In the twelfth-century Danish history ''
Gesta Danorum
("Deeds of the Danes") is a patriotic work of Danish history, by the 12th-century author Saxo Grammaticus ("Saxo the Literate", literally "the Grammarian"). It is the most ambitious literary undertaking of medieval Denmark and is an essentia ...
'' (''The Deeds of the Danes''), Siward, (''Sywardus''), was an ancient king in
Götaland
Götaland (; also '' Gothia'', ''Gothland'', ''Gothenland'' or ''Gautland'') is one of three lands of Sweden and comprises ten provinces. Geographically it is located in the south of Sweden, bounded to the north by Svealand, with the deep wo ...
, who had a daughter named
Alfhild, who became a legendary Viking pirate.
To protect his daughter from unworthy suitors, Siward had her chamber guarded by a lizard and a snake. He also said that if any man tried to enter it, and failed, his head was to be taken off and impaled on a stake.
When
Alf, a
Danish prince, managed to defeat the animal guards, Siward told him that he would only accept "that man for his daughter's husband, of whom she made a free and decided choice". At first, Alfhild said no and ran away from home, but, after some adventures with her Viking fleet, she met Alf in a sea combat, and, after losing the battle, decided to marry him.
Siward also had two sons, Wemund and Osten.
In popular culture
The name ''Synardus'' seems to be a medieval or modern invention.
In the original Latin text of ''Gesta Danorum'', it is rendered ''Siwardus'' and ''Sywardus''. In Danish, it is ''Sivard''.
See also
*
Alf and Alfhild
According to the ''Gesta Danorum'', Alfhild, daughter of the Geatish king Siward, was a shieldmaiden who had her own fleet of longships with crews of young female pirates and raided along the coasts of the Baltic Sea.
As a young princess, Alfh ...
*
Yngwin Yngwin (''"Yngve"'') was, according to Gesta Danorum, a king in Götaland, who was a close friend to one of the Danish kings named Halfdan.
This Danish king had no sons, so he left his treasures and his kingdom to Yngwin. Yngwin then moved to Denm ...
*
Awilda
According to the ''Gesta Danorum'', Alfhild, daughter of the Geatish king Siward, was a shieldmaiden who had her own fleet of longships with crews of young female pirates and raided along the coasts of the Baltic Sea.
As a young princess, Alfh ...
References
{{reflist
External sources
Gesta Danorum, book 7.Another version of Gesta Danorum (in Danish)
Legendary kings of the Geats