SIGURD iiBL\fi. \:\:> 



plundered England, could not be sons of the above-named 

 Kagnar. We must therefore suppose either that the name 

 Lodbrok's sons was used as a family name, both by Ragnar's 

 grandsons and following descendants, or that in a family nearly 

 related to his own there appeared a Lodbrok named after 

 him, who did not rule any realm in the North, but whose 

 sons were the mightiest and most valiant Vikings England 

 had ever seen. 



That several Ragnars existed at different periods is as 

 certain as that there were several Halfdans, Sigurds, Haralds, 

 Ivars, Knuts, Olafs, &c. The custom of calling children after 

 their father and grandfather still prevails to this day in Scan- 

 dinavia. 



Sigurd Hring, the victor of Bravoll, who succeeded Harald 

 Hilditonn, was a mighty chief ; his realm included the whole 

 of the present Denmark, Sweden, the countries bordering the 

 Baltic, and others westward, among them England. As was 

 the custom of those times, the vast possessions of great and 

 powerful chiefs were ruled by under or tax-kings. 



Sigurd Hring had a son, Ragnar. When old enough he 

 obtained ships and men, and became the greatest of warriors. 1 



" Sigurd Hring was king over Sweden and Denmark after 

 Harald Hilditonn ; his son Ragnar grew up in his hird ; he 

 was the largest and strongest man ever seen, and was like his 

 mother and her family in looks. It is known from all old 

 sayings about the people called Altar that they were much 

 handsomer than other men in the Northern lands, for all the 

 forefathers of Alfhild his mother and all their kindred were 

 descended from Alf the old; they were called Altar, and the 

 two large rivers which are called Elf 2 are named after him ; 

 the one divided his realm from Gautland, and was therefore 

 called Gautelf; the other separated it from the land nm\ 

 called Raumariki, and is called Raumelf. Ragnar was like 

 his father and his kinsmen in size, like Harald Hilditonn or 

 Ivar vidfadmi. W^hen Hring began to grow old and unuieldy 

 his realm began to lessen, and the remote parts were first lost. 

 King Adalbrikt (Adalbrecht) was descended from King Ella, 3 

 whom Halfdan Ylfing (Wolfing) had slain. He subjugated 



1 Ragnar Lodbrok's Saga, c. ii. 



2 They seem to have believed that Elf 

 (river) was derived from Alfar. 



3 Apparently there were two kings of 



the name Ella. 



2 F 2 



