The Dog king is a Scandinavian tradition which appears in several Scandinavian sources: Chronicon Lethrense, Annals of Lund, Gesta Danorum (book 7), Heimskringla (Hákonar saga góða), Hversu Noregr byggðist and probably also in Skáldatal. Chronicon Lethrense (Danish: Lejrekrøniken English: Chronicle of Lejre/Leire) is a small Danish Medieval work from the 12th century written in Latin. ... Bishop Asgar, etching by the Danish-Norwegian illustrator Louis Moe (1857—1945) Gesta Danorum (Deeds of the Danes) is a work of Danish history, by 12th century author Saxo Grammaticus (Saxo the Grammarian). It is the most ambitious literary undertaking of medieval Denmark. ... Heimskringla is the Old Norse name of a collection of sagas recorded in Iceland around 1225 by the poet and historian Snorri Sturluson (1179-1242). ...

The Chronicon Lethrense and Annals of Lund tell that on the death of the 6th century Danish king Halga^[1], the Swedish King Eadgils^[2] sent a small dog to the Danes to take as their king but warned that whoever told him of the death of the dog would lose his life. One day, when larger dogs are fighting, the small dog sprang to the floor among them and was torn to death. Then Læ, the giant of Læsø, gave some advice on the matter to his herdsman Snow^[3]. Snow went to the Swedish king's court and by riddling talk eventually got the king himself to say that the dog was dead. Snow was then appointed king of Denmark in place of the dog. Snow was a vicious, oppressive, and dishonest king. Snow sent his servant named Roth 'Red', whom he disliked, to the giant Læ to ask about how Snow will die, intending that Læ would kill Roth who would be unable to pass his tests. Roth passed and Læ gave Roth two gloves to take to Snow in answer. Snow put them on in an assembly and lice suddenly attacked him and ate him to death. Thereupon Halga's son Hrólfr kraki was made king. This Buddhist stela from China, Northern Wei period, was built in the early 6th century. ... Helgi means holy and is an old Nordic name still used in e. ... Eadgils was a 6th century king of Sweden who appears in the Old English epic Beowulf. ... In Norse mythology Ægir is a giant and a king of the sea. ... Læsø is the largest island in the North Sea bay of Kattegat and a municipality in northern Denmark in the county of North Jutland, 19 kilometers off the Jutland Peninsula. ... Snær (Old Norse) Snærr, East Norse Sniō, Latin Snio) snow, in Norse mythology seemingly a personification of snow, appearing in extant text as an euhemerized legendary Scandinavian king. ... Hrólf Kraki (Old Norse), Rolf Kraki or Rolf Krake was a legendary king at Lejre on the isle of Zealand, Denmark, described in several old sagas and other documents such as the Leire chronicle and Gesta Danorum by Saxo Grammaticus. ...

In Gesta Danorum, book 7, Saxo Grammaticus tells of a Gunnar, "the bravest of the Swedes" who invaded Norway and relished in killing rather than pillaging. In order to humiliate the Norwegians after his victory against their aged king Ragnald, he appointed a dog as their ruler. He then appointed governors to take care of affairs of state in the name of the dog, and several ranks of nobles to watch over it. He also commanded that if anyone failed to show the dog respect, he was to be mutilated. Saxo, etching by the Danish-Norwegian illustrator Louis Moe (1857 – 1945) Saxo Grammaticus (estimated. ...

Hversu Noregr byggðist and Hákonar saga góða refer to a king named Eysteinn Illráði who had a dog as subking. Whereas Hversu only mentions the tale in passing Hákonar saga góða retells it in more detail. It is said that when King Eysteinn of Oppland (Eysteinn Upplendingakonungr or Eysteinn hinn illi) conquered Trondheim, he set his son Onund to rule them. When the people killed Onund, he subdued the area again, and offered the people either his slave, who was called Thorer Faxe, or his dog Saur, to be their new king. They chose the dog, as they thought they would be rid of him sooner. For three years Saur was treated regally, with a collar of gold, courtiers, a throne, and a mansion - and routinely signed paw-print decrees - until one day wolves broke into his fold and tore him to pieces. Oppland is a county in Norway, bordering Sør-Trøndelag, Møre og Romsdal, Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Akershus, Oslo and Hedmark. ... County Sør-Trøndelag District Municipality NO-1601 Administrative centre Trondheim Mayor (2005) Rita Ottervik (AP) Official language form Neutral Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 258 342 km² 322 km² 0. ...

Skáldatal mentions that a skald named Erpr lútandi was sentenced to death for killing in a sanctury. He saved his life by composing a drápa for Saurr dog-king. This Erpr was the skald of the Swedish king Eysteinn hinn illráði, which puts the events in the early 9th century. Eysteinn Beli or Eysteinn inn illráði, Swedish: Östen IllrÃ¥da (ill-ruler) or Östen Beli) was a legendary king of Sweden who would have ruled in the late 8th century. ... As a means of recording the passage of time the 9th century was that century that lasted from 801 to 900. ...

That a Saurr dog-king appears in the context of two kings named Eysteinn (hinn) illráði who lived in Oppland and Uppland respectively is probably not a coincidence. A similar confusion took place when the Swedish king Onela became Áli of Norwegian Oppland (instead of Swedish Uppland)^[4]. Oppland is a county in Norway, bordering Sør-Trøndelag, Møre og Romsdal, Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Akershus, Oslo and Hedmark. ... Uppland ( ) is a historical province or landskap on the eastern coast of Sweden. ... Onela was according to Beowulf a Swedish king during the first half the 6th century. ...

Notes

The first page of Beowulf This article is about the epic poem. ... Birger Nerman (1888 – 1971) was a Swedish archeologist and writer. ...

External links

• Hakon the Good's Saga at Northvegr
• Peter Tunstall's translation of the Chronicon lethrense at The Chronicle of the Kings of Lejre and Northvegr: The Saga of Hrolf Kraki: The Chronicle of the Kings of Lejre.
• Book seven of Gesta Danorum at the Online Medieval and Classical Library
• Skáldatal Old Norse text
• Sacred Texts: Appendix A: Fl. Book 1.21,22: How Norway was inhabited a translation of Hversu Noregr byggðist. (The genealogies of the descendants of Nór and the Ættartolur are not translated here.)