Frotho I

Frotho I, also known as Frode Haddingsson, is one of the legendary Danish kings in Saxo Grammaticus' Gesta Danorum, where he has a substantial biography. He is known for slaying an unnamed dragon and his military campaigns financed by the dragon's treasure.

Frotho succeeds his father Hadingus to the throne and replenishes the war-drained treasury by slaying a dragon and winning its treasure. According to the Gesta Danorum, Frotho is told of an island dragon guarding a trove of treasure and warned to cover himself (body and shield) with bull hide when battling the beast to block the poison and to aim for the dragon's belly. The dragon drinks some water and, on its way back, is slain by Frotho, the trove taken for himself.^[1]

He uses the money to finance expeditions into the Baltic, where he wins victories with clever stratagems (including one where he crossdresses as one of his own shieldmaidens). After some trouble at home he campaigns successfully in Britain and captures London. He finally dies in a war against the king of Sweden.

The family tree of legendary Kings of the Danes, according to the Gesta Danorum (Books I to VII)

Kings of the Danes are in bold and marked with a crown (♕). Kings of the Swedes are marked with a dagger (†). Superscript numbers before a name indicate in which books of Gesta Danorum the individual is mentioned.

⁽¹⁾ Humble

KEY

⁽¹⁾ Angul

⁽¹⁾ Dan ♕

⁽¹⁾ Grytha

Marriage or coupling

Parent and child

The Angles

⁽¹⁾ Humble ♕

⁽¹⁾ Lother ♕

⁽¹⁾ King of the Saxons

Succession by other or unclear means

⁽¹⁾ Roar

⁽¹⁾ Sigtryg, King of the Swedes†

⁽¹⁾ Skiold ♕

⁽¹⁾ Alfhild

⁽¹⁾ daughter of Roar

⁽¹⁾ Bess

⁽¹⁾ sister of Gram

⁽¹⁾ Gróa

⁽¹⁾ Gram ♕†

⁽¹⁾ Sumble, King of the Finns

⁽¹⁾ Wagnhofde

⁽¹⁾ Signe

⁽¹⁾ Henry, King of the Saxons

⁽¹⁾ Hakon, King of the Nitherians

⁽¹⁾ Hardgrep

⁽¹⁾ Swipdag ♕†, King of Norway

⁽¹⁾ sister of Guthorm

⁽¹⁾ Guthorm ♕

^(1,2,5) Hadding ♕

⁽¹⁾ Ragnhild

⁽¹⁾ Asmund†

⁽¹⁾ Gunnhild

⁽¹⁾ Guthorm

^(1,2) Ulfhild

⁽²⁾ Ubbe ♕

⁽¹⁾ Henry

⁽¹⁾ Uffe†

^(1,2) Hunding†

⁽²⁾ Thorhild

⁽²⁾ Scot

⁽¹⁾ daughter of Uffe

⁽²⁾ Ragnar†

⁽²⁾ Swanhwid

⁽²⁾ sisters of Swanhwid

⁽²⁾ Handwan

⁽²⁾ Thorwald

^(2,5) Frode ♕

⁽²⁾ daughter of Handwan

^(2,3) Hothbrodd†

⁽²⁾ Halfdan ♕

⁽²⁾ Ro

⁽²⁾ Skat

⁽²⁾ Thora

^(2,3) Helge ♕

⁽²⁾ Ro ♕

^(2,3) Athisl†

⁽²⁾ Urse

^(2,3) King Gewar

^(2,3) Rolf Krage ♕†

⁽²⁾ Rute

⁽²⁾ Bjarke

⁽²⁾ Skulde

^(2,3) Hiartuar †♕

^(2,3) Hother †♕

⁽³⁾ Nanna

⁽³⁾ Herlek

⁽³⁾ Gerit

