and proceeded to the strife under a chief called
Froste. There was a great battle, in which King Agne gained the
victory, and Froste fell there with a great many of his people.
King Agne proceeded with armed hand through Finland, subdued it,
and made enormous booty. He took Froste's daughter Skjalv, and
her brother Loge, and carried them along with him. When he
sailed from the east he came to land at Stoksund, and put up his
tent on the flat side of the river, where then there was a wood.
King Agne had at the time the gold ornament which had belonged to
Visbur. He now married Skjalv, and she begged him to make burial
feast in honour of her father. He invited a great many guests,
and made a great feast. He had become very celebrated by his
expedition, and there was a great drinking match. Now when King
Agne had got drank, Skjalv bade him take care of his gold
ornament which he had about his neck; therefore he took hold of
the ornament, and bound it fast about his neck before he went to
sleep. The land-tent stood at the wood side, and a high tree
over the tent protected it against the heat of the sun. Now when
King Agne was asleep, Skjalv took a noose, and fastened it under
the ornament. Thereupon her men threw down the tent-poles, cast
the loop of the noose up in the branches of the tree, and hauled
upon it, so that the king was hanged close under the branches and
died; and Skjalv with her men ran down to their ships, and rowed
away. King Agne was buried upon the spot, which was afterwards
called Agnefet; and it lies on the east side of the Tauren, and
west of Stoksund. Thjodolf speaks of it thus: --

"How do ye like the high-souled maid,
Who, with the grim Fate-goddess' aid,
Avenged her sire? -- made Swithiod's king
Through air in golden halter swing?
How do ye like her, Agne's men?
Think ye that any chief again
Will court the fate your chief befell,
To ride on wooden horse to hell?"

23. OF ALRIC AND ERIC.

The sons of Agne were called Alric and Eric, and were kings
together after him. They were powerful men, great warriors, and
expert at all feats of arms. It was their custom to ride and
break in horses both to walk and to gallop, which nobody
understood so well as they; and they vied with each other who
could ride best, and keep the best horses. It happened one day
that both the brothers rode out together alone, and at a distance
from their followers, with their best horses, and rode on to a
field; but never came back. The people at last went out to look
after them, and they were both found dead with their heads
crushed. As they had no weapons, except it might be their
horses' bridles, people believed that they had killed each other
with these. So says Thjodolf: --

"Alric fell, by Eric slain,
Eric's life-blood dyed the plain,
Brother fell by brother's hand;
And they tell it in the land,
That they worked the wicked deed
With the sharp bits that guide the steed.
Shall it be said of Frey's brave sons,
The kingly race, the noble ones,
That they have fought in deadly battle
With the head-gear of their cattle?"

24. OF YNGVE AND ALF.

Alric's sons, Yngve and Alf, then succeeded to the kingly power
in Sweden. Yngve was a great warrior, always victorious;
handsome, expert in all exercises, strong and very sharp in
battle, generous and full of mirth; so that he was both renowned
and beloved. Alf was a silent, harsh, unfriendly man, and sat at
home in the land, and never went out on war expeditions. His
mother was called Dageid, a daughter of King Dag the Great, from
whom the Dagling family is descended. King Alf had a wife named
Bera, who was the most agreeable of women, very brisk and gay.
One autumn Yngve, Alric's son, had arrived at Upsal from a viking
cruise by which he was become very celebrated. He often sat long
in the evening at the drinking-table; but Alf went willingly to
bed very early. Queen Bera sat often till late in the evening,
and she and Yngve conversed together for their amusement; but Alf
soon told her that she should not sit up so late in the evening,
but should go first to bed, so as not to waken him. She replied,
that happy would be the woman who had Yngve instead of Alf for
her husband; and as she often repeated the same, he became very
angry. One evening Alf went into the hall, where Yngve and Bera
sat on the high seat speaking to each other. Yngve had a short
sword upon his knees, and the guests were so drunk that they did
not observe the king coming in. King Alf went straight to the
high seat, drew a sword from under his cloak, and pierced his
brother Yngve through and through. Yngve leaped up, drew his
short sword, and gave Alf his death-wound; so that both fell dead
on the floor. Alf and Yngve were buried under mounds in
Fyrisvold. Thus tells Thjodolf of it: --

"I tell you of a horrid thing,
A deed of dreadful note I sing --
How by false Bera, wicked queen,
The murderous brother-hands were seen
Each raised against a brother's life;
How wretched Alf with bloody knife
Gored Yngve's heart, and Yngve's blade
Alf on the bloody threshold laid.
Can men resist Fate's iron laws?
They slew each other without cause."

25. OF HUGLEIK.

Hugleik was the name of King Alf's son, who succeeded the two
brothers in the kingdom of the Swedes, the sons of Yngve being
still children. King Hugleik was no warrior, but sat quietly at
home in his country. He was very rich, but had still more the
reputation of being very greedy. He had at his court all sorts
of players, who played on harps, fiddles, and viols; and had with
him magicians, and all sorts of witches. Hake and Hagbard were
two brothers, very celebrated as sea-kings, who had a great force
of men-at-arms. Sometimes they cruised in company, sometimes
each for himself, and many warriors followed them both. King
Hake came with his troops to Sweden against King Hugleik, who, on
his side, collected a great army to oppose him. Two brothers
came to his assistance, Svipdag and Geigad, both very celebrated
men, and powerful combatants. King Hake had about him twelve
champions, and among them Starkad the Old; and King Hake himself
was a murderous combatant. They met on Fyrisvold, and there was
a great battle, in which King Hugleik's army was soon defeated.
Then the combatants, Svipdag and Geigad, pressed forward
manfully; but Hake's champions went six against one, and they
were both taken prisoners. Then King Hake penetrated within the
shield-circle around King Hugleik, and killed him and two of his
sons within it. After this the Swedes fled; and King Hake
subdued the country, and became king of Sweden. He then sat
quietly at home for three years, but during that time his
combatants went abroad on viking expeditions, and gathered
property for themselves.