Sigurd Ring

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via FoxyTunes Sigurd Ring was a Swedish and Danish king mentioned in many Scandinavian legends or sagas. In these old sources he is noted for winning the Battle of the Bravellir angainst Harold Wartooth and for being the father of Ragnar Lodbrok.

In the Hervarar saga, his grandfather Valdar died and his son Randver became the king of Denmark. When Randver died, his son Sigurd Ring became king of Denmark.

Harald Wartooth was king of Gotaland or Gotland, which is a part of Sweden. After Sigurd Ring defeated him, Harald Wartooth's son Eysteinn Beli ruled Sweden. The Gesta Danorum says that Harald Wartooth was the maternal uncle of Sigurd Ring. The Sögubrot af nokkrum fornkonungum says that Harold Wartooth was his father's brother. They shared a mother Auðr the Deep-Minded, who apparently had been married to Harold's father and then to Sigurd's father. In this story, Harold Wartooth made Sigurd Ring, the king of Sweden, when he was getting old. Then Sigurd Ring defeated him in battle and was also the king of Denmark. According to Hversu Noregr byggdist, Sigurd was the son of Randver and nephew of Harold Wartooth.

Sigurd's wife was Alfhild, the daughtre of king Alf of Alfheim. And Ragnar Lodbrok was their son. Alfheim or Elphame, and Elfhame means fairyland, the abode of the Elves. Apparently Elves do not live forever, because the Skjoldunga sagas says that Alfhild died.

According to this saga, when Sigurd Ring was an old man he went to Skiringssal to take part in the great blots. These were Norse pagan sacrifices to the Norse gods and the elves. While he was there, he saw a beautiful girl named Alfsol, daughter of King Alf of Vendel . He wished to marry her, but her brothers refused to allow it. Sigurd fought with the brothers and killed. Then he found that she had been given poison so that she could never marry him. When her body was brought to him, he carried her aboard a ship along with her brothers bodies. He then piloted the ship out to sea as it burnt. Burning ships were the traditional burial method for Norse nobles.

According to the Volsunga Saga, before Sigurd Ring, left to go and take Alfsol as a bride, he made his son Ragnar, his heir and had him recognized as the next ruler. Ragnar was only about fifteen when he became ruler.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigurd_Ring

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