| Notater |
- Styrbj?rn the Strong (Styrbj?rn Sterki) or Styrbj?rn the Swedish Champion (Styrbj?rn sv?a kappi) (died c. 984) was according to late Norse sagas, the son of the Swedish king Olof, and the nephew of Olof's co-ruler and successor Eric the Victorious. The earliest attestation of Styrbj?rn is from a contemporary (c.985) skaldic poem, a lausav?sa about the Battle of the F?risvellir between Styrbj?rn and king Eric the Victorious.
It is believed that there once was a larger saga on Styrbj?rn, but most of what is extant is found in the short story Styrbjarnar ??ttr Sv?akappa. Parts of his story are also retold in Eyrbyggja saga, Gesta Danorum (book 10), Kn?tlinga saga and in Hervarar saga. He is moreover mentioned in the Heimskringla (several times), and in Yngvars saga v??f?rla where Ingvar the Far-Travelled is compared to his kinsman Styrbj?rn. He is also mentioned by Oddr Snorrason in ?l?fs saga Tryggvasonar (c.1190), where Oddr writes that Styrbj?rn was defeated with magic. In modern days, he is also the hero of a novel called "Styrbiorn the Strong" by the English author Eric R?cker Eddison (1926), and he figures in "The Long Ships" by Frans G Bengtsson.
Styrbj?rn 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 Styrbj?rn took his sister Gyrid and left. 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. Styrbj?rn married Harold's daughter Tyra, whom he was given by Harold for conquering Jomsborg.
Harold gave him even more warriors and now Styrbj?rn 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 F?ret (Old Norse: Fyris) in Uppland 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.
Styrbj?rn 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". Styrbj?rn and his sworn men stayed, and died.
The Eyrbyggja saga has a short summary of Styrbj?rn's career in connection with one of its protagonits:
"But when Biorn came out over the sea, he went south to Denmark, and then south further to Jomsburg, and in those days was Palnatoki captain of the Jomsburg Vikings. Biorn entered into covenant with them, and was called a champion there. He was in Jomsburg when Styrbiorn the Strong won it, and he went to Sweden when they of Jomsburg gave aid to Styrbiorn, and was withal at the battle at Fyrisfield where Styrbiorn fell, and fled thence to the woods with the other Jomsburg Vikings. And while Palnatoki was alive was Biorn with him, and was deemed the best of men and the bravest in all deeds that try a man."
The Hervarar saga gives an even shorter summary of Styrbj?rn and his battle with his uncle Eric:
"Olaf was the father of Styrbj?rn the Strong. In their days King Harold the Fair-haired died. Styrbj?rn fought against King Eric his father's brother at Fyrisvellir, and there Styrbj?rn fell. Then Eric ruled Sweden till the day of his death."
The Kn?tlinga saga tells that Styrbj?rn was the son of the Swedish king Olaf. When Harald Bluetooth ruled in Denmark, Styrbj?rn was making war in the east (? herna?i ? Austrveg) and came to Denmark where he took Harald captive. Harald gave his daughter Tyra to Styrbj?rn and joined him on his expedition to Sweden. When Styrbj?rn had arrived, he set his own ships on fire, but when Harald saw that Styrbj?rn no longer had any ships he sailed back out on M?laren (L?ginn) and back to Denmark. Styrbj?rn fought his uncle Eric on the Fyrisvellir and he fell together with most of his men. Some of his men fled and this the Swedes called the Fyriselta, the chase of the Fyris.
A more pro-Danish version is told in Gesta Danorum (book 10). In this source the Danish chronicler Saxo Grammaticus tells that Styrbj?rn was the son of the Swedish king Bj?rn. Styrbj?rn had an uncle named Olaf whose son Eric had taken the Swedish kingdom from Styrbj?rn. Styrbj?rn went to Harald Bluetooth bringing his sister Gyrithe with him, and humbly asked Harald for help. Harald decided to be friends with Styrbj?rn and married his sister Gyrithe. Harald then conquered the land of the Slavs and took the stronghold Julin (Jomsborg), which he gave to Styrbj?rn to command with a strong force. Styrbj?rn and his force (the Jomsvikings) dominated the seas winning many victories, and they were more beneficial to Danmark than any force on land would have been. Among the warriors were Bue, Ulf, Karlsevne and Sigvald. Styrbj?rn wanted revenge and asked Harald for help to take the throne of Sweden. Harald wanted to help Styrbj?rn and to this end he sailed to Halland, but was informed that the German emperor Otto had attacked Jutland and Harald was more eager to defend his own country than to attack another one. When Harald had driven away the Germans, Styrbj?rn had already rashly departed to Sweden with his own force where he fell.
This database researched and compiled by Norman Lee Madsen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 21 July 2015.
|
955 - 985 (~ 30 år)
[1]