Styrbjörn the Strong

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Styrbjörn the Strong (Styrbjörn Sterki) or Styrbjörn the Swedish Champion (Styrbjörn svía kappi) (c. 960- c. 984) was according to the Norse sagas the son of the Swedish king Olof, and the nephew of Olof's co-ruler and successor Eric the Victorious. It is believed that there once was a larger saga on Styrbjörn, but most of what is extant is found in the short story Styrbjarnar þáttr Svíakappa. Parts of his story are also retold in Eyrbyggja saga and in Hervarar saga. He is moreover mentioned in the Heimskringla (several times), and in Yngvars saga víðförla where Ingvar the Far-Travelled is compared to his kinsman Styrbjörn.

The earliest attestation of Styrbjörn is from a contemporary (985) skaldic poem, a lausavísa 1. His battle against his uncle, king Eric, was also described by the contemporary Þórvaldr Hjaltason, in the following lausavísur:

Farið til Fýrisvallar,
folka tungls, hverr's hungrar,
vörðr, at virkis garði
vestr kveldriðu hesta ;
þar hefr hreggdrauga höggvit
(hóllaust es þat) sólar
elfar skíðs fyr ulfa
Eiríkr í dyn geira.[1]
Ilt varð ölna fjalla
örkveðjöndum beðjar
til Svíþjóðar síðan
sveim víkinga heiman ;
þat eitt lifir þeira,
þeir höfðu lið fleira,
(gótt vas) hers (at henda)
hundmargs, es rann undan.[2]

In modern days, he is also the hero of a novel called Styrbiorn the Strong by the English author Eric Rucker Eddison (1926), and he figures in The Long Ships, by Frans G Bengtsson.

Contents

[edit] Synopsis

The following synopsis is based on Styrbjarnar þáttr Svíakappa:

[edit] Youth

Styrbjörn was unusually big, strong and unruly (for a Viking) and although he was only a little boy he managed to kill a courtier who accidentally had hit him on the nose with a drinking horn.

When he was 12 years old he asked his uncle for his birthright, but when he was denied the co-rulership of Sweden he sulked for a long time on his father's mound.

When he was 16 the Ting decided that he was too unruly to be king of Sweden. As a compensation his uncle Eric gave him 60 well-equipped longships whereupon the frustrated Styrbjörn took his sister Gyrid and left.

[edit] Career

He ravaged the shores of the Baltic Sea and when he was twenty, he conquered the stronghold of Jomsborg from its founder Palnetoke, and became the ruler of the Jomsvikings.

After some time he allied with the Danish king Harold Bluetooth and married his sister Gyrid to him. Styrbjörn married Harold's daughter Tyra, whom he was given by Harold for conquering Jomsborg. (Styrbjörn had the son Torkel Styrbjörnsson with Tyra. Torkel had a daughter named Gytha Thorkelsdóttir, who married Godwin, Earl of Wessex and became the mother of Harold II of England).

[edit] The Battle of the Fýrisvellir

Harold gave him even more warriors and now Styrbjörn was about to reclaim the throne of Sweden. He sailed with a huge force which included 200 Danish longships in addition to his own Jomsvikings. When they arrived at Föret (Old Norse: Fyris) in Uplandia he burnt the ships in order to force his men to fight to the end. The Danish force changed its mind and returned to Denmark.

Styrbjörn marched alone with his Jomsvikings to Gamla Uppsala. His uncle was, however, prepared and had sent for reinforcements in all directions.

During the first two days, the battle was even. In the evening, Eric went to the statue of Odin at the Temple at Uppsala where he sacrificed. He promised Odin that if he won the battle, he would belong to Odin and arrive at Valhalla in ten years from then.

The third day, Eric threw his spear over the enemy and said "I sacrifice you all to Odin". Styrbjörn and his sworn men stayed, and died.

[edit] Archaeological evidence

  • The runestone DR 295 in Hällestad, Hallandia says: Eskil raised this stone after Toke Gormsson, his beloved master. He did not flee at Uppsala.
    • A : askil : sati : stin : þansi : ift[iR]  : tuka : kurms : sun : saR : hulan : trutin : saR : flu : aigi : at : ub::salum
    • B satu : trikaR : iftiR : sin : bruþr stin : o : biarki : stuþan : runum : þiR :
    • C (k)(u)(r)(m)(s) (:) (t)(u)(k)(a) : kiku : (n)(i)(s)(t)[iR]
    • A Æskel satti sten þænsi æftiR Toka Gorms sun, seR hullan drottin. SaR flo ægi at Upsalum
    • B sattu drængiaR æftiR sin broþur sten a biargi støþan runum. ÞeR
    • C Gorms Toka gingu næstiR.


  • The runestone DR 279 in Sjörup, Scania, relates: He did not flee at Uppsala, but fought as long as he had weapons.
    • [+ sa]ksi : sati : st[in] : þasi : huftiR : o[s]biurn : (s)in : fil(a)go ' (t)u-a[s : sun :] saR : flu : aki : a[t :] ub:sal(u)m : an : ua : maþ : an : uabn : a(f)þi '
    • Saxi satti sten þæssi æftiR Æsbiorn, sin felaga, To[f]a/To[k]a sun. SaR flo ægi at Upsalum, æn wa mæþ han wapn hafþi.


  • On the Högby Runestone, it says The good freeman Gulli had five sons. The brave champion Asmund fell on the Fyris Wolds.

[edit] Notes

Note 1: The highly source-critical Nationalencyklopedin states that he was a historical figure due to his mention in a scaldic poem. Unfortunately, it does not name it.

[edit] References


 Norse mythology
List of Norse gods | Æsir | Vanir | Giants | Elves | Dwarves | Valkyries | Einherjar | Norns | Odin | Thor | Freyr | Freyja | Loki | Balder | Tyr | Yggdrasil | Ginnungagap | Ragnarök
Sources: Poetic Edda | Prose Edda | The Sagas | Volsung Cycle | Tyrfing Cycle | Rune stones | Old Norse language | Orthography | Later influence
Society: Viking Age | Skald | Kenning | Blót | Seid | Numbers
The nine worlds of Norse mythology | People, places and things
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../s/t/y/Styrbj%C3%B6rn_the_Strong_2277.html"