Aun

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Ane, On, One, Auchun or Aun the Old Whic is meant for ugly(Audhun, the same name as the A-S name Edwin) was the son of Jorund and one of the Swedish kings of the House of Yngling, the ancestors of Norway's first king, Harald Fairhair.

Aun was a wise king who sacrificed greatly to the gods, but he was not a warlike king and preferred to live in peace. Consequently, he was attacked by the Danish prince Halfdan (the son of Fróði, the son of Dan the Arrogant, the founder of Denmark). Aun lost the battles and fled to the Geats in Västergötland, where he stayed for 25 years until Halfdan died in his bed in Uppsala and was buried in a mound.

King Aun could return to Uppsala, but he was 60 years old. In order to live longer he sacrificed his own son to Odin who promised him that he could live for another 60 years. However, after 25 years, Aun was attacked by Halfdan's cousin Ale the Strong. Aun lost several battles and had to flee a second time to Västergötland. Ale the Strong ruled in Uppsala for 25 years until he was killed by Starkad the old.

After Ale the Strong's death, Aun could return to Uppsala. Once again, Aun sacrificed a son to Odin, but this time Odin said that he would live as long as he sacrificed a son every ten years and that he had to name one of the Swedish provinces after the number of sons he sacrificed.

When Aun had sacrificed a son for the seventh time, he was so old that he could not walk but had to be carried on a chair. When he had sacrificed a son for the eighth time, he could no longer get out of his bed. When he had sacrificed his ninth son, he was so old that he had to feed by suckling a horn like a little child.

After ten years he wanted to sacrifice his tenth and last son and name the province of Uppsala the ten lands. However, the Swedes refused to allow him this sacrifice and so he died. He was buried in a mound at Uppsala and succeeded by his last son Egil. From that day, dying in bed of old age was called Aun's sickness among the Scandinavians.

Knátti endr at Upsölum ána-sótt Aun of standa, ok þrálífr þiggja skyldi jóðs alað öðru sinni. Ok sveiðurs at sér hverfði mækis hlut enn mjávara, es okhreins óttunga hrjóðr lögðis odd liggjandi drakk; máttit hárr hjarðar mæki austrkonungr upp of halda.[1][2]

In Upsal's town the cruel king Slaughtered his sons at Odin's shrine -- Slaughtered his sons with cruel knife, To get from Odin length of life. He lived until he had to turn His toothless mouth to the deer's horn; And he who shed his children's blood Sucked through the ox's horn his food. At length fell Death has tracked him down, Slowly, but sure, in Upsal's town.[3][4]

The Historia Norwegiæ presents a Latin summary of Ynglingatal, older than Snorri's quotation (continuing after Jorund):

Iste genuit Auchun, qui longo vetustatis senio IX annis ante obitum suum densæ usum alimoniæ postponens lac tantum de cornu ut infans suxisse fertur. Auchun vero genuit Eigil cognomento Vendilcraco [...]^[5]

The even earlier source Íslendingabók also cites the line of descent in Ynglingatal and it also gives Aun as the successor of Jörundr and the predecessor of Egil Vendelcrow: xv Jörundr. xvi Aun inn gamli. xvii Egill Vendilkráka^[6].

[edit] Notes

1. ^ Ynglinga saga at Norrøne Tekster og Kvad
2. ^ A second online presentation of Ynglingatal
3. ^ Laing's translation at the Internet Sacred Text Archive
4. ^ Laing's translation at Northvegr
5. ^ Storm, Gustav (editor) (1880). Monumenta historica Norwegiæ: Latinske kildeskrifter til Norges historie i middelalderen, Monumenta Historica Norwegiae (Kristiania: Brøgger), p. 100.
6. ^ Guðni Jónsson's edition of Íslendingabók

[edit] Primary sources

• Ynglingatal
• Ynglinga saga (part of the Heimskringla)
• Historia Norwegiae

[edit] Secondary sources

Nerman, B. Det svenska rikets uppkomst. Stockholm, 1925.

House of Yngling
Preceded by Jorund	Mythological king of Sweden First reign	Succeeded by Halfdan
Preceded by Halfdan	Mythological king of Sweden Second reign	Succeeded by Ale the Strong
Preceded by Ale the Strong	Mythological king of Sweden Third reign	Succeeded by Egil Ongenþeow

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