Frotho I is one of the legendary Danish kings in Saxo Grammaticus' Gesta Danorum, where he has a substantial biography. He succeeds his father Hadingus to the throne and replenishes the war-drained treasury by slaying a dragon and winning its treasure. He uses the money to finance expeditions into the Baltic, where he wins victories with clever strategems (including one where he crossdresses as one of his own shieldmaidens). After some trouble at home he campaigns successfully in Britain and captures London. He finally dies in a war against the king of Sweden.
The family tree of legendary Kings of the Danes, according to the Gesta Danorum (Books I to VII)
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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* | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | Athisl† | | 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 | | | |
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Dan* | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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| | | | | | | | | | | | Hugleik* | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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| | | | | | | | | | | | Frode* the Vigorous | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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| | | | | | | | | | | | 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) | | | | | | | | |
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | 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 |
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| | | | Ulfhild | | Frode* | | | | | | | | | | Hather, a chief | | Harald* | | Signe | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | Erik | | | | | | | | | | | | Thorhild | | Halfdan*† Biargramm | | Harald | | | |
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Asmund | | | |
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 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.
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See also
References
- Davidson, Hilda Ellis (ed.) and Peter Fisher (tr.) (1999). Saxo Grammaticus : The History of the Danes : Books I-IX. Bury St Edmunds: St Edmundsbury Press. ISBN 0-85991-502-6. First published 1979-1980.
- Elton, Oliver (tr.) (1905). The Nine Books of the Danish History of Saxo Grammaticus. New York: Norroena Society. Available online
- Olrik, J. and H. Ræder (1931). Saxo Grammaticus : Gesta Danorum. Available online