Snæfrithr Svásadottir: Difference between revisions
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The sagas tell of king Harald being at a yule feast in [[Gudbrandsdalen]] at the estate Tofti, when he was visited by a giant called Svási arrived and invited him to his hut. In Svási's hut the king was presented to the giant's Finn (Sami) daughter Snæfrithr. The king was over come with lust and wanted to bed her, but Svási would not allow his daughter to be a concubine so the two were married. Harald is said to have spent all of his time with Snæfrithr and neglected his kingdom. During their three year long marriage she gave birth to 4 children: ''Sigurðr hrísi, [[Halfdan Long-Leg|Hálfdan háleggr]], Guðrøðr ljómi'' and ''Rǫgnvaldr réttilbeini.<ref name="H">''Harald hårfagres saga'' i ''Heimskringla'', kapitel 25.</ref>'' |
The sagas tell of king Harald being at a yule feast in [[Gudbrandsdalen]] at the estate Tofti, when he was visited by a giant called Svási arrived and invited him to his hut. In Svási's hut the king was presented to the giant's Finn (Sami) daughter Snæfrithr. The king was over come with lust and wanted to bed her, but Svási would not allow his daughter to be a concubine so the two were married. Harald is said to have spent all of his time with Snæfrithr and neglected his kingdom. During their three year long marriage she gave birth to 4 children: ''Sigurðr hrísi, [[Halfdan Long-Leg|Hálfdan háleggr]], Guðrøðr ljómi'' and ''Rǫgnvaldr réttilbeini.<ref name="H">''Harald hårfagres saga'' i ''Heimskringla'', kapitel 25.</ref>'' |
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When Snæfrith suddenly died, Harald was beside himself with grief, but a man known as Thorleif the Wise convinced the king to leave the chamber |
When Snæfrith suddenly died, Harald was beside himself with grief, but a man known as Thorleif the Wise convinced the king to leave the chamber where the queen laid and told him that it was not honorable to let the dead lie there in the same clothes she perished in. Harald agreed to have the clothes changed and the body moved but when his servants did so the body turned blue and started to smell awful. Men hurried to prepare a pyre, but before they burned her, toads, snakes and lizards crawled out of her body. When Harald realized Snæfrith had been a witch he became furious and had all his sons by Snæfrith sent away. Since that day Harald became ill-disposed towards magicians. When Rǫgnvaldr followed in his mother's footsteps, Harald sent his most loyal and beloved son [[Eric Bloodaxe|Eirikr Bloodaxe]] to murder Rǫgnvaldr.<ref>''Harald hårfagres saga'' i ''Heimskringla'', kapitel 26.</ref> |
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''[[Flateyjarbók]]'' credits a skaldic a "drapa" about Snæfrithr to Harald, ''Snæfríðardrápa''.<ref>Russell Poole (ed.) 2012, ‘Haraldr hárfagri Hálfdanarson, Snæfríðardrápa 1’ in Diana Whaley (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 1: From Mythical Times to c. 1035. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 1. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 68.</ref> |
''[[Flateyjarbók]]'' credits a skaldic a "drapa" about Snæfrithr to Harald, ''Snæfríðardrápa''.<ref>Russell Poole (ed.) 2012, ‘Haraldr hárfagri Hálfdanarson, Snæfríðardrápa 1’ in Diana Whaley (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 1: From Mythical Times to c. 1035. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 1. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 68.</ref> |
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Revision as of 10:24, 10 January 2022
Snæfrithr Svásadottir (or Snjófríthr Svásadóttir, Norwegian: Snøfrid Svåsedatter) was, according to medieval tradition a wife of the Norwegian king Harald Fairhair. The legend is described in both Heimskringla and Ágrip, and she is briefly mentioned in Orkneyinga saga. She is described as a Sami woman and is according to the sagas, the ancestor of Harald Hardrada. With the exception of Ragnhild the Mighty, she is the only wife of Harald Fairhair mentioned by name outside of Heimskringla[1].
Saga account
The sagas tell of king Harald being at a yule feast in Gudbrandsdalen at the estate Tofti, when he was visited by a giant called Svási arrived and invited him to his hut. In Svási's hut the king was presented to the giant's Finn (Sami) daughter Snæfrithr. The king was over come with lust and wanted to bed her, but Svási would not allow his daughter to be a concubine so the two were married. Harald is said to have spent all of his time with Snæfrithr and neglected his kingdom. During their three year long marriage she gave birth to 4 children: Sigurðr hrísi, Hálfdan háleggr, Guðrøðr ljómi and Rǫgnvaldr réttilbeini.[2]
When Snæfrith suddenly died, Harald was beside himself with grief, but a man known as Thorleif the Wise convinced the king to leave the chamber where the queen laid and told him that it was not honorable to let the dead lie there in the same clothes she perished in. Harald agreed to have the clothes changed and the body moved but when his servants did so the body turned blue and started to smell awful. Men hurried to prepare a pyre, but before they burned her, toads, snakes and lizards crawled out of her body. When Harald realized Snæfrith had been a witch he became furious and had all his sons by Snæfrith sent away. Since that day Harald became ill-disposed towards magicians. When Rǫgnvaldr followed in his mother's footsteps, Harald sent his most loyal and beloved son Eirikr Bloodaxe to murder Rǫgnvaldr.[3]
Flateyjarbók credits a skaldic a "drapa" about Snæfrithr to Harald, Snæfríðardrápa.[4]
Popular Culture
A character inspired by Snæfrithr appears in season 5 of History Channel's Vikings, played by Norwegian actress Dagny Backer Johnsen.
References
- ^ Steinsland, Gro (2007). Fornnordisk religion,. NoK, Stockholm. p. 451.
- ^ Harald hårfagres saga i Heimskringla, kapitel 25.
- ^ Harald hårfagres saga i Heimskringla, kapitel 26.
- ^ Russell Poole (ed.) 2012, ‘Haraldr hárfagri Hálfdanarson, Snæfríðardrápa 1’ in Diana Whaley (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 1: From Mythical Times to c. 1035. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 1. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 68.