The Tale of Styrbjörn: Difference between revisions

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The '''"Tale of Styrbjörn, Champion of the Swedes"''' (''Styrbjarnar þáttr Svíakappa'') is an [[The Icelandic Sagas|Icelandic short tale]] found in the [[wikipedia:Flatey Book|Flatey Book]] (c. 1390). It is quite short and likely a condensed abstract of a saga which is unfortunately lost. The same story is referred to in various other [[The Icelandic Sagas|Icelandic sagas]] and is also told somewhat differently in Saxo Grammaticus’ ''Danish History''.

The Kingdom of [[~~Useful Notes/Sweden|~~Sweden]] is ruled jointly by the brothers [[Notable Swedish Monarchs|Olaf and Erik]]. Olaf dies suddenly while his son Björn is still a child. When Björn is twelve years old, he asks his uncle Erik for his birthright – one half of the kingdom. But Erik puts him off, telling him to wait until he is sixteen.

The Kingdom of [[Sweden]] is ruled jointly by the brothers [[Notable Swedish Monarchs|Olaf and Erik]]. Olaf dies suddenly while his son Björn is still a child. When Björn is twelve years old, he asks his uncle Erik for his birthright – one half of the kingdom. But Erik puts him off, telling him to wait until he is sixteen.

But Björn, who is unusually strong and proud, gets in all kinds of fights and even kills one of Erik’s courtiers. For his aggressive spirit, he is nicknamed Styrbjörn, or [[Alliterative Name|Styrbjörn the Strong]] because of his strength. The Swedish farmers don’t like him and vote on an assembly that he is not fit be king. To appease him and get him out of the kingdom, Erik gives him 60 warships so he can go on [[Horny Vikings|viking cruises]].

Styrbjörn [[Plunder|plunders]] up and down the shores of the Baltic and finally defeats even the mighty [[The Saga of the Jomsvikings|Jomsvikings]], forcing them to accept him as their chief. Next, he invades [[~~Useful Notes/Denmark|~~Denmark]], until the Danes under their king Harald Bluetooth meet his demands – one, to give him the princess Thyra in marriage, two, to assist him with their entire fleet in three great battles, and three, to let him hand-pick one man from Denmark that must accompany him on his next campaign. When they agree, Styrbjörn, of course, chooses the king, Harald.

Styrbjörn [[Plunder|plunders]] up and down the shores of the Baltic and finally defeats even the mighty [[The Saga of the Jomsvikings|Jomsvikings]], forcing them to accept him as their chief. Next, he invades [[Denmark]], until the Danes under their king Harald Bluetooth meet his demands – one, to give him the princess Thyra in marriage, two, to assist him with their entire fleet in three great battles, and three, to let him hand-pick one man from Denmark that must accompany him on his next campaign. When they agree, Styrbjörn, of course, chooses the king, Harald.

Now finally feeling powerful enough, Styrbjörn sets out with his massive army to Sweden, ready to challenge his uncle and take the kingdom by force. Who will win?