Fjölnir 896236 215165545 2008-05-27T00:17:50Z CmdrObot 1079367 sp (2): cellpading→cellpadding {{dablink|For the programming language Fjölnir, see [[Fjölnir (programming language)]]}} '''Fjölnir''', ''Fjölner'', ''Fjolner'' or ''Fjolne'' ([[1st century BC]] - early [[1st century]] AD) was a [[Sweden|Swedish]] king of the [[House of Yngling]], at [[Gamla Uppsala]]. He appears in a semi-[[Norse mythology|mythological]] context as the son of [[Freyr]] and [[Gerd]]. Fjölnir drowned in a vat of [[mead]] visiting Peace-Fróði, an equally mythological king of [[Zealand]], where [[Denmark]] later appeared. Fjölnir was then succeeded by his son [[Sveigðir]]. ==''Grottasöngr''== ''[[Grottasöngr]]'' informs that Fjölnir was the contemporary of [[Caesar Augustus]] (63 BC, AD 14). He was a mighty king and the crops were bountiful and peace was maintained. At his time, king [[Fróði]], the son of [[Friðleifr]], ruled in [[Lejre]] in [[Zealand]]. ''Grottasöngr'' relates that when Fróði once visited [[Gamla Uppsala|Uppsala]] he bought two giantesses, [[Fenja and Menja]]: :Fróði konungr sótti heimboð í Svíþjóð til þess konungs, er Fjölnir er nefndr. Þá keypti hann ambáttir tvær, er hétu Fenja ok Menja. Þær váru miklar ok sterkar.<ref>[http://www.heimskringla.no/original/edda/grottasongr.php ''Gróttasöngr'' at ''Norrøne Tekster og Kvad'']</ref> However, the two giantesses were to be his undoing (see ''[[Grottasöngr]]''). ==''Ynglinga saga''== The ''[[Ynglinga saga]]'' tells that Fjölnir was the son of [[Freyr]] himself and the giantess [[Gerd]], but he was the first of his house who was not to be deified. <br /> {|cellpadding=3 | Freyr tók þá ríki eptir Njörð; var hann kallaðr dróttinn yfir Svíum ok tók skattgjafir af þeim; hann var vinsæll ok ársæll sem faðir hans. Freyr reisti at Uppsölum hof mikit, ok setti þar höfuðstað sinn; lagði þar til allar skyldir sínar, lönd ok lausa aura; þá hófst Uppsala auðr, ok hefir haldizt æ síðan. Á hans dögum hófst Fróða friðr, þá var ok ár um öll lönd; kendu Svíar þat Frey. Var hann því meir dýrkaðr en önnur goðin, sem á hans dögum varð landsfólkit auðgara en fyrr af friðinum ok ári. Gerðr Gýmis dóttir hét kona hans; sonr þeirra hét Fjölnir.<ref>[http://www.heimskringla.no/original/heimskringla/ynglingasaga.php ''Ynglinga saga'' at ''Norrøne Tekster og Kvad'']</ref><ref>[http://www.home.no/norron-mytologi/sgndok/kvad/yngli.htm A second online presentation of ''Ynglingatal'']</ref> | width="30"| | Frey took the kingdom after [[Njord]], and was called [[drott|drot]] by the Swedes, and they paid taxes to him. He was, like his father, fortunate in friends and in good seasons. Frey built a [[temple at Uppsala|great temple at Upsal]], made it his chief seat, and gave it all his taxes, his land, and goods. Then began the [[Upsal domains]], which have remained ever since. Then began in his days the Frode- peace; and then there were good seasons, in all the land, which the Swedes ascribed to Frey, so that he was more worshipped than the other gods, as the people became much richer in his days by reason of the peace and good seasons. His wife was called Gerd, daughter of [[Gymir|Gymis]], and their son was called Fjolne.