Skjöldr

Skjöldr (Old Norse Skjǫldr, Icelandic Skjöldur, sometimes Anglicized as Skjold or Skiold, Latinized as Skioldus; Old English Scyld, Proto-Germanic *Skelduz ‘shield’) was among the first legendary Danish kings. He is mentioned in the Prose Edda, in Ynglinga saga, in Chronicon Lethrense, in Sven Aggesen's history, in Arngrímur Jónsson's Latin abstract of the lost Skjöldunga saga and in Saxo Grammaticus' Gesta Danorum. He also appears in the Old English poem Beowulf. The various accounts have little in common.

Beowulf
Skjǫldr appears in the prologue of Beowulf, where he is referred to as Scyld Scefing, implying he is a descendant or son of a Scef (‘Sheaf’, usually identified with Sceafa), or, literally, 'of the sheaf'. According to Beowulf he was found in a boat as a child, possibly an orphan, but grew on to become a powerful warrior and king: Scyld the Sheaf-Child from scourging foemen, From raiders a-many their mead-halls wrested. He lives to be feared, the first has a waif, Puny and frail he was found on the shore. He grew to be great, and was girt with power Till the border-tribes all obeyed his rule, And sea-folk hardy that sit by the whale-path Gave him tribute, a good king was he.

After relating in general terms the glories of Scyld's reign, the poet describes Scyld's funeral, his body was laid in a ship surrounded by treasures: They decked his body no less bountifully with offerings than those first ones did who cast him away when he was a child and launched him alone out over the waves.

In line 33 of Beowulf, Scyld's ship is called īsig, literally, ‘icy.’ The meaning of this epithet has been discussed many times. Anatoly Liberman gives a full survey of the literature and suggests that the word meant "shining."

William of Malmesbury's 12th century Chronicle tells the story of Sceafa as a sleeping child in a boat without oars with a sheaf of corn at his head.

Olrik (1910) suggested Peko, a parallel "barley-figure" in Finnish, in turn connected by Fulk (1989) with Eddaic Bergelmir.

Legendary sagas
In the Ynglinga saga and in the now-lost Skjöldunga saga, Odin came from Asia (Scythia) and conquered Northern Europe. He gave Sweden to his son Yngvi and Denmark to his son Skjöldr. Since then the kings of Sweden were called Ynglings and those of Denmark Skjöldungs.

Gesta Danorum
In Gesta Danorum, Skioldus is the son of Lotherus, a wicked king who met his end in an insurrection. <!--{| Cuius filius Skyoldus naturam ab ipso, non mores sortitus per summam tenerioris aetatis industriam cuncta paternae contagionis vestigia ingeniti erroris devio praeteribat. Igitur ut a paternis vitiis prudenter descivit, ita avitis virtutibus feliciter respondit, remotiorem pariter ac praestantiorem hereditarii moris portionem amplexus. Huius adolescentia inter paternos venatores immanis beluae subactione insignis exstitit mirandoque rei eventu futurae eius fortitudinis habitum ominata est. Nam cum a tutoribus forte, quorum summo studio educabatur, inspectandae venationis licentiam impetrasset, obvium sibi insolitae granditatis ursum telo vacuus cingulo, cuius usum habebat, religandum curavit necandumque comitibus praebuit. Sed et complures spectatae fortitudinis pugiles per idem tempus viritim ab eo superati produntur, e quibus Attalus et Scatus clari illustresque fuere. Quindecim annos natus inusitato corporis incremento perfectissimum humani roboris specimen praeferebat, tantaque indolis eius experimenta fuere, ut ab ipso ceteri Danorum reges communi quodam vocabulo Skioldungi nuncuparentur. Praecurrebat igitur Skioldus virium complementum animi maturitate conflictusque gessit, quorum vix spectator ob teneritudinem esse poterat.

Hic non armis modo, verum etiam patriae caritate conspicuus exstitit: siquidem impias leges abrogavit, salutares tulit, et quicquid ad emendandum patriae statum attinuit, summa diligentia praestitit. Sed et regnum patris improbitate amissum virtute recuperavit. Primus rescindendarum manumissionum legem edidit, servi, quem forte libertate donaverat, clandestinis insidiis petitus. Proceres non solum domesticis stipendiis colebat, sed etiam spoliis ex hoste quaesitis, affirmare solitus pecuniam ad milites, gloriam ad ducem redundare debere. Omnium aes alienum ex fisco suo solvebat et quasi cum aliorum regum fortitudine, munificentia ac liberalitate certabat. Aegros fomentis prosequi remediaque graviter affectis benignius exhibere solebat, se non sui sed patriae curam suscepisse testatus. Idem perditam et enervam vitam agentes continentiamque luxu labefacere solitos ad capessendam virtutem rerum agitatione sedulus excitabat.

In quo annorum virtutisque procursu ob Alvildam Saxonum regis filiam, quam summae pulchritudinis intuitu postulabat, cum Scato, Allemanniae satrapa, eiusdem puellae competitore, Theutonum Danorumque exercitu inspectante ex provocatione dimicavit interfectoque eo omnem Allemannorum gentem perinde ac ducis sui interitu debellatam tributaria ditione perdomuit.

Puellam, cuius amore conflixerat, acerrimo nuptiarum aemulo liberatus in pugnae praemium recepit eamque sibi matrimonio copulavit. Ex qua parvo post tempore Gram filium sustulit. Cuius mirifica indoles ita paternas virtutes redoluit, ut prorsus per earum vestigia decurrere putaretur. Gesta Danorum, 1.3 - 1.4 Olrik's edition SKIOLD, his son, inherited his natural bent, but not his behaviour; avoiding his inborn perversity by great discretion in his tender years, and thus escaping all traces of his father's taint. So he appropriated what was alike the more excellent and the earlier share of the family character; for he wisely departed from his father's sins, and became a happy counterpart of his grandsire's virtues. This man was famous in his youth among the huntsmen of his father for his conquest of a monstrous beast: a marvellous incident, which augured his future prowess. For he chanced to obtain leave from his guardians, who were rearing him very carefully, to go and see the hunting. A bear of extraordinary size met him; he had no spear, but with the girdle that he commonly wore he contrived to bind it, and gave it to his escort to kill. More than this, many champions of tried prowess were at the same time of his life vanquished by him singly; of these Attal and Skat were renowned and famous. While but fifteen years of age he was of unusual bodily size and displayed mortal strength in its perfection, and so mighty were the proofs of his powers that the rest of the kings of the Danes were called after him by a common title, the SKIOLDUNGS. Those who were wont to live an abandoned and flaccid life, and to sap their selfcontrol by wantonness, this man vigilantly spurred to the practice of virtue in an active career. Thus the ripeness of Skiold's spirit outstripped the fulness of his strength, and he fought battles at which one of his tender years could scarce look on. Skiold was eminent for patriotism as well as arms. For he annulled unrighteous laws, and most heedfully executed whatsoever made for the amendment of his country's condition. Further, he regained by his virtue the realm that his father's wickedness had lost. He was the first to proclaim the law abolishing manumissions. A slave, to whom he had chanced to grant his freedom, had attempted his life by stealthy treachery, and he exacted a bitter penalty; as though it were just that the guilt of one freedman should be visited upon all. He paid off all men's debts from his own treasury, and contended, so to say, with all other monarchs in courage, bounty, and generous dealing. The sick he used to foster, and charitably gave medicines to those sore stricken; bearing witness that he had taken on him the care of his country and not of himself. He used to enrich his nobles not only with home taxes, but also with plunder taken in war; being wont to aver that the prize-money should flow to the soldiers, and the glory to the general.

And as he thus waxed in years and valour he beheld the perfect beauty of Alfhild, daughter of the King of the Saxons, sued for her hand, and, for her sake, in the sight of the armies of the Teutons and the Danes, challenged and fought with Skat, governor of Allemannia, and a suitor for the same maiden; whom he slew, afterwards crushing the whole nation of the Allemannians, and forcing them to pay tribute, they being subjugated by the death of their captain.

Thus delivered of his bitterest rival in wooing, he took as the prize of combat the maiden, for the love of whom he had fought, and wedded her in marriage. Soon after, he had by her a son, GRAM, whose wondrous parts savoured so strongly of his father's virtues that he was deemed to tread in their very footsteps. The Danish History, Book One Elton's translation -->
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Beowulf and Tolkien's legendarium
The passage at the start of the Old English poem Beowulf about Scyld Scefing contains a cryptic mention of þā ("those") who have sent Scyld as a baby in a boat, presumably from across the sea, and to whom Scyld's body is returned in a ship funeral, the vessel sailing by itself. Shippey suggests that J. R. R. Tolkien may have seen in this several elements of his legendarium: a Valar-like group who behave much like gods; a glimmer of his Old Straight Road, the way across the sea to the earthly paradise of Valinor forever closed to mortal Men by the remaking of the world after Númenor's attack on Valinor; and Valinor itself.