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Norse Classical Celtic Arthurian
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Aphrodite Apollo Ares Artemis Athena Atlas Coeus Crius Cronus Demeter Dionysus Gaia Hades Hephaestus Hera Hermes Hestia Hyperion Iapetus Mnemosyne Oceanus Phobos Phoebe Poseidon Prometheus Rhea Tethys Themis Uranus Zeus
Bacchus Ceres Diana Juno Jupiter Mars Mercury Minerva Neptune Pluto Venus Vesta Vulcan
Amun Anubis Aten Atum Babi Bastet Bes Geb Hapi hathor heqet Horus Isis Khepri Khnum Khonsu Maat Nephthys Nut Osiris Ptah Ra Seshat Seth Shu Sobek Thoth
Alfheim Baldur Freya Freyr Frigg Heimdallr Helheim Idun Jotunheim Loki Nerthus Njord Odin Thor Tyr
Aengus Arawn Badb Brigid Cailleach Ceridwen Cernunnos Cu Chulainn Dagda Danu Gwydion Herne the Hunter Lugh Medb Morrigan Neit Nuada Taliesin Taranis
Chalchiuhtlicue Coatlicue Huitzilopochtli Mictlantecuhtli Mixcoatl Ometeotl Quetzalcoatl Tezcatlipoca Tlaloc Tonatiuh Xipe Totec Xochiquetzal Xolotl
Amaterasu Ame no Uzume Benzaiten Bishamonten Daikokuten Ebisu Fujin Fukurokuju Inari Izanagi Kagutsuchi Raijin Susanoo Tsukuyomi
Caishen Cangjie Dragon King Eight Immortals Erlang Shen Fuxi Guanyin Hou Yi Huxian Jade Emperor King Yama Leizi Lu-ban Mazu Nezha Nuwa Pangu Shennong Sun Wukong Xiwangmu Yue Lao Zhong Kui
Norse Classical Celtic Arthurian
Literature Stories Names
  1. Norse Mythology
    Asgard Valhalla Norse Sagas About Norse Mythology Facts and Figures Genealogy Bibliography
  2. Norse Sagas
    Norse Creation Search for Wisdom Of Thor & Giants Ragnarok Cycle of the Ring Hrolf Kraki House of Skiold Gautreks Saga Dietrich Legend Kudrun Beowulf
  3. Cycle of the Ring
    Background Volsunga Saga The Two Helgi Thiðreks saga Nibelungenlied
  4. The Two Helgi

The Two Helgi

The name Helgi means "Sacred One", which is a name fitting in Norse mythology for a hero and a prince.

However, there are many characters in Norse myths and legends with the name Helgi who were kings, princes or heroes, but only two of these characters stand out most in Norse mythology.

One was Helgi, son of Sigmund (Helgi Sigmundarson, but also known as Helgi Hundingsbani, or the Bane of Hundings). The other was Helgi, son of Hiorvard (Helgi Hiorvardsson). According to the Poetic Edda, Helgi Sigmundsson was supposedly a reincarnation of Helgi Hiorvardsson.

Both heroes have poems from the Poetic Edda, but only Helgi Hundingsbani (or Helgi Sigmundarson) appeared briefly in the episode of the Volsunga Saga. For this reason, I have only briefly mentioned that Helgi in the Volsunga Saga page (see Death of Sigmund & Sinfjotli), and retold the whole episode in full on this new page, The Two Helgi.

There was another Helgi, a king from the famous Skjoldung line - a dynasty that ruled Denmark (in the Anglo-Saxon poem, Beowulf, the Skjoldungs were called Scyldings). This Helgi was a son of Halfdan, king of Denmark. He was a brother of Hroar and Signy. He had raped Olof, the Queen of Saxland, and became father of Yrsa. Not knowing that Yrsa was his daughter, he married her and became the father of Hrolf Kraki, one of the heroes in the saga that was named after him. When they found out they were father and daughter, Yrsa left him and married Adils, a king of Sweden. Helgi was also enemies with Skuld. Helgi was killed by the beserkers of Adlis; Adlis had planned the ambush. His son succeeded him to the throne of Denmark. See the saga of Hrolf Kraki for the full legend of Helgi and his family.