<ref>[http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/heim/02ynglga.htm Laing's translation at the Internet Sacred Text Archive]</ref><ref>[http://www.northvegr.org/lore/heim/001_02.php Laing's translation at Northvegr]</ref> | |} <br /> Then Snorri tells that after Freyr's death, Fjölnir became the king of Sweden. However, he drowned in a vat of [[mead]] visiting Peace-Fróði (''Friðfróði''), the king of [[Zealand]]. <br /> {|cellpadding=3 | Fjölnir, son Yngvifreys, réð þá fyrir Svíum ok Uppsala auð; hann var ríkr ok ársæll ok friðsæll. Þá var Friðfróði at Hleiðru; þeirra í millum var heimboð ok vingan. Þá er Fjölnir fór til Fróða á Selund, þá var þar fyrir búin veizla mikil ok boðit til víða um lönd. Fróði átti mikinn húsabœ; þar var gert ker mikit margra alna hátt, ok okat með stórum timbrstokkum; þat stóð í undirskemmu, en lopt var yfir uppi, ok opit gólfþilit, svá at þar var niðr hellt leginum, en kerit blandit fult mjaðar; þar var drykkr furðu sterkr. Um kveldit var Fjölni fylgt til herbergis í hit næsta lopt, ok hans sveit með honum. Um nóttina gékk hann út í svalir at leita sér staðar, var hann svefnœrr ok dauðadrukkinn. En er hann snerist aptr til herbergis, þá gékk hann fram eptir svölunum ok til annarra loptdura ok þar inn, missti þá fótum ok féll í mjaðarkerit, ok týndist þar.<ref>[http://www.heimskringla.no/original/heimskringla/ynglingasaga.php ''Ynglinga saga'' at ''Norrøne Tekster og Kvad'']</ref><ref>[http://www.home.no/norron-mytologi/sgndok/kvad/yngli.htm A second online presentation of ''Ynglingatal'']</ref> | width="30"| | Fjolne, Yngve Frey's son, ruled thereafter over the Swedes and the [[Upsal domains]]. He was powerful, and lucky in seasons and in holding the peace. Fredfrode ruled then in [[Lejre|Leidre]], and between them there was great friendship and visiting. Once when Fjolne went to Frode in [[Zealand|Sealand]], a great feast was prepared for him, and invitations to it were sent all over the country. Frode had a large house, in which there was a great vessel many ells high, and put together of great pieces of timber; and this vessel stood in a lower room. Above it was a loft, in the floor of which was an opening through which liquor was poured into this vessel. The vessel was full of mead, which was excessively strong. In the evening Fjolne, with his attendants, was taken into the adjoining loft to sleep. In the night he went out to the gallery to seek a certain place, and he was very sleepy and exceedingly drunk. As he came back to his room he went along the gallery to the door of another left, went into it, and his foot slipping, he fell into the vessel of mead and was drowned.<ref>[http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/heim/02ynglga.htm Laing's translation at the Internet Sacred Text Archive]</ref><ref>[http://www.northvegr.org/lore/heim/001_02.php Laing's translation at Northvegr]</ref> | |} <br /> ==''Ynglingatal''== Snorri also quoted some lines of ''[[Ynglingatal]]'', composed in the [[9th century]]: {| | :Varð framgengt, :þars Fróði bjó, :feigðarorð, :es at Fjölni kom; :ok sikling :svigðis geira :vágr vindlauss :of viða skyldi.<ref>[http://www.heimskringla.no/original/heimskringla/ynglingasaga.php ''Ynglinga saga'' at ''Norrøne Tekster og Kvad'']</ref><ref>[http://www.home.no/norron-mytologi/sgndok/kvad/yngli.htm A second online presentation of ''Ynglingatal'']</ref> | :In Frode's hall the fearful word, :The death-foreboding sound was heard: :The cry of fey denouncing doom, :Was heard at night in Frode's home. :And when brave Frode came, he found :Swithiod's dark chief, Fjolne, drowned. :In Frode's mansion drowned was he, :Drowned in a waveless, windless sea.<ref>[http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/heim/02ynglga.htm Laing's translation at the Internet Sacred Text Archive]</ref><ref>[http://www.northvegr.org/lore/heim/001_05.php Laing's translation at Northvegr]</ref> | |} The ''[[Historia Norwegiæ]]'' provides a Latin summary of ''Ynglingatal'', which precedes Snorri's quotation. It also informs that Fjölnir was the son of Freyr, the father of Svegder and that he drowned in a vat of mead: {| | Froyr vero genuit Fiolni, qui in dolio medonis dimersus est, cujus filius Swegthir [...]<ref>Storm, Gustav (editor) (1880). ''Monumenta historica Norwegiæ: Latinske kildeskrifter til Norges historie i middelalderen'', Monumenta Historica Norwegiae (Kristiania: Brøgger), p. 97</ref> | Frøy engendered Fjolne, who was drowned in a tun of mead. His son, Sveigde, [...]<ref>Ekrem, Inger (editor), Lars Boje Mortensen (editor) and Peter Fisher (translator) (2003). ''Historia Norwegie''. Museum Tusculanum Press. ISBN 8772898135, p. 75.</ref> | |} The even earlier source ''[[Íslendingabók]]'' cites the line of descent in ''Ynglingatal'' and also gives Fjölnir as the successor of Freyr and the predecessor of [[Sveigder|Svegðir]]. In addition to this it summarizes that Fjölnir died at [[Friðfróði]]'s (i.e. Peace-Fróði): ''iii Freyr. iiii Fjölnir. sá er dó at Friðfróða. v Svegðir'': <ref>[http://www.heimskringla.no/original/islendingesagaene/islendingabok.php Guðni Jónsson's edition of Íslendingabók]</ref>. {{start box}} {{s-hou|[[Yngling|House of Yngling]]||||}} {{succession box|title=[[Mythological king of Sweden]]|years=|before=[[Yngvi]]-[[Freyr]]|after=[[Sveigðir]]}} {{end box}} ==''Gesta Danorum''== In ''[[Gesta Danorum]]'', Book 1, Frodi corresponds to [[Hadingus]] and Fjölnir to [[Hunding]]us, but the story is a little different. It relates how King Hundingus of Sweden believed a rumor that King Hadingus of Denmark had died and held his obsequies with ceremony, including an enormous vat of ale. Hundingus himself served the ale, but accidentally stumbled and fell into the vat, choked, and drowned. When word of this came to King Hadingus of this unfortunate death, King Hadingus publicly hanged himself (see [[Freyr]]). ==''Ballad of Veraldur''== [[Georges Dumézil|Dumézil]] (1973, Appendix I) cites a [[Faroese language|Faroese]] ballad recorded in 1840 about Odin and his son '''Veraldur'''. It is believed that this Veraldur is related to Fjölnir and Freyr, as per Snorri's statement that Freyr was ''veraldar goð'' ("god of the world"). In this ballad Veraldur sets off to [[Zealand]] to seek the king's daughter in marriage despite Odin's warnings. The king of Zealand mislikes Veraldur and tricks him into falling into a brewing vat in a "hall of stone" where Veraldur drowns. When Odin hears the news, he decides to die and go to [[Asgard]] where his followers will be also be welcomed after death. The tale is similar to that of the death of Fjölnir, son of Freyr, who accidentally fell into a vat of mead and drowned while paying a friendly visit to Fridfródi the ruler of Zealand. ==Other mentions== Fjölnir is also another [[List of names of Odin|name]] for [[Odin]], found in ''[[Grímnismál]]'' when the god revealed himself to [[Geirröd]], and in ''[[Reginsmál]]'' when he was standing on a mountain addressing [[Sigurd]] and [[Regin]]. [[Snorri]] also mentions it as an Odinic name in ''[[Gylfaginning]]''. ==Notes== <references/> ==Sources== *[[Ynglingatal]] *[[Ynglinga saga]] (part of the [[Heimskringla]]) *[[Historia Norvegiæ]] *[[Gróttasöngr]] *[[Gesta Danorum]] *[http://www.drengskap.com/gimle/modules/articles/article.php?id=45 Gimle: Hedniska ballader: Balladen om Oden och Veraldur (Frö)] (Text of the ballad of Veraldur). [[Category:Mythological kings of Sweden]] {{NorseMythology}} [[de:Fjölnir]] [[ja:フヨルニル]] [[sv:Fjölner]]