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23.
BORGAR-SKJOLD'S SON HALFDAN, THE THIRD PATRIARCH.
The Identity of Gram, Halfdan Berggram, and Halfdan Borgarson.
In the time of Borgar and his son, the third patriarch, many of the most important events of the myth take place. Before I present these, the chain of evidence requires that I establish clearly the names applied to Borgar in our literary sources. Danish scholars have already discovered what I pointed out above, that the kings Gram Skjoldson, Halfdan Berggram, and Halfdan Borgarson mentioned by Saxo, and referred to different generations, are identical with each other and with Halfdan the Skjoldung and Halfdan the Old of the Icelandic documents.
The correctness of this view will appear from the following parallels: [See also author's footnote below.]
| 1 |
Saxo: |
Gram slays king Sictrugus, and marries Signe, daughter of
Sumblus, king of the Finns. |
| Hyndluljóð: |
Halfdan Skjoldung slays king Sigtrygg, and marries Almveig with
the consent of Eymund. |
| Prose Edda: |
Halfdan the Old slays king Sigtrygg, and marries Alveig, daughter
of Eyvind. |
| Fornaldarsögur: |
Halfdan the Old slays king Sigtrygg, and marries Alfny, daughter
of Eymund. |
|
| 2 |
Saxo: |
Gram, son of Skjold, is the progenitor of the Skjoldungs. |
| Hyndluljóð: |
Halfdan Skjoldung, son or descendant of Skjold, is the progenitor
of the Skjoldungs, Ynglings, Odlungs, &c. |
| Prose Edda: |
Halfdan the Old is the progenitor of the Hildings, Ynglings,
Odlungs, &c. |
| Saxo: |
Halfdan Borgarson is the progenitor of a royal family of Denmark. |
|
| 3 |
Saxo: |
Gram uses a club as a weapon. He kills seven brothers and nine of
their half-brothers. |
| Saxo: |
Halfdan Berggram uses an oak as a weapon. He kills seven
brothers. |
| Saxo: |
Halfdan Borgarson uses an oak as a weapon. He kills twelve
brothers. |
|
| 4 |
Saxo: |
Gram secures Groa and slays Henricus on his wedding-day. |
| Saxo: |
Halfdan Berggram marries Sigrutha, after having slain Ebbo on his
wedding-day. |
| Saxo: |
Halfdan Borgarson marries Guritha, after having killed Sivarus on
his wedding-day. |
|
| 5 |
Saxo: |
Gram, who slew a Swedish king, is attacked in war by Svipdag. |
| Saxo: |
Halfdan Berggram, who slew a Swedish king, is attacked by Ericus. |
| Combined sources: |
Svipdag is the slain Swedish king's grandson (daughter's son). |
| Saxo: |
Ericus is the son of the daughter of the slain Swedish king. |
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