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Hermuthruda

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Hermuthruda, Hermutrude (Old English: Eormenthryth) was a figure in Scandinavian romance.

The chief authority for the legend of Hermuthruda is the Danish chronicle Gesta Danorum by Saxo Grammaticus. Described as "the wild queen of Scotland", she became the wife of Wihtlaeg or Vigletus and is described as a Wicked Queen type of character such as found in a variety of fiction.

In the chronicle, Amlethus is sent to court Hermuthruda by the King of England. However the queen had a reputation for killing all suitors, Saxo saying "in the cruelty of her arrogance she had always loathed her wooers, and inflicted upon them the supreme punishment, so that out of many there was not one but paid for his boldness with his head". Hermuthruda takes a liking to Amlethus after stealing his shield and learning of his past. The couple are married until a battle with Wihtlaeg, before which Hermuthruda promises Amlethus her undying love for him, and that she will never marry another. After Wihtlaeg is victorious, Hermuthruda switches sides and immediately marries him in a display of inconsistency that leads to her becoming the "ancestress of Offa".

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 an asterisk (*). 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.

Humble
KEY
Angul Dan* GrythaMarriage or coupling
Parent and child
The Angles Humble* Lother* King of the SaxonsSuccession by other or unclear means
Roar
Sigtryg, King of the Swedes† Skiold* Alfhild
daughter of Roar Bess
sister of Gram Gróa Gram*† Sumble, King of the Finns
Wagnhofde
Signe Henry, King of the Saxons Hakon, King of the Nitherians
Hardgrep
Swipdag*†, King of Norway sister of Guthorm Guthorm* Hadding* Ragnhild
Asmund† Gunnhild Guthorm
Ulfhild Ubbe*
Henry Uffe† Hunding† Thorhild Scot
daughter of Uffe Ragnar† Swanhwid sisters of Swanhwid Handwan
Thorwald
Frode* daughter of Handwan
Hothbrodd† Halfdan* Ro Skat
Thora
Helge* Ro*
Athisl† Urse
King Gewar Rolf*† Krage Rute Bjarke Skulde Hiartuar†*
Hother†* Nanna Herlek Gerit
former King of Britain mother of the King of Britain a slave a bondmaid Rorik* Gerwendil
King of Britain Queen of Britain Gerutha Horwendil Feng
foster sister of Amleth daughter of the King of Britain Amleth Hermutrude, Queen of Scotland Wiglek*
son of Amleth Wermund* Frowin, governor of Sleswik
Uffe*, aka Olaf the Gentle daughter of Frowin Ket Wig
Dan*
Hugleik*
Frode* the Vigorous
Dan*
Kraka Ragnar Brak Fridleif* the Swift Hun, King of the Huns Hun
Gotar, King of Norway Westmar Koll Gotwar
Roller Erik† Shrewd-spoken Gunwar the Fair Alfhild Frode* Hanund Grep (eldest of three) 11 other sons (two named Grep)
Hythin, King of Tellemark Alf Eyfura ArngrimGrubbHiarn*Amund, King of Norway
Halfdan† 12 sons, including AngantyAneJurithaFridleif*FrogerthaFrok
Hanef, King of SaxonySwerting, King of SaxonyOlafFrode*
Siward†Unnamed sonsIngeld*HelgaHelgeAsa
FrodeFridleifIngeldOlaf*Karl, governor of Gothland
UlfhildFrode*Hather, a chiefHarald*Signe
ErikThorhildHalfdan*† BiargrammHarald
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.

See also

References

  1. Sir Israel Gollancz (1898). Hamlet in Iceland: being the Icelandic romantic Ambales saga, p. 36. AMS Press. ISBN 978-0-404-56502-2. Retrieved 6 December 2012.
  2. Jean Gabbert Harrell (31 January 2008). Profundity: A Universal Value. Penn State Press. pp. 146–. ISBN 978-0-271-02840-8. Retrieved 6 December 2012.
  3. ^ Antonio Ballesteros González; Lucía Mora González (2001). Popular Texts in English: New Perspectives. Univ de Castilla La Mancha. pp. 30–. ISBN 978-84-8427-126-0. Retrieved 6 December 2012.
  4. ^ Chambers, R. W., Beowulf, p. 39, Cambridge University Press, 1959.
  5. Gesta Danorum, Book IV (ed. Holder, Alfred., p. 102).
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