Sigrid Storrada, who was better known as Queen Sigrid of Sweden, Queen Sigrid Of Denmark, and my favorite, Queen Sigrid the Haughty, was a very strong woman for the Age that she lived in. Although there is no physical evidence that this powerful woman existed, she is mentioned in several sagas, and by the Historian Saxo Grammaticus, in his History of the Danes. Saxo uses the spellings of her name as, Siritha or Syritha. She is said to be the daughter of Skogul - Tosti, a Swedish nobleman.
To say that she was a strong woman is in my estimation is a gross understatement. Here is a good example : To dissuade what was becoming a multitude of suitors she had two of them, Harald Grenske, and Vissavald, invited to a great hall. After they had had their fill of drink, Sigrid burned down the hall killing all inside. That my friends is a strong woman !
When the despicable Olaf Trygvasson tried for her hand in marriage, he failed as well. He made the mistake of telling her that she would have to be baptised, and convert to Christianity. Sigrid just looked him straight in the eyes and said, "I will not part with the faith of my forefathers. " Now that is a woman I would want to marry ! Olaf, who was outraged as much by her audacity, as by her defiance, struck her in the face with one of his gloves. Sigrid gave a sly smile and said calmly, " This will one day be your death. " I grin just imagining what the look on Oaf Trygvasson's face must have been to this hard nosed woman's refusal.
She is said to have first married the Swedish King Eric, known as the Victorious. Later, after his death, she married Sweyn, or Swein, Forkbeard of Denmark. From this marriage she gained the alliance she needed to avenge her humiliation at the hands of Olaf years before. Marriages were seldom for love in those days, usually they were bargains struck to unite kingdoms and cement alliances against a common enemy. Swein Forkbeard was already angry at Olaf Trygvasson, and only needed a little nudge from Sigrid to enter into armed conflict with his old enemy King Olaf of Norway. Swein gathered his troops together and defeated Olaf Trygvasson at the Battle of Swold, or Svold, killing him. I am sure that Queen Sigrid was quite pleased with the results.
There is some discussion about her lineage, however. Theitmar of Merseburg, wrote that she was the daughter of Mieszko I, of Poland, and Adam of Bremen records a Polish ancestry for her as well. But her parentage is not why we honor this great, strong, and willfull woman on this day. We honor her for her heroic spirit, and relentless courage, which led to the death of one of the worst kings to oppose the Old Gods, and the Old Religion. Olaf Trygvasson was brutal towards those in our religion and his death, at least temporarily, helped our ancestors.
I feel that Queen Sigrid the Haughty, would have been a strong and powerful woman in any Age, but she was the perfect woman for the Age she lived in. She stood up for herself against powerful men, and defended the faith of her forefathers as best she could. You have to respect that ! Queen Sigrid the Haughty deserves all the praise and honor that we can give her, so let us all take at least a moment to honor her on this; her day, November 9th, 2011.
All hail Great Queen Sigrid !
All my heroes have died and gone,
there inside of me they still live on .
- Shinedown.
Glenn Bergen
Go with Odin's wisdom, Freyja's love, and Thor's protection !
To say that she was a strong woman is in my estimation is a gross understatement. Here is a good example : To dissuade what was becoming a multitude of suitors she had two of them, Harald Grenske, and Vissavald, invited to a great hall. After they had had their fill of drink, Sigrid burned down the hall killing all inside. That my friends is a strong woman !
When the despicable Olaf Trygvasson tried for her hand in marriage, he failed as well. He made the mistake of telling her that she would have to be baptised, and convert to Christianity. Sigrid just looked him straight in the eyes and said, "I will not part with the faith of my forefathers. " Now that is a woman I would want to marry ! Olaf, who was outraged as much by her audacity, as by her defiance, struck her in the face with one of his gloves. Sigrid gave a sly smile and said calmly, " This will one day be your death. " I grin just imagining what the look on Oaf Trygvasson's face must have been to this hard nosed woman's refusal.
She is said to have first married the Swedish King Eric, known as the Victorious. Later, after his death, she married Sweyn, or Swein, Forkbeard of Denmark. From this marriage she gained the alliance she needed to avenge her humiliation at the hands of Olaf years before. Marriages were seldom for love in those days, usually they were bargains struck to unite kingdoms and cement alliances against a common enemy. Swein Forkbeard was already angry at Olaf Trygvasson, and only needed a little nudge from Sigrid to enter into armed conflict with his old enemy King Olaf of Norway. Swein gathered his troops together and defeated Olaf Trygvasson at the Battle of Swold, or Svold, killing him. I am sure that Queen Sigrid was quite pleased with the results.
There is some discussion about her lineage, however. Theitmar of Merseburg, wrote that she was the daughter of Mieszko I, of Poland, and Adam of Bremen records a Polish ancestry for her as well. But her parentage is not why we honor this great, strong, and willfull woman on this day. We honor her for her heroic spirit, and relentless courage, which led to the death of one of the worst kings to oppose the Old Gods, and the Old Religion. Olaf Trygvasson was brutal towards those in our religion and his death, at least temporarily, helped our ancestors.
I feel that Queen Sigrid the Haughty, would have been a strong and powerful woman in any Age, but she was the perfect woman for the Age she lived in. She stood up for herself against powerful men, and defended the faith of her forefathers as best she could. You have to respect that ! Queen Sigrid the Haughty deserves all the praise and honor that we can give her, so let us all take at least a moment to honor her on this; her day, November 9th, 2011.
All hail Great Queen Sigrid !
All my heroes have died and gone,
there inside of me they still live on .
- Shinedown.
Glenn Bergen
Go with Odin's wisdom, Freyja's love, and Thor's protection !
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