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Ket and Wig

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Ket and Wig talk with their father's slayer, illustration by Louis Moe

Ket and Wig appear in the Gesta Danorum as the sons of Frowin, the governor of Schleswig. Wig also appears in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as the son of Freawine (Frowin) and father of Gewis, eponymous ancestor of the kingdom of Wessex and their kings, but this is thought to be a late manipulation, inserting these heroes into a pedigree borrowed from a rival royal house, in which the Bernician eponym Bernic was replaced by the Wessex Gewis.

Their father Frowin/Freawine was challenged to combat by the Swedish king Athisl, and killed. King Wermund, who liked their father, subsequently raised Ket and Wig as his own. They later avenged their father, but they fought against Athisl two against one, a national disgrace that was redeemed by their brother-in-law, King Wermund's son Offa, when he killed two Saxons at the same time, in "single combat". This event is referred to in Widsith as a duel against Myrgings.


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.

References

  1. Book Four of Gesta Danorum at the Medieval and Classical Literature Library
  2. Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, The Winchester Manuscript, under year 552 AD.
  3. Book Four of Gesta Danorum at the Medieval and Classical Literature Library
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