Helgi Hiorvardsson

Helgi Hiorvardsson

Helgi Hundingsbani (Helgi Sigmundarson)

Helgi Hundingsbani (Helgi Sigmundarson)

Jimmy Joe Timeless Myths

By Jimmy Joe

Cycle of the Ring:

  • • Background
  • • Volsunga Saga
  • • The Two Helgi
  • • Thiðreks saga
  • • Nibelungenlied
Helgi Hundingsbani

Helgi Hundingsbani

Helgi Hundingsbani was a hero in one chapter of the Volsunga Saga , which followed the same plots of two poems in the Poetic Edda - Helgakvida Hundingsbana I and Helgakvida Hundingsbana II. The death of Helgi appeared in the second Eddaic poem. St...

August 27th, 1999 • Jimmy Joe
Helgi Hundingsbani (Helgi Sigmundarson)

Helgi Hundingsbani (Helgi Sigmundarson)

This is the legend of Helgi Hundingsbani , which formed part of Volsunga Saga, the myth of the hero Sigurd and the Niflungs (German Nibelungs). Helgi was a half-brother of Sigurd; their father was Sigmund and their grandfather was Volsung . The ch...

April 4th, 2010 • Jimmy Joe
Helgi Hiorvardsson

Helgi Hiorvardsson

Helgi was the hero in the Eddaic poem, Helgakvida Hiorvardssonar . He was a son of Hiorvard and Sigrlinn. He was a half-brother of Hedin, son of Alfhild; of Humlung, son of Saereid; of Hymling, son of Sinriod. In the beginning of the 2nd Helgakvid...

August 27th, 1999 • Jimmy Joe
Helgi Hiorvardsson

Helgi Hiorvardsson

Helgi Hiorvardsson should not be confused with Helgi Hundingsbani, son of Sigmund and Borghild (Helgi Hundingsbani was also known as Helgi Sigmundarson). This Helgi was a son of Hiorvard and Sigrlinn. Helgi was the hero of the 2nd heroic poem of t...

April 4th, 2010 • Jimmy Joe
Helgi (Skjoldung)

Helgi (Skjoldung)

According to the Hrolfs saga Kraka, Helgi was a King of Denmark. The saga also made him the son of Halfdan, the brother of Hroar (Old English Hrothgar), and the father of Hrolf Kraki and Skuld. Of the two, Helgi was the more daring than his brothe...

April 2nd, 2009 • Jimmy Joe
Hunding

Hunding

A sea-king (Viking lord). Hunding was killed in battle, by Helgi, son of Sigmund. Hunding was a father of many sons - Alf, Eyjolf, Hervard and Hagbard; and they thought they could avenge their father by waging war against Helgi. However, they were...

August 27th, 1999 • Jimmy Joe
Norse Heroes 1

Norse Heroes 1

The majority of these characters come from the Völsunga Saga, so for the full story, read Völsunga Saga . It should be noted that Wayland was the English name of the divine master smith, but he was famous for myths throughout the other Germanic ki...

August 27th, 1999 • Jimmy Joe
Sigrun

Sigrun

Valkyrie and lover of the hero Helgi . Sigrun was the daughter of King Hogni. Sigrun was due to marry Hodbrod (Hodbrodd), son of King Granmar, whom she despised and had no intention of marrying. So when Sigrun met Helgi, son of Sigmund , she urged...

August 16th, 2003 • Jimmy Joe
Norse Heroes 2

Norse Heroes 2

Norse Heroes 2 has articles of heroes who are not connected to the Volung-Nibelung cycle. Most of the characters in this page are the Skioldungs (Skjoldungs). The Skioldungs were known as the Scyldings in the Anglo-Saxon poem, Beowulf . The Skiold...

April 2nd, 2009 • Jimmy Joe
Sigmund

Sigmund

Sigmund was the son of Volsung and Ljod ( Hljod ). He was brother of Signy (his twin), and nine other brothers; no names were ever given for Sigmund's brothers. Sigmund was the only person who could draw out the magic sword Gram ( Balmung ) from t...

August 27th, 1999 • Jimmy Joe

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