Alfhild or Alvildam was a legendary Saxon princess mentioned in Gesta Danorum. Her suitors: the king of the Danes, Skiod and the governor of the Alamanni Skat fought for her hand, the former winning. Later she gave birth to a son.[1]
The text
Gesta Danorum, Book One
|
And as he thus waxed in years and valour he beheld the perfect beauty of Alfhild, daughter of the King of the Saxons, sued for her hand, and, for her sake, in the sight of the armies of the Teutons and the Danes, challenged and fought with Skat, governor of Allemannia, and a suitor for the same maiden; whom he slew, afterwards crushing the whole nation of the Allemannians, and forcing them to pay tribute, they being subjugated by the death of their captain.
|
The family tree of legendary Kings of the Danes, according to the Gesta Danorum (Books I to VII)
|
Kings of the Danes are in bold and marked with a crown (♕). Kings of the Swedes are marked with a dagger (†). Superscript numbers before a name indicate in which books of Gesta Danorum the individual is mentioned.
| | (1) Humble | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | KEY | | | | | | | | | | |
(1) Angul | | (1) Dan ♕ | | (1) Grytha | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Marriage or coupling | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Parent and child | | | | | | | | | |
The Angles | | (1) Humble ♕ | | (1) Lother ♕ | | (1) King of the Saxons | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Succession by other or unclear means | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | (1) Roar | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | (1) Sigtryg, King of the Swedes† | | (1) Skiold ♕ | | (1) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | (1) daughter of Roar | | (1) Bess | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
(1) sister of Gram | | (1) Gróa | | | | (1) Gram ♕† | | | | (1) Sumble, King of the Finns | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | (1) Wagnhofde | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | (1) Signe | | (1) Henry, King of the Saxons | | | | | | | (1) Hakon, King of the Nitherians | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | (1) Hardgrep | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | (1) Swipdag ♕†, King of Norway | | (1) sister of Guthorm | | (1) Guthorm ♕ | | (1,2,5) Hadding ♕ | | | | | | | | | | | | | (1) Ragnhild | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | (1) Asmund† | | (1) Gunnhild | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | (1) Guthorm | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | (1,2) Ulfhild | | | (2) Ubbe ♕ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| (1) Henry | | (1) Uffe† | | (1,2) Hunding† | | (2) Thorhild | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | (2) Scot | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | (1) daughter of Uffe | | | | | | | (2) Ragnar† | | (2) Swanhwid | | | (2) sisters of Swanhwid | | (2) Handwan | | |
| | | | | | | (2) Thorwald | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | (2,5) Frode ♕ | | | | (2) daughter of Handwan | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | (2,3) Hothbrodd† | | | | | | | | | | | (2) Halfdan ♕ | | (2) Ro | | (2) Skat |
| | | | | | | | | | | | (2) Thora | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | (2,3) Helge ♕ | | (2) Ro ♕ | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | (2,3) Athisl† | | (2) Urse | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | (2,3) King Gewar | | (2,3) Rolf Krage ♕† | | (2) Rute | | (2) Bjarke | | (2) Skulde | | (2,3) Hiartuar †♕ | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| (2,3) Hother †♕ | | (3) Nanna | | (3) Herlek | | (3) Gerit | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
(3) former King of Britain | | (3) mother of the King of Britain | | (3) a slave | | (3) a bondmaid | | (3) Rorik Slyngebond ♕ | | | | (3) Gerwendil | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | (3,4) King of Britain | | | | (3,4) Queen of Britain | | (3,4) Gerutha | | (3,4) Horwendil | | (3,4) Feng | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | (3,4) foster sister of Amleth | | (3,4) daughter of the King of Britain | | (3,4) Amleth | | (4) Hermutrude, Queen of Scotland | | (4) Wiglek ♕ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | (4) son of Amleth | | | | | | (4) Wermund ♕ | | | | | | (4) Frowin, governor of Sleswik | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | (4) Uffe ♕, aka Olaf the Gentle | | (4) daughter of Frowin | | (4) Ket | | (4) Wig | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | (4) Dan ♕ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | (4) Hugleik ♕ | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | (4) Frode the Vigorous ♕ | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | (4) Dan ♕ | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
(5) Kraka | | (5) Ragnar | | (5) Brak | | (4,5) Fridleif the Swift ♕ | | | | | | (5) Hun, King of the Huns | | (5) Hun | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | (5) Gotar, King of Norway | | | | | | | | | | | | (5) Westmar | | (5) Koll | | (5) Gotwar | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
(5) Roller | | (5,6) Erik† Shrewd-spoken | | (5) Gunwar the Fair | | (5) Alfhild | | (5,6) Frode ♕ | | (5) Hanund | | (5) Grep (eldest of three) | | | | (5) 11 other sons (two named Grep) | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | (6) Hythin, King of Tellemark | | | | | (5) Alf | | (5) Eyfura | | (5) Arngrim | | (6) Grubb | | | | | (6) Hiarn ♕ | | (6) Amund, King of Norway | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | (6) child of Hythin | | (6) Halfdan† | | | | (5) 12 sons, including Anganty | | (6) Ane | | (6) Juritha | | (6) Fridleif ♕ | | (6) Frogertha | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | (6) Hanef, King of Saxony | | (6) Swerting, King of Saxony | | | | | | (6) Olaf | | (6) Frode ♕ | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | (6,7) Siward† | | | | | | (6) sons of Swerting | | (6) sister of the sons of Swerting | | (6,7) Ingild ♕ | | (6) Helga | | (6) Helge | | (6) Asa | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | (6,7) Frode | | (6,7) Fridleif | | (6,7) Ingild | | (6,7) Olaf ♕ | | (7) Karl, governor of Gothland |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | (7) Ulfhild | | (7) Frode ♕ | | | | | | | | | | (7) Hather, a chief | | (7) Harald ♕ | | (7) Signe | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | (7) Erik† | | | | | | | | | | | | (7) Thorhild | | (7) Halfdan Biargramm ♕† | | (7) Harald | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | (7) Asmund | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Kings of Norway | | | |
Name spellings are derived from Oliver Elton's 1905 translation, The First Nine Books of the Danish History of Saxo Grammaticus, via Wikisource.
|
References