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INGJALDSSