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A few Icelandic sagas tell about kings that ruled in Kvenland.
Icelandic sagas
Despite the fact that the legendary title "King of Kvenland" appears widely used in various contexts, it is mentioned only once in that particular form/spelling in sagas:
In Egils saga Faravid is directly said to be the "King of Kvenland". He also appears to have been a Kven himself.
Two other sagas that mention Kvenland, Hversu Noregr byggðist and Orkneyinga saga, do not use that specific title.
In Orkneyinga saga, Fornjót is said to be "a king". It is stated that he "reigned over Gotland, which we now know as Finland and Kvenland". The specific term "King of Kvenland" is not used. Unlike Egils saga, Orkneyinga saga does not provide clues about the ethnicity of Fornjót or any of his descendants.
Hversu Noregr byggðist has very similar usage for the title. This time, the great-grandson of Fornjót (who is said to be "a man"), Snær, and his son Thorri are told to be kings. Kvenland now appears in relation to Thorri, of whom it is said that "he ruled over Gothland, Kvenland (Kænlandi), and Finland". Fornjót's great-grandson Snær is also mentioned in Ynglingasaga, in relation to Finland.
Again, the ethnicity of the kings is not directly discussed. However, interpretations of their ethnicity have been made based on other information provided. For instance, according to Hversu Noregr byggðist the Kvens made sacrifices to Thorri. This, along with similar pieces of information from other sources, has led many experts to believe that Thorri, who ruled over Kvenland, was himself of Kven origin as well.
In addition to Orkneyinga Saga (c. 1230), Hversu Noregr byggðist (c. 1387), and its appended Ættartölur (1387), medieval accounts that discuss the lineages sprung from Fornjót and his descendants - mainly Nór and Gór - leading to the later rulers of Sweden and other countries, include: Beowulf (8th-10th century), Íslendingabók (8th-10th century), Ynglingatal (late 9th century), Historia Norvegiæ (late 12th century), Skáldskaparmál (c. 1220), Hyndluljóð (13th century), Gesta Danorum (started c. 1185, finished c. 1216), Ynglinga saga (c. 1225), . However, whether or not Fornjót and his immediate descendants were actual historical people has been debated. Kyösti Julku notes that no geographical errors have been found in the descriptions of the Orkneyinga saga. He asks why therefore the people described in the account should be considered not to have existed.
See also
References
- Egil's Saga, Chapter XIV
- Hversu Noregr byggðist at Sacred Texts.com.
- Dasent, George W., ed. (2014). "Part 1". The Orkneyinger's Saga. Netlancers Inc.
- Sturluson, Snorri (1912). "Frá Vanlanda ". In Jónsson, Finnur (ed.). Ynglingasaga (in Danish and Old Norse). Copenhagen: G.E.C. Gads Forlag. p. 20.
Hann þá vetrvist á Finnlandi með Snjá inum gamla ok fekk þar dóttur hans, Drífu.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - "Heimskringla: The Ynglinga Saga". The Online Medieval and Classical Library. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
{{cite web}}:|chapter=ignored (help) - Julku, Kyösti: Kvenland - Kainuunmaa. With English summary: The Ancient territory of Kainuu. Oulu, 1986.