# Signhildsberg

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**Signhildsberg** (historically **Fornsigtuna**, where *forn* means *ancient*, **Old Sigtuna**, *Sithun*, *Signesberg*) is a manor that formerly was a royal estate ([Uppsala öd](/source/Uppsala_%C3%B6d)), located in the parish of Håtuna approximately 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) west of the modern town of [Sigtuna](/source/Sigtuna), by Lake [Mälaren](/source/M%C3%A4laren) in [Sweden](/source/Sweden). Although the location is nearly forgotten, it has a central role in [Norse mythology](/source/Norse_mythology), according to which it was founded by the Norse god [Odin](/source/Odin).

## Etymology

The name *Sigtuna* is contested. According to one theory, it is a [compound name](/source/Compound_(linguistics)) where the second element is -*[tuna](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/t%C3%BAn)* and the first one is either of two closely related dialectal words, viz. *sig* meaning "seeping water" or "swamp" or *sik* meaning "swamp". As a basis for this intpretation, a brook south of Signhildsberg has been mentioned, or the fact that the estate was surrounded by marshy terrain.[1]

Another theory considers the name to be an ancient prestigious "[wander toponym](/source/Wanderwort)", meaning "strong fortress", like the [Celtic](/source/Celtic_languages) toponym *[Segodunum](/source/Segodunum)*,[1] from [Proto-Germanic](/source/Proto-Germanic_language) **sigatūna*-, [Old Norse](/source/Old_Norse) *Sigtún*, cf. Proto-Germanic **[segaz ~ *sigiz](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Reconstruction%3AProto-Germanic%2Fsegaz)*- "victory": [Gothic](/source/Gothic_language) *[sigis](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%F0%90%8D%83%F0%90%8C%B9%F0%90%8C%B2%F0%90%8C%B9%F0%90%8D%83)*, Old Norse *[sigr](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sigr)*, [Old English](/source/Old_English) *[sigor](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sigor)*, Old Frisian *sige, sīge*, [Old High German](/source/Old_High_German) *[sigi, sigu](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sigu)*.[2]

In 1680, the name was changed to *Signhildsberg* after the [Old Norse](/source/Old_Norse) legend of [Hagbard and Signy](/source/Hagbard_and_Signy).[3]

## Heimskringla

In Chapter 5 of the *[Ynglinga saga](/source/Ynglinga_saga)* section of his [Heimskringla](/source/Heimskringla), [Snorri Sturluson](/source/Snorri_Sturluson) relates that [Odin](/source/Odin) and the [Æsir](/source/%C3%86sir) first arrived at Old Sigtuna when they came to Sweden:

- [Odin](/source/Odin) took up his residence at the [Maelare](/source/M%C3%A4laren) lake, at the place now called Old Sigtun. There he erected a large temple, where there were sacrifices according to the customs of the Asaland people. He appropriated to himself the whole of that district, and called it Sigtun. To the temple priests he gave also domains. [Njord](/source/Njord) dwelt in [Noatun](/source/N%C3%B3at%C3%BAn_(mythology)), [Freyr](/source/Freyr) in [Upsala](/source/Gamla_Uppsala), [Heimdal](/source/Heimdal) in the Himinbergs, [Thor](/source/Thor) in [Thrudvang](/source/%C3%9Er%C3%BA%C3%B0vangr), [Balder](/source/Balder) in [Breidablik](/source/Breidablik); to all of them he gave good estates.[4]

Later the pirate [Sölve](/source/S%C3%B6lve) arrived at Old Sigtuna to claim the Swedish throne:

- Solve came unexpectedly in the night on Eystein ([Östen](/source/%C3%96sten)), surrounded the house in which the king was, and burned him and all his court. Then Solve went to Sigtun, and desired that the Swedes should receive him, and give him the title of king; but they collected an army, and tried to defend the country against him, on which there was a great battle, that lasted, according to report, eleven days. There King Solve was victorious, and was afterwards king of the Swedish dominions for a long time, until at last the Swedes betrayed him, and he was killed.[5]

In the part called *[The Saga of St. Olaf](/source/Separate_Saga_of_St._Olaf)*, the Norwegian king [Olaf Haraldsson](/source/Olaf_II_of_Norway) makes shore at Old Sigtuna:

- King Olaf steered thereafter eastwards to Svithjod, and into the Lag (the Mælar lake), and ravaged the land on both sides. He sailed all the way up to Sigtuna, and laid his ships close to the old Sigtuna. The Swedes say the stone-heaps are still to be seen which Olaf had laid under the ends of the gangways from the shore to the ships.[6]

## Skaldic poetry

In *[Orvar-Odd](/source/Orvar-Odd)'s saga*, [Hjalmar](/source/Hjalmar) laments his dying:

