Frotho III

Frotho III was a legendary king of Denmark. He was mentioned by Saxo Grammaticus in Gesta Danorum and in the Skjöldunga saga. Saxo's account of his reign is considered a historicized version of the Vana-god Frey and was particularly demonstrated in the section detailing the king's war against the Huns.

Background

Frotho III was the son and successor of Fridlevus I. Frode reigned together with twelve "Diaren". He fought against the Slavs (sclavi) and defeated them. Then he stopped at the hand of the "Huns" subsidiary Hanunda. When they refused, he tried a sorceress to change her mind. Hanunda became his wife and bore a son Fridlevus. Then she went back to her father. Frode married Alvhild, a subsidiary of the Norwegian King Gothar. The King of the Huns attacked Frode with an alliance of several princes. After three days you could go over the corpses through the water. Frode won after seven days, called for the lords return to their dominions again. (Holmgard = Novgorod, Koenugard = Kiev, Revallis = Reval / Tallinn, Lapland, Eistland = Baltics). Frode was succeeded by his son Fridlevus.

Reign

Saxo divided the life of Frotho III into two parts, each featuring counselors to the king. The first covered the king's ascendancy after the death of his father and was dominated by the issue of guardianship on account of his minority. This part was an unflattering account due to the influence of evil counselors. The second part, which roughly began in Book V, saw the emergence of the virtuous Ericus as a new counselor who guided the king towards the path of Fortitudo, Temperantia, and Constantia. The new period described Frotho III as a peacemaker and legislator (law-giver) with Saxo claiming he was responsible for the Danish hegemony.

The family tree of legendary Kings of the Danes, according to the Gesta Danorum (Books I to VII)

Kings of the Danes are in bold and marked with an asterisk (*). Kings of the Swedes are marked with a dagger (†). Humble KEY Angul Dan* Grytha Marriage or coupling Parent and child The Angles Humble* Lother* King of the Saxons Inheritance by other or unclear means Sigtryg, King of the Swedes† Skiold* Alfhild Sumble, King of the Finns Gróa Gram*† Signe Henry, King of the Saxons Hakon, King of the Nitherians Swipdag*† [unnamed] Guthorm* Hadding* Ragnhild Asmund† Gunhild Guthorm Henry Uffe† Hunding† Thorhild Ulfhild Ubbe Scot Ragnar† Swanhwid Handwan Thorwald Frode* [unnamed] Hothbrodd† Halfdan* Ro Skat Thora Helge* Ro* Athils† Urse King Gewar Rolf*† Krage Rute Bjarke Skulde Hiartuar†* Hother†* Nanna Herlek Gerit Rorik* Gerwendil King of Britain Gerutha Horwendil Feng [unnamed] Amleth Hermutrude, Queen of Scotland Wiglek* Wermund* Frowin, governor of Sleswik Uffe*, aka Olaf the Gentle [unnamed] Ket Wig Dan* Hugleik* Frode* the Vigorous Dan* Kraka Ragnar Brak Fridleif* the Swift Gotar, King of Norway Hun, King of the Huns Westmar Koll Gotwar Roller Erik† Gunwar the Fair Alfhild Frode* Hanund Grep 11 other brothers (two named Grep) Hythin, King of Tellemark Alf Eyfura Arngrim Grubb Hiarn* Amund, King of Norway [unnamed] Halfdan† 12 sons, including Anganty Ane Juritha Fridleif* Frogertha Frok Hanef, King of Saxony Swerting, King of Saxony Olaf Frode* Siward† Unnamed sons [unnamed] Ingeld* Helga Helge Asa Frode Fridleif Ingeld Olaf* Karl, governor of Gothland Ulfhild Frode* Hather, a chief Harald* Signe Erik Thorhild Halfdan*† Biargramm Harald Asmund Kings of Norway Name spellings are derived from Oliver Elton's 1905 translation, The First Nine Books of the Danish History of Saxo Grammaticus, via Wikisource.

See also

• Fróði

Literature

• Saxo Grammaticus, Gesta Danorum, 4.12, 13
• Skjöldunga saga
• V. A. Motornyĭ, Dietrich Scholze, Konstantin Konstantinovich Trofimovich: Prašenja sorabistiki, Sorbisches Institut (Institut slavistyky) Bautzen 2003 Digitalisat, S. 66