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
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 (†). Superscript numbers before a name indicate in which books of Gesta Danorum the individual is mentioned.
(1) Humble
KEY
(1) Angul (1) Dan *(1) Grytha Marriage or coupling
Parent and child
The Angles (1) Humble *(1) Lother *(1) King of the Saxons Succession by other or unclear means
(1) Roar
(1) Sigtryg , King of the Swedes†(1) Skiold *(1) Alfhild
(1) daughter of Roar(1) Bess
(1) sister of Gram(1) Gróa (1) Gram *†(1) Sumble , King of the Finns
(1) Wagnhofde
(1) Signe (1) Henry , King of the Saxons(1) Hakon, King of the Nitherians
(1) Hardgrep
(1) Swipdag *†, King of Norway(1) sister of Guthorm(1) Guthorm *(1,2,5) Hadding *(1) Ragnhild
(1) Asmund†(1) Gunnhild(1) Guthorm
(1,2) Ulfhild(2) Ubbe *
(1) Henry(1) Uffe†(1,2) Hunding†(2) Thorhild(2) Scot
(1) daughter of Uffe(2) Ragnar†(2) Swanhwid(2) sisters of Swanhwid(2) Handwan
(2) Thorwald
(2,5) Frode *(2) daughter of Handwan
(2,3) Hothbrodd †(2) Halfdan *(2) Ro(2) Skat
(2) Thora
(2,3) Helge *(2) Ro *
(2,3) Athisl †(2) Urse
(2,3) King Gewar(2,3) Rolf *† Krage(2) Rute(2) Bjarke (2) Skulde (2,3) Hiartuar †*
(2,3) Hother †*(3) Nanna (3) Herlek(3) Gerit
(3) former King of Britain(3) mother of the King of Britain(3) a slave(3) a bondmaid(3) Rorik *(3) Gerwendil
(3,4) King of Britain(3,4) Queen of Britain(3,4) Gerutha(3,4) Horwendil (3,4) Feng
(3,4) foster sister of Amleth(3,4) daughter of the King of Britain(3,4) Amleth (4) Hermutrude , Queen of Scotland(4) Wiglek *
(4) son of Amleth(4) Wermund *(4) Frowin , governor of Sleswik
(4) Uffe *, aka Olaf the Gentle(4) daughter of Frowin(4) Ket (4) Wig
(4) Dan *
(4) Hugleik *
(4) Frode * the Vigorous
(4) Dan *
(5) Kraka(5) Ragnar(5) Brak(4,5) Fridleif * the Swift(5) Hun, King of the Huns(5) Hun
(5) Gotar, King of Norway(5) Westmar(5) Koll(5) Gotwar
(5) Roller(5,6) Erik † Shrewd-spoken(5) Gunwar the Fair(5) Alfhild(5,6) Frode *(5) Hanund(5) Grep (eldest of three)(5) 11 other sons (two named Grep)
(6) Hythin, King of Tellemark(5) Alf(5) Eyfura (5) Arngrim (6) Grubb(6) Hiarn *(6) Amund, King of Norway
(6) child of Hythin(6) Halfdan†(5) 12 sons, including Anganty (6) Ane(6) Juritha(6) Fridleif *(6) Frogertha
(6) Hanef, King of Saxony(6) Swerting , King of Saxony(6) Olaf(6) Frode *
(6,7) Siward†(6) sons of Swerting(6) sister of the sons of Swerting(6,7) Ingild *(6) Helga(6) Helge(6) Asa
(6,7) Frode(6,7) Fridleif(6,7) Ingild(6,7) Olaf *(7) Karl, governor of Gothland
(7) Ulfhild(7) Frode *(7) Hather, a chief(7) Harald *(7) Signe
(7) Erik†(7) Thorhild(7) Halfdan *† Biargramm(7) Harald
(7) 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
References
External links