Sék hvar sitja Sigtúnum á fljóð þaus löttu farar mik þaðan ; gleðrat Hjálmar í höll konungs öl né rekkar of aldr síðan.<ref>Lausavísur, Hjálmarr inn hugumstóri, at Skaldic Arts.</ref> I see where they sit at home in Sigtun, the girls who begged me not to go; no joy for Hjalmar in the hall after this, with ale and men, ever again.<ref>Peter Tunstall, The Saga of Hervor & King Heidrek the Wise, 2003.</ref>

The location is also mentioned in other poems by the 11th-century skalds [Þjóðólfr Arnórsson](/source/%C3%9Ej%C3%B3%C3%B0%C3%B3lfr_Arn%C3%B3rsson)[7] Valgarðr á Velli[8] and [Arnórr Þórðarson](/source/Arn%C3%B3rr_%C3%9E%C3%B3r%C3%B0arson).[9]

## *Gesta Danorum*

[Saxo Grammaticus](/source/Saxo_Grammaticus) writes in Book 8 of *[Gesta Danorum](/source/Gesta_Danorum)* that Sigmund, one of the warriors of the [House of Yngling](/source/House_of_Yngling), came from what is chronologically Old Sigtuna to fight at the [Battle of Bråvalla](/source/Battle_of_Br%C3%A5valla):

- They likewise held the god Frey to be the founder of their race. Amongst these from the town of Sigtun also came Sigmund, a champion advocate, versed in making contracts of sale and purchase; besides him Frosti surnamed Bowl: allied with him was Alf the Lofty (Proud?) from the district of Upsala; this man was a swift spear-thrower, and used to go in the front of the battle.[10]

## Archaeology

There are two large ruins that had been two large three-aisled halls, a series of terraces just above the shore-line of the [Germanic Iron Age](/source/Germanic_Iron_Age), traces of a harbour, a large mound and a number of smaller [grave fields](/source/Grave_field). Excavations have dated the remains to the [Vendel Age](/source/Vendel_Age), part of the [Germanic Iron Age](/source/Germanic_Iron_Age), and the [Viking Age](/source/Viking_Age), i.e., from the 6th century until the 11th century.[11]

## History

It was an [Iron Age](/source/Iron_Age) and [mediaeval](/source/Mediaeval) royal estate (see [Uppsala öd](/source/Uppsala_%C3%B6d)) and it was located strategically at the waterway to [Old Uppsala](/source/Old_Uppsala) and the [Temple at Uppsala](/source/Temple_at_Uppsala). In the 10th century, the name was transferred to modern [Sigtuna](/source/Sigtuna), which apparently assumed many of its functions.

- It is mentioned in the 1170s when [Pope Alexander III](/source/Pope_Alexander_III) addresses king [Knut Eriksson](/source/Knut_Eriksson) and [Jarl](/source/Jarl_(title)) [Birger Brosa](/source/Birger_Brosa) (*[Svenskt Diplomatarium](/source/Svenskt_Diplomatarium) I nr 852. Originalbrev*). The pope demands that they return to the archbishop of Uppsala (until 1270 the name referred to [Gamla Uppsala](/source/Gamla_Uppsala)) the villages *Strom* (Ström in the parish of Norrsunda), **Fornesitune** and *Guazbro* (probably [Vadsbro](/source/Vadsbro)). The villages had earlier belonged to the bishop of [Sigtuna](/source/Sigtuna), but they had been confiscated by the crown when the [bishopric](/source/Diocese) had been moved to [Gamla Uppsala](/source/Gamla_Uppsala).
- In 1299, [Birger Magnusson](/source/Birger,_King_of_Sweden), the son of [Magnus Ladulås](/source/Magnus_Ladul%C3%A5s), spent some time in Old Sigtuna as one of his letters was written in **Sightonia Antiqua** (in Malmberg, Ernst: *Svenska slott och herresäten*) or **apud antiquam Sightoniam**[12] The difference seems to be a matter of presenting the name in the nominal case or preserving the case in which the name appeared in the original text.
- In 1315, according to *Svenskt Diplomatarium (SD) III nr 2032 (s.228)*, Duke [Erik Magnusson](/source/Erik_Magnusson_(duke)) was bestowed a part of Old Sigtuna, which is called **Siktonia vetus** (*vetus* being Latin for "old"). Neighbouring properties are also named: *Norgungi* (Norränge in Håtuna) and *Frötunum* (Frötuna in Håbo-Tibble)[13]
- In 1541, according to *Kammar-ark.: jordeböcker, Uppland 1541 nr 5*, the location is named as one of [Gustav I Vasa](/source/Gustav_I_Vasa)'s estates and spelled **Forsictuna**, **Foorsictuna** and **Fforssiiktwna** (in Malmberg, Ernst: *Svenska slott och herresäten*).
- In 1542, according to *Gustav Vasas jordebok* are mentioned **Foorsictuna** and *Norringe* (Norränge)[12]
- In 1551, according to *Sven Nielssons jordebok för Stäkets län*, it is mentioned as the royal estate of **Forsictuna** (Malmberg, Ernst: *Svenska slott och herresäten* and Friesen: *Om staden Sigtunas ålder*).
- In 1567, it is mentioned as **Foder Sictuna** in the province of [Uppland](/source/Uppland)[12][13]
- In the 17th century, the name **Försigtuna** is used on a map (*Lantmät.verk. Gävle*).

