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Ale the Strong

Ale the Strong

Overview

Ale the Strong (Heimskringla
Heimskringla
Heimskringla is the best known of the Old Norse kings' sagas. It was written in Old Norse in Iceland by the poet and historian Snorri Sturluson ca. 1230...

) or Ole (English: Olaf), in Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a geographical region in northern Europe that includes, and is named after, the Scanian Province. It consists of the kingdoms of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark...

n legend, belonged to the House of Skjöldung (Scylding
Scylding
Old English Scylding and Old Norse Skjöldung , meaning in both languages Shielding, refers to members of a legendary royal family of Danes and sometimes to their people. The name is explained in many text by the descent of this family from an eponymous king Scyld/Skjöld...

), and he was the son of king Fridleif of Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries; southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and it is bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark borders both the Baltic and the North Sea...

 and a cousin of Helgi's (and consequently of the Hrothgar of Beowulf
Beowulf
Beowulf is an Old English heroic epic poem of unknown authorship, dating as recorded in the Nowell Codex manuscript from between the 8th and the early 11th century, set in Denmark and Sweden...

). He fought several battles against king Aun
Aun
Ane, On, One, Auchun or Aun the Old , English: Edwin, was the son of Jorund and one of the Swedish kings of the House of Yngling, the ancestors of Norway's first king, Harald Fairhair....

 of Uppsala
Uppsala
Uppsala is the capital of Uppsala County and the fourth largest city of Sweden with 144,839 inhabitants....

, and he ruled in Uppsala for 25 years until he was killed by Starkad
Starkad
Starkad, Old Norse: Starkaðr or Störkuðr, Latin: Starcaterus, and during the late Middle Ages, also known as Starkodder, was a legendary hero in Norse mythology....

 the old.
According to Starbäck and Bäckström, Saxo Grammaticus
Saxo Grammaticus
Saxo Grammaticus also known as Saxo cognomine Longus was a Danish historian, thought to have been a secular clerk or secretary to Absalon, Archbishop of Lund. He is the author of the first full history of Denmark.- Life :...

 tells a related story in Gesta Danorum
Gesta Danorum
Gesta Danorum is a work of Danish history, by the 12th century author Saxo Grammaticus . It is the most ambitious literary undertaking of medieval Denmark and is an essential source for the nation's early history...

.

Starkad was accepted with honour in the warband of the Norwegian hero Ole (Olo).
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Encyclopedia

Ale the Strong (Heimskringla
Heimskringla
Heimskringla is the best known of the Old Norse kings' sagas. It was written in Old Norse in Iceland by the poet and historian Snorri Sturluson ca. 1230...

) or Ole (English: Olaf), in Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a geographical region in northern Europe that includes, and is named after, the Scanian Province. It consists of the kingdoms of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark...

n legend, belonged to the House of Skjöldung (Scylding
Scylding
Old English Scylding and Old Norse Skjöldung , meaning in both languages Shielding, refers to members of a legendary royal family of Danes and sometimes to their people. The name is explained in many text by the descent of this family from an eponymous king Scyld/Skjöld...

), and he was the son of king Fridleif of Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries; southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and it is bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark borders both the Baltic and the North Sea...

 and a cousin of Helgi's (and consequently of the Hrothgar of Beowulf
Beowulf
Beowulf is an Old English heroic epic poem of unknown authorship, dating as recorded in the Nowell Codex manuscript from between the 8th and the early 11th century, set in Denmark and Sweden...

). He fought several battles against king Aun
Aun
Ane, On, One, Auchun or Aun the Old , English: Edwin, was the son of Jorund and one of the Swedish kings of the House of Yngling, the ancestors of Norway's first king, Harald Fairhair....

 of Uppsala
Uppsala
Uppsala is the capital of Uppsala County and the fourth largest city of Sweden with 144,839 inhabitants....

, and he ruled in Uppsala for 25 years until he was killed by Starkad
Starkad
Starkad, Old Norse: Starkaðr or Störkuðr, Latin: Starcaterus, and during the late Middle Ages, also known as Starkodder, was a legendary hero in Norse mythology....

 the old.
According to Starbäck and Bäckström, Saxo Grammaticus
Saxo Grammaticus
Saxo Grammaticus also known as Saxo cognomine Longus was a Danish historian, thought to have been a secular clerk or secretary to Absalon, Archbishop of Lund. He is the author of the first full history of Denmark.- Life :...

 tells a related story in Gesta Danorum
Gesta Danorum
Gesta Danorum is a work of Danish history, by the 12th century author Saxo Grammaticus . It is the most ambitious literary undertaking of medieval Denmark and is an essential source for the nation's early history...

.

Starkad was accepted with honour in the warband of the Norwegian hero Ole (Olo). However, when Ole had succeeded in conquering Zealand, Starkad was convinced to join Lennius/Lenus/Lennus scheme to attack and kill Ole. However, Ole was hard to kill as his gaze scared everyone. It was not until Starkad managed to cover Ole's face that he could kill him. Starkad was rewarded with 120 pounds in gold, but regretted his crime, and avenged Ole's death by killing Lennius.