{{short description|King in Norse mythology}} In Norse mythology, '''Dyggvi''' or '''Dyggve''' (Old Norse "Useful, Effective"<ref name=MCKINNELL70>McKinnell (2005:70).</ref>) was a Swedish king of the House of Ynglings, son of Domar. Dyggvi died and became the concubine of Hel, Loki's daughter. Dyggvi was succeeded by his son Dag the Wise. According to Snorri Sturluson, Dyggvi was the nephew of Dan, the eponymous ancestor of Denmark, through his sister Drott, and was the first to be called King by his family.

==Attestations== Snorri Sturluson wrote of Dygvvi's father Domar in his ''Ynglinga saga'' (1225):

{| | Dyggvi hét son hans, er þar næst réð löndum, ok er frá honum ekki sagt annat, en hann varð sóttdauðr.<ref name="heimskringla.no">{{Cite web |url=http://www.heimskringla.no/original/heimskringla/ynglingasaga.php |title=''Ynglinga saga'' at ''Norrøne Tekster og Kvad'' |access-date=2006-11-03 |archive-date=2005-12-31 |archive-url=http://web.archive.bibalex.org/web/20051231070651/http://www.heimskringla.no/original/heimskringla/ynglingasaga.php |url-status=dead }}</ref> | Dygve was the name of his son, who succeeded him in ruling the land; and about him nothing is said but that he died in his bed.<ref name="sacred-texts.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/heim/02ynglga.htm |title=Laing's translation at the Internet Sacred Text Archive |publisher=Sacred-texts.com |date= |accessdate=2010-01-23}}</ref> | |}

About Dyggvi's mother Snorri had more to say:

{| | Móðir Dyggva var Drótt, dóttir Danps konungs, sonar Rígs, er fyrstr var konungr kallaðr á danska tungu; hans ættmenn höfðu ávalt síðan konungsnafn fyrir hit œzta tignarnafn. Dyggvi var fyrstr konungr kallaðr sinna ættmanna; en áðr váru þeir dróttnar kallaðir, en konur þeirra dróttningar, en drótt hirðsveitin. En Yngvi eða Ynguni var kallaðr hverr þeirra ættmanna alla ævi, en Ynglingar allir saman. Drótt dróttning var systir Dans konungs hins mikilláta, er Danmörk er við kend.<ref name="heimskringla.no"/> | Dygve's mother was Drott, a daughter of King Danp, the son of Rig, who was first called "king" in the Danish tongue. His descendants always afterwards considered the title of king the title of highest dignity. Dygve was the first of his family to be called king, for his predecessors had been called "Drottnar", and their wives "Drottningar", and their court "Drott". Each of their race was called Yngve, or Yngune, and the whole race together Ynglinger. The Queen Drott was a sister of King Dan Mikillati, from whom Denmark took its name.<ref name="sacred-texts.com"/> | |}

In his ''Ynglinga saga'', Snorri Sturluson included a piece from ''Ynglingatal'' composed in the 9th century:

{| | :Kveðkat dul, :nema Dyggva hrör :Glitnis gná :at gamni hefr, :því at jódis :Ulfs ok Narfa :Konungmann :kjósa skyldi; :ok allvald :Yngva þjóðar :Loka mær :of leikinn hefr.<ref name="heimskringla.no"/><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20050524235238/http://home.no/norron-mytologi/sgndok/kvad/yngli.htm A second online presentation of ''Ynglingatal'']</ref> | :Dygve the Brave, the mighty king, :It is no hidden secret thing, :Has gone to meet a royal mate, :Riding upon the horse of Fate. :For Loke's daughter in her house :Of Yngve's race would have a spouse; :Therefore the fell-one snatched away :Brave Dygve from the light of day.<ref name="sacred-texts.com"/> |}

The ''Historia Norwegiæ'' presents a Latin summary of ''Ynglingatal'', older than Snorri's quotation:

{| | :Hujus [Domar] filius Dyggui item in eadem regione vitæ metam invenit. Cui successit in regnum filius ejus Dagr [...]<ref>Storm, Gustav (editor) (1880). ''Monumenta historica Norwegiæ: Latinske kildeskrifter til Norges historie i middelalderen'', Monumenta Historica Norwegiae (Kristiania: Brøgger), pp. 98-99</ref> | Likewise Dyggve, his [Domar's] son, reached the limit of his life in that same region [Sweden]. His son Dag [...]<ref>Ekrem, Inger (editor), Lars Boje Mortensen (editor) and Peter Fisher (translator) (2003). ''Historia Norwegie''. Museum Tusculanum Press. ISBN 8772898135, p. 75.</ref> | |}

The even earlier source ''Íslendingabók'' also cites the line of descent in ''Ynglingatal'' and it also gives Dyggvi as the successor of Dómarr and the predecessor of Dagr: ''ix Dómarr. x Dyggvi. xi Dagr''.<ref>[http://wayback.vefsafn.is/wayback/20070508145441/http://www.heimskringla.no/original/islendingesagaene/islendingabok.php Guðni Jónsson's edition of Íslendingabók]</ref>

==Notes== {{reflist}}

==References== *McKinnell, John (2005). ''Meeting the Other in Norse Myth and Legend''. DS Brewer. {{ISBN|1-84384-042-1}}

==Sources== *''Ynglingatal'' *''Ynglinga saga'' (part of the ''Heimskringla'') *''Historia Norwegiae''

{{s-start}} {{s-hou|House of Yngling||||}} {{succession box|title=Mythological king of Sweden|years=|before=Domar|after=Dag the Wise}} {{s-end}}

{{Norse mythology}}

Category:Semi-legendary kings of Sweden