but that he died in his bed. Thiodolf tells of it thus:—
"Dyggve the Brave., the mighty king,
It is no hidden secret thing,
Has gone to meet a royal mate,
Riding upon the horse of Fate.
For Loke's daughter[1] in her house
Of Ingve's race would have a spouse;
Therefore the fell-one snatched away
Brave Dyggve from the light of day."
Dyggve's mother was Drott, a daughter of King Daup, the son of Rig, who was first called king in the Danish tongue. His descendants always afterwards considered the title of king the title of highest dignity. Dyggve was the first of his family called king, for his predecessors had been called Drotti, and their wives Drottningr, and their court Drotr. Each of their race was called Yngva, or Ynguni, and the whole race together Ynglinger.[2] The Queen Drot was a sister of King Dan Mikillati, from whom Denmark took its name.
Chapter XXI.
Of Dag the Wise.
King Dyggve's son, called Dag, succeeded to him, and was so wise a man that he understood the language of birds. He had a sparrow which told him much news, and flew to different countries. Once the sparrow flew to Reidgotaland[3], to a farm called
- ↑ Noke's or Loke's (the evil principle) daughter was Hæl, who received in the under world those who, not having fallen in battle, were not received by Odin in Valhalla. Our word hell is derived from the name of this goddess apparently.
- ↑ Is it possible that the Ingævones of Tacitus can have any relation to this tribe of Ynguni or Ingve? The passage, cap. 2., "De Moribus Germaniæ," has a remarkable coincidence with the saga story of these Northmen. "Celebrant carminibus antiquis (quod unum apud illos memoriae et annalium genus est) Tuisconem Deum, terra editum, et filium Mannum, originem gentis conditoresque. Manno tres filios e quorum nominibus proximi oceano Ingævones.," Here is a tribe of Ingæve deriving their origin from the gods, like the Ingve or Inguni of the saga.
- ↑ Reidgotaland is understood to mean Jutland, and Eygotaland the islands inhabited by the same people. It is by no means clear that these appellations of Gotlanders on the Baltic coast have any connection
