Angantyr is a male human berserker, eldest son of the berserker Arngrim, and great great grandson of the Norse deity Odin.
History[]
Angantyr was the eldest son of the berserker Arngrim and Eyfura, daughter of Svafrlami. Angantyr had eleven brothers, all of them brave berserkers. Angantyr inherited the sword Tyrfing from his father Arngrim, who had himself taken it from its original owner Svafrlami in a duel.[1]
Angantyr married Svava, who was pregnant with their daughter Hervor when King Yngvi of Uppsala chose Hjalmar the Fearless to marry his daughter Ingeborg. Despite already having a wife, Angantyr challenged Hjalmar to a duel on the isle of Samsey.
Angantyr brought all eleven of his brothers to the fight, while Hjalmar brought his comrade, the hero Orvar-Odd. Angantyr and Hjalmar both slew each other, and Angantyr's brothers were also killed. The twelve brothers were buried in a mound, and the sword Tyrfing was buried with them.
Angantyr's daughter Hervor was born shortly after. When she became an adult, she took the male name Hervard and began a career as a viking. She raided the burial mound and raised Angantyr and her uncles from the dead, forcing them to give her the sword Tyrfing.
Hervor would later name her son Angantyr after her father.
Creative origins[]
Angantyr son of Arngrim and his descendants appear in the 13th century Icelandic saga Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks (The Saga of Hervör and Heidrek). Two other descendents of Angantyr would go on to share his name: his grandson, and his great-grandson.[2][3]
In the original saga, it is Angantyr's brother Hjörvard who vows that he will marry Ingibjörg and challenges rival suitor Hjalmar to a duel. Angantyr himself marries Sváfa, daughter of jarl Bjarmar, but accompanies his brother to his duel. Hjalmar kills Angantyr, but dies of his wounds. Ingibjörg is so saddened by the loss of Hjalmar that she takes her own life.[2]
The name "Arngrimson" (Norse patronymic surname meaning "son of Arngrim") does not appear in any D&D source, but is included as the title of this article to disambiguate him from his grandson, Angantyr son of Hofund and Hervor. Naming children after a late grandparent was a common tradition in Norse society.
References[]
- ↑ Giants in the Earth, Dragon #42 (Oct 1980), p.35.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Saga of King Heidrek the Wise (1960), Christopher Tolkien.
- ↑ The Saga of Hervor and Heidrek (2017). Jackson Crawford, Youtube.