Haddingjar facts for kids
The Haddingjar are a cool topic from old Germanic stories. Sometimes, this name refers to two legendary brothers. Other times, it's linked to the Hasdingi, who were the royal family of the Vandals. The Vandals were a powerful Germanic group long ago. These stories about the Haddingjar are quite different from each other.
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Where Did the Haddingjar Stories Come From?
Some people think the Haddingjar were originally two ancient Germanic heroes. Their name might have come from Hazdingōz, which means "the longhairs." This is because men from old Germanic royal families often wore long hair as a sign of importance.
A Roman writer named Tacitus wrote about gods called the Alci. Some experts believe these Alci might be the same as the Haddingjar. Tacitus said that priests, dressed in women's clothes, worshipped these gods. He described them as brothers and young gods, similar to the Roman gods Castor and Pollux.
Later, around the year 170, another writer named Cassius Dio mentioned the Astingoi. This was a noble family among the Vandals. In the 500s, the historian Jordanes wrote about the Asdingi, who were the royal family of the Vandals. These names, Astingoi and Asdingi, are very similar to Haddingjar. This suggests a strong connection between the legendary heroes and the Vandal royal family.
Haddingjar in Old Legends and Myths
The Haddingjar appear in many old Norse (Viking Age) stories and poems. Here are some examples:
Brothers in Battle Stories
- In stories like Hervarar saga and Orvar-Odd's saga, there are two Haddingjar. They are listed as two of the twelve sons of a fierce warrior called Arngrim.
- Oddly, in Orvar-Odd's saga, after a hero named Orvar-Odd kills these two Haddingjar, his friend Hjalmar later mentions two Haddingjar among his friends back home. This shows how the name was used for different characters.
Kings and Rulers
- In the old text Hversu Noregr byggðist (which means "How Norway Was Settled"), there's a Hadding Raumsson. He was a king in a place called Haddingdalen in Norway. After him, his son and grandson also became kings and were named Hadding. In fact, six different kings in this family line were named Hadding!
- A poem called Helgakviða Hundingsbana II mentions a hero named Helgi Haddingjaskati. This means "Helgi, the prince of the Haddingjar." This likely refers to the Hasdingi, the Vandal royal family. This poem also talks about a lost poem called Káruljóð, named after Helgi's love, the Valkyrie Kára.
- The Gesta Danorum, a famous Danish history book by Saxo Grammaticus, tells many tales about a king named Haddingus. He might also be a memory of the Hasdingi Vandal kings.
Magic and Horses
- In an old poem called Guðrúnarkviða II, a character named Gudrun says a magic drink contained special runes. One of these was called the "unshorn corn ear of Haddingland." This might have been a special magic rune from the Vandals.
- In Snorri Sturluson's Skáldskaparmál, there's a poem called Kálfsvísa. It says that the king of the Haddingjar (meaning the Vandals) rode a horse named Skævað.
Local Legends
- The Norwegian valley of Hallingdal was originally called Haddingjadalr. Local stories say that a king named Hadding ruled this valley. After him, his two sons, also named Hadding, fought over who would control the valley. One of them was killed and buried in a mound in Gol. People still say that magical forest creatures, called huldufolk, can be seen there!
Images for kids
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An illustration of Hartung (right), fighting Walther of Kerlingen in the Rosengarten zu Worms chivalric epic (CPG 359 (1418), fol. 40v).
See also
In Spanish: Haddingjar para niños
