Wihtlæg

Wihtlæg, Whitlæg, Wighlek, Wiglecus, Wiglek, Witlac^[1] or Viglek^[2] is a legendary king of either Denmark or Angeln in Germanic legends.^{[dubious – discuss]} He is known in Saxo's kings of Denmark by the name of Vigletus.^[3]

In the Anglo-Saxon royal genealogies, Whitlæg is a descendant of Woden. According to the genealogies in the Anglian collection, Woden's son Weothulgeot was ancestor to the royal house of Mercia and the father of Whitlæg. According to the Historia Britonum, Weothulgeot was father of Weaga who was father of Whitlæg. But the two Anglo-Saxon Chronicle versions of this genealogy include neither Weothulgeot nor Weaga but make Whitlæg himself the son of Woden. In all versions Whitlæg is father of Wermund, father of Offa of Angel. According to the Old English poem Widsith Offa ruled over the continental Angles.

Wiglek

Main article: List of legendary kings of Denmark

The 12th-century Gesta Danorum tells that when the Danish king Rorik Slyngebond had died Wiglek succeeded him. He took all the wealth from the mother of Amleth^[a] and complained about Amleth's actions as the ruler of Jutland. Amleth, on the other hand offered Wiglek riches, in reconciliation. Wiglek disposed of Fiallar, the ruler of Scania who retired to Undensakre, and then he mustered the leidang of Zealand and Scania, and sent a message to Amleth challenging him to war. In the battle Amleth fell, and his wife Hermutrude gave up herself as Wiglek's spoil of war. Wiglek died of illness and was succeeded by his son Wermund, the father of Uffo (Offa). Kemp Malone suggested that Saxo's Wiglek "probably represents a fusion of the Geatish Wiglaf and the Anglian Wihtlaeg."^[4]

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.

Notes

1. Inspiration for Hamlet.

References

1. Henry (of Huntingdon) (1853). The Chronicle of Henry of Huntingdon: Comprising the History of England, from the Invasion of Julius Cæsar to the Accession of Henry II. Also, The Acts of Stephen, King of England and Duke of Normandy. H. G. Bohn. pp. 57–. Retrieved 6 December 2012.
2. Tom A Shippey; Andreas Haarder (1998). Beowulf: The Critical Heritage. Routledge. pp. 301–. ISBN 978-0-415-02970-4. Retrieved 6 December 2012.
3. Raymond Wilson Chambers (31 October 2010). Widsith: A Study in Old English Heroic Legend. Cambridge University Press. pp. 94–. ISBN 978-1-108-01527-1. Retrieved 5 December 2012.
4. Kemp Malone (1923). The Literary History of Hamlet: The Early Tradition. Ardent Media. pp. 245–. GGKEY:05LP22FA23F. Retrieved 6 December 2012.

External links

• Peter Tunstall's translation of the 14th-century Gesta Danorum på danskæ at The Chronicle of the Kings of Lejre and Northvegr: The Saga of Hrolf Kraki: The Chronicle of the Kings of Lejre (not to be confused with the Chronicon Lethrense).
• Book four of Gesta Danorum at the Medieval and Classical Literature Library

Legendary titles
Preceded by Woden	King of the Angles	Succeeded by Wermund
Preceded by Rorik Slyngebond	King of Denmark	Succeeded by Wermund