Sveigder

Sveigder or Swegde was a Swedish king of the House of Yngling in Norse mythology. He was the son of Fjölner.

The Ynglinga saga relates that at his father's death Sveigder vowed to go to Godheim (Asgard) and visit Odin. He took his twelve hirdmen (companions; literally 'household men') and went through the world. He came to Turkland and Great Sweden (Russia), but after five years he returned home. He got himself a wife from Vanaheim (a Vanir?) who was called Vana and they had a son, Vanlande. Then Sveigder resumed his search for Odin and came to a mansion east of Sweden called Stein (see also Ingvar) which was called so because there was a stone as big as a house. After sunset, Sveigder was going to bed from having drunk with the hosts, and passing the stone he saw that a dwarf (see elf) was sitting under it. Sveigder and his companion were drunk and ran for the dwarf. The dwarf called to Sveigder to come into the stone and see Odin which Sveigder did and he never came back.

Snorri also quoted some lines from Ynglingatal composed in the 9th century:

En dagskjarr

Dúrnis niðja

salvörðuðr

Sveigði vétti,

þá er í stein

enn stórgeði

Dusla konr

ept dvergi hljóp,

ok salr bjartr

þeira Sökmímis

jötunbyggðr

við jöfri gein.[link]

By Diurnir's elfin race,

Who haunt the cliffs and shun day's face,

The valiant Swegde was deceived,

The elf's false words the king believed.

The dauntless hero rushing on,

Passed through the yawning mouth of stone:

It yawned -- it shut -- the hero fell,

In Saekmime's hall, where giants dwell.(Laing's translation [link])

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Sources

Ynglingatal
Ynglinga saga (part of the Heimskringla)
Historia Norwegiae

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