Notes

Note N183 Index

In Norse mythology Domalde, Dómaldi or Dómaldr was a Swedish king of the House of Ynglings , cursed by his stepmother, according to Snorri Sturluson , with ósgæssa, "ill-luck". He was the son of Visbur .
The luck of the king is the luck of the land,[1] and Domalde's rule was marked by bad crops and starvation. The first autumn, the Swedes sacrificed oxen at the temple at Uppsala , but the next harvest was not better. The second autumn, they sacrificed men, but the following crops were even worse.
The third year many Swedes arrived at Gamla Uppsala at the Thing of all Swedes and the chiefs decided they had to sacrifice the king. They sprinkled the statues of the gods with his blood (see Blót ) and the good harvests returned.
He was succeeded by his son Domar whose reign was prosperous.
Snorri Sturluson wrote of Domalde in his Ynglinga saga (1225 ):
Dómaldi tók arf eptir föður sinn Vísbur, ok réð löndum. Á hans dögum gerðist í Svíþjóð sultr mikill ok seyra. Þá efldu Svíar blót stór at Uppsölum; hit fyrsta haust blótuðu þeir yxnum, ok batnaði ekki árferð at heldr. En annat haust hófu þeir mannblót, en árferð var söm eða verri. En hit þriðja haust kómu Svíar fjölment til Uppsala, þá er blót skyldu vera. Þá áttu höfðingjar ráðagerð sína; ok kom þat ásamt með þeim, at hallærit mundi standa af Dómalda konungi þeirra, ok þat með, at þeir skyldu honum blóta til árs sér, ok veita honum atgöngu ok drepa hann, ok rjóða stalla með blóði hans. Ok svá gerðu þeir.[2] Domald took the heritage after his father Visbur, and ruled over the land. As in his time there was great famine and distress, the Swedes made great offerings of sacrifice at Upsal . The first autumn they sacrificed oxen, but the succeeding season was not improved thereby. The following autumn they sacrificed men, but the succeeding year was rather worse. The third autumn, when the offer of sacrifices should begin, a great multitude of Swedes came to Upsal; and now the chiefs held consultations with each other, and all agreed that the times of scarcity were on account of their king Domald, and they resolved to offer him for good seasons, and to assault and kill him, and sprinkle the stalle of the gods with his blood. And they did so.[3][4]

The sacrifice of Domalde by Halfdan Egedius.
Snorri included a piece from Ynglingatal (9th century ) in his account in the Heimskringla :
Hitt var fyrr at fold ruðu sverðberendr sínum drótni, ok landherr af lífs vönum dreyrug vápn Dómalda bar, þá er árgjörn Jóta dolgi Svía kind of sóa skyldi.[5][6] It has happened oft ere now, That foeman's weapon has laid low The crowned head, where battle plain, Was miry red with the blood-rain. But Domald dies by bloody arms, Raised not by foes in war's alarms Raised by his Swedish liegemen's hand, To bring good seasons to the land.[7][8]
The Historia Norwegiæ presents a Latin summary of Ynglingatal, older than Snorri's quotation:
Cujus [Wisbur] filium Domald Sweones suspendentes pro fertilitate frugum deæ Cereri hostiam obtulerunt. Iste genuit Domar [...][9] His [Visbur] son Domalde was hanged by the Swedes as a sacrificial offering to Ceres to ensure the fruitfulness of the crops. Domalde begot Domar, [...][10]
The even earlier source Íslendingabók cites the line of descent in Ynglingatal and also gives Dómaldr as the successor of Visburr and the predecessor of Dómarr : vii Visburr. viii Dómaldr. ix Dómarr[11].

Notes

Note N184 Index

In Scandinavian mythology , Visbur was a king of the House of Ynglings and the son of Vanlandi . He was burned to death inside his hall by the arson of two of his own sons in revenge for rejecting their mother and denying them their heritage. He was succeeded by his son Dómaldi .
Snorri Sturluson wrote of Visbur in his Ynglinga saga (1225 ):
Vísburr tók arf eptir Vanlanda föður sinn; hann gékk at eiga dóttur Auða hins auðga ok gaf henni at mundi þrjá stórbœi ok gullmen. Þau áttu 2 sonu, Gisl ok Öndur. En Vísburr lét hana eina ok fékk annarrar konu; en hon fór til föður síns með sonu sína. Vísbur átti son er Dómaldi hét; stjúpmóðir Dómalda lét síða at honum úgæfu. En er synir Vísburs váru 12 vetra ok 13, fóru þeir á fund hans ok heimtu mund móður sinnar, en hann vildi eigi gjalda. Þá mæltu þeir, at gullmenit skyldi verða at bana hinum bezta manni í ætt hans, ok fóru í brott ok heim. Þá var enn fengit at seið ok siðit til þess, at þeir skyldu mega drepa föður sinn. Þá sagði Huldr völva þeim, at hon mundi svá síða, ok þat með, at ættvíg skyldu ávalt vera í ætt þeirra Ynglinga síðan. Þeir játtu því. Eptir þat sömnuðu þeir liði, ok kómu at Vísbur um nótt á úvart ok brendu hann inni.[1] Visbur succeeded his father Vanlande. He married the daughter of Aude the Rich , and gave her as her bride-gift three large farms, and a gold ornament. They had two sons, Gisle and Ond; but Visbur left her and took another wife, whereupon she went home to her father with her two sons. Visbur had a son who was called Domald, and his stepmother used witchcraft to give him ill-luck. Now, when Visbur's sons were the one twelve and the other thirteen years of age, they went to their father's place, and desired to have their mother's dower; but he would not deliver it to them. Then they said that the gold ornament should be the death of the best man in all his race, and they returned home. Then they began again with enchantments and witchcraft, to try if they could destroy their father. The sorceress Huld said that by witchcraft she could bring it about by this means, that a murderer of his own kin should never be wanting in the Yngling race; and they agreed to have it so. Thereafter they collected men, came unexpectedly in the night on Visbur, and burned him in his house.[2][3]
Snorri included a piece from Ynglingatal (9th century ) in his account in the Heimskringla :
Ok Visburs vilja byrgi sævar niðr svelga knátti, þá er meinþjóf markar öttu setrs verjendr á sinn föður; ok allvald í arinkjóli glóða garmr glymjandi beit.[4][5] Have the fire-dogs' fierce tongues yelling Lapt Visbur's blood on his own hearth? Have the flames consumed the dwelling Of the here's soul on earth? Madly ye acted, who set free The forest foe, red fire, night thief, Fell brother of the raging sea, Against your father and your chief.[6][7]
The Historia Norwegiæ presents a Latin summary of Ynglingatal, older than Snorri's quotation:
Hic [Wanlanda] genuit Wisbur, quem filii sui cum omni curia sua, ut citius hærenditarentur, vivum incenderunt. Cujus filium Domald [...][8] He [Vanlande] was the father of Visbur, whose sons burnt him alive with all his hirdsmen, so that they might attain their inheritance more swiftly. His son Domalde [...][9]
The even earlier source Íslendingabók cites the line of descent in Ynglingatal and also gives Visburr as the successor of Vanlandi and the predecessor of Dómaldr : vi Vanlandi. vii Visburr. viii Dómaldr[10].