In sources such as Heimskringla and Ynglinga saga there appear early Swedish kings who belong in the domain of mythology, but it is often suggested that some of them at least have a historical basis. This was one of the last of Thor Heyerdahl's archeo-anthropological theories, as in The search for Odin. Such suggestions are not generally considered scientific.
It is, however, safe to assume that there were real kings of the Swedes during the period, considering the facts that the concept of king was of Proto-Germanic origins (*kuningaz, a form borrowed by the Finns as kuningas) and that both the Suiones (the Swedes) and their kings were mentioned as early as 98 A.D. by Tacitus.
Later these kings were gradually succeeded by Swedish semi-legendary kings, who are more likely to have been persons of legitimate history. Sweden as a nation has been known since the 10th century.
Kings
- Gylfi
- Odin
- Njord
- Yngvi-Frey
- Fjölnir (end of 1st c. B.C., according to Grottisongr)
- Sveigder (1st century AD)
- Vanlade
- Visburr
- Domalde (2nd century?)
- Domarr
- Dyggve
- Dag the Wise/Dagr Spaka (3rd century?)
- Agne (4th century?)
- Erik and Alrik
- Yngvi and Alf
- Hugleik
- Haki
- Jorund (4th century?)
- Aun, Halfdan and Ale the Strong (4th and 5th c.)
- The line of Swedish kings is continued in Semi-legendary kings of Sweden.
See also
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