Since the 17th century, the location has been a manor named *Signhildsberg* or *Signesberg*.

## References

1. Entry *Sigtuna* in Svenskt ortnamnslexikon. Ed. Mats Wahlberg. Institutet för språk och folkminnen, Uppsala 2003.

1. Koch, John T. (2020). [CELTO-GERMANIC Later Prehistory and Post-Proto-Indo-European vocabulary in the North and West](https://www.wales.ac.uk/Resources/Documents/Centre/2020/Celto-Germanic2020.pdf).

1. [Börje Sandén. Studieanteckningar som grund för kapitlet Några kronologiskt ordnade data i boken Fornsigtuna - En Kungsgårds historia. 1991.](https://web.archive.org/web/20030120160939/http://www.algonet.se/~ukforsk/nya/signberg.htm)

1. *The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway: Translated from the Icelandic of Snorro Sturleson, with a preliminary dissertation*, tr. [Samuel Laing](/source/Samuel_Laing_(travel_writer)), 3 volumes, London: Longman, 1844, OCLC [504839499](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/504839499), Volume 1, [p. 220](https://books.google.com/books?id=svjUAAAAMAAJ&dq=at+the+place+now+called+Old+Sigtun.+There+he+erected+a+large+temple%2C+where+there+were+sacrifices+according+to+the+customs+of+the+Asaland+people.&pg=PA220)

1. *Ynglinga saga* ch. 31, Laing tr. [p. 246](https://books.google.com/books?id=svjUAAAAMAAJ&q=There+King+Solve+was+victorious%2C+and+was+afterwards+king+of+the+Swedish+dominions+for+a+long+time%2C+until+at+last+the+Swedes+betrayed+him&pg=PA220).

1. *Ólafs saga helga* ch. 4, Laing tr. Volume 2, [p. 4](https://books.google.com/books?id=y5YBAAAAYAAJ&q=stone-heaps+).

1. [*Magnússflokkr*](http://skaldic.arts.usyd.edu.au/db.php?table=poems&id=443) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110330113949/http://skaldic.arts.usyd.edu.au/db.php?table=poems&id=443) 2011-03-30 at the Wayback Machine, at Skaldic Arts.

1. [Poem about Harald Hardrada](http://abdn.ac.uk/skaldic/db.php?table=poems&id=496), at Skaldic Arts.

1. [*Magnússdrápa*](http://skaldic.arts.usyd.edu.au/db.php?table=poems&id=102) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110330113936/http://skaldic.arts.usyd.edu.au/db.php?table=poems&id=102) 2011-03-30 at the Wayback Machine, at Skaldic Arts.

1. *The First Nine Books of the Danish History of Saxo Grammaticus: With some considerations on Saxo's sources, historical methods, and folk-lore*, tr. [Oliver Elton](/source/Oliver_Elton) with [Frederick York Powell](/source/Frederick_York_Powell), Publications of the Folk-Lore Society 33, London: Nutt, 1894, [p. 313](https://books.google.com/books?id=kPEeAAAAMAAJ&dq=They+likewise+held+the+god+Frey+to+be+the+founder+of+their+race.+Amongst+these+from+the+town+of+Sigtun+also+came+Sigmund+Saxo&pg=PA313).

1. [Nationalencyklopedin](/source/Nationalencyklopedin)

1. Friesen: *Om staden Sigtunas ålder*

1. Malmberg, Ernst: *Svenska slott och herresäten*

## Other Sources

[Nationalencyklopedin](/source/Nationalencyklopedin) and [A historical review of the name, from which the information about the name and dates is taken](https://web.archive.org/web/20030120160939/http://www.algonet.se/~ukforsk/nya/signberg.htm).

## Related reading

- Jonas Ros: [*Sigtuna och folklanden : den tidiga Sigtunamyntningen och den politiska*](http://samla.raa.se/xmlui/bitstream/handle/raa/3025/2002_161.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y) (Fornvännen 2002(97):3, s. [161]-175)

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