⁽³⁾ former King of Britain

⁽³⁾ mother of the King of Britain

⁽³⁾ a slave

⁽³⁾ a bondmaid

⁽³⁾ Rorik Slyngebond ♕

⁽³⁾ Gerwendil

^(3,4) King of Britain

^(3,4) Queen of Britain

^(3,4) Gerutha

^(3,4) Horwendil

^(3,4) Feng

^(3,4) foster sister of Amleth

^(3,4) daughter of the King of Britain

^(3,4) Amleth

⁽⁴⁾ Hermutrude, Queen of Scotland

⁽⁴⁾ Wiglek ♕

⁽⁴⁾ son of Amleth

⁽⁴⁾ Wermund ♕

⁽⁴⁾ Frowin, governor of Sleswik

⁽⁴⁾ Uffe ♕, aka Olaf the Gentle

⁽⁴⁾ daughter of Frowin

⁽⁴⁾ Ket

⁽⁴⁾ Wig

⁽⁴⁾ Dan ♕

⁽⁴⁾ Hugleik ♕

⁽⁴⁾ Frode the Vigorous ♕

⁽⁴⁾ Dan ♕

⁽⁵⁾ Kraka

⁽⁵⁾ Ragnar

⁽⁵⁾ Brak

^(4,5) Fridleif the Swift ♕

⁽⁵⁾ Hun, King of the Huns

⁽⁵⁾ Hun

⁽⁵⁾ Gotar, King of Norway

⁽⁵⁾ Westmar

⁽⁵⁾ Koll

⁽⁵⁾ Gotwar

⁽⁵⁾ Roller

^(5,6) Erik† Shrewd-spoken

⁽⁵⁾ Gunwar the Fair

⁽⁵⁾ Alfhild

^(5,6) Frode ♕

⁽⁵⁾ Hanund

⁽⁵⁾ Grep (eldest of three)

⁽⁵⁾ 11 other sons (two named Grep)

⁽⁶⁾ Hythin, King of Tellemark

⁽⁵⁾ Alf

⁽⁵⁾ Eyfura

⁽⁵⁾ Arngrim

⁽⁶⁾ Grubb

⁽⁶⁾ Hiarn ♕

⁽⁶⁾ Amund, King of Norway

⁽⁶⁾ child of Hythin

⁽⁶⁾ Halfdan†

⁽⁵⁾ 12 sons, including Anganty

⁽⁶⁾ Ane

⁽⁶⁾ Juritha

⁽⁶⁾ Fridleif ♕

⁽⁶⁾ Frogertha

⁽⁶⁾ Hanef, King of Saxony

⁽⁶⁾ Swerting, King of Saxony

⁽⁶⁾ Olaf

⁽⁶⁾ Frode ♕

^(6,7) Siward†

⁽⁶⁾ sons of Swerting

⁽⁶⁾ sister of the sons of Swerting

^(6,7) Ingild ♕

⁽⁶⁾ Helga

⁽⁶⁾ Helge

⁽⁶⁾ Asa

^(6,7) Frode

^(6,7) Fridleif

^(6,7) Ingild

^(6,7) Olaf ♕

⁽⁷⁾ Karl, governor of Gothland

⁽⁷⁾ Ulfhild

⁽⁷⁾ Frode ♕

⁽⁷⁾ Hather, a chief

⁽⁷⁾ Harald ♕

⁽⁷⁾ Signe

⁽⁷⁾ Erik†

⁽⁷⁾ Thorhild

⁽⁷⁾ Halfdan Biargramm ♕†

⁽⁷⁾ Harald

⁽⁷⁾ Asmund

Kings of Norway

Name spellings are derived from Oliver Elton's 1905 translation, The First Nine Books of the Danish History of Saxo Grammaticus, via Wikisource.

References

^ Fisher, Peter; Davidson, Hilda Ellis, eds. (1980), Saxo Grammaticus The History of the Danes, Book I-IX, vol. II: Commentary, Cambridge: D. S. Brewer

Davidson, Hilda Ellis (ed.) and Peter Fisher (tr.) (1999). Saxo Grammaticus : The History of the Danes : Books I-IX. Bury St Edmunds: St Edmundsbury Press. ISBN 0-85991-502-6. First published 1979-1980.
Elton, Oliver (tr.) (1905). The Nine Books of the Danish History of Saxo Grammaticus. New York: Norroena Society. Available online
Olrik, J. and H. Ræder (1931). Saxo Grammaticus : Gesta Danorum. Available online

[1] Fisher, Peter; Davidson, Hilda Ellis, eds. (1980), Saxo Grammaticus The History of the Danes, Book I-IX, vol. II: Commentary, Cambridge: D. S. Brewer

[1]

See also

References