Halfdan the Old

Halfdan the Old, ancestor of many lineages

''Hyndluljód''

"Of old the noblest of all was Áli,

Before him Halfdan, foremost of Skjöldungs ;

Famed were the battles the hero fought,

To the corners of heaven his deeds were carried.


"Strengthened by Eymund , the strongest of men,

Sigtrygg he slew with the ice-cold sword;

His bride was Álmveig , the best of women,

And eighteen boys did Álmveig bear him.


"Hence come the Skjöldungs, hence the Skilfings,

Hence the Ödlings , hence the Ynglings,

Hence come the free-born, hence the high-born,

The noblest of men that in Midgard dwell:

And all are thy kinsmen, Óttar, thou fool!"

''Skáldskaparmál''

There was a king named Halfdan the Old, who was most famous of all kings. He made a great sacrificial feast at mid-winter, and sacrificed to this end, that he might live three hundred years in his kingdom; but he received these answers: he should not live more than the full life of a man, but for three hundred years there should be in his line no woman and no man who was not of great repute. He was a great warrior, and went on forays far and wide in the Eastern Regions: there he slew in single combat the king who was called Sigtrygg. Then he took in marriage that woman named Alvig the Wise, daughter of King Eymund of Hólmgard : they had eighteen sons, nine born at one birth. These were their names:

the first, Thengil , who was called Thengil of Men;

the second, Ræsir;

the third, Gram ;

the fourth, Gylfi;

the fifth, Hilmir;

the sixth, Jöfur ;

the seventh, Tyggi;
the eighth, Skyli or Skúli;

the ninth, Harri or Herra.

These nine brothers became so famous in foraying that, in all records since, their names are used as titles of rank, even as the name of King or that of Jarl. They had no children, and all fell in battle.

Halfdan and his wife had nine other sons also; these were:

Hildir, from whom the Hildings are come;

Nefir, from whom the Niflungs sprang;

Audi , from whom the Ödlings are come;

Yngvi, from whom the Ynglings are descended;

Dag , from whom come the Döglings ;

Bragi, from whom the Bragnings are sprung ;

Budli , from whom the Budlungs are come ;

the eighth was Lofdi , who was a great war-king ;

the ninth, Sigar , whence come the Siklings: that is the house of Siggeir , who was son-in-law of Völsung ,—and the house of Sigar, who hanged Hagbard .

From the race of Hildings sprang Harald Red-beard , mother's father of Halfdan the Black .

Of the Niflung's house was Gjúki.

Of the house of Ödlings, Kjár .

Of the house of the Ylfings was Eirík the Eloquent .

These also are illustrious royal houses:

from Yngvi, the Ynglings are descended;
from Skjöld in Denmark, the Skjöldungs are come;
from Völsung in the land of Franks, those who are called Völsungs.

One war-king was named Skelfir; and his house is called the House of Skilfings: his kindred is in the Eastern Region.

These houses which were named but now have been used in skaldship for titles of rank.

''Ættartolur''

Halfdan and his sons

Döglings

The mate of Dag was a mother of heroes ,

Thóra, who bore him the bravest of fighters,

Fradmar and Gyrd and the Frekis twain,

Ám and Jöfurmar , Álf the Old;

It is much to know,— wilt thou hear yet more?

Bragnings

Skilfings or Skjöldungs

Hildings

Siklings

Lofdungs

Ödlings

Budlungs

Niflungs

Halfdan the Old of Gór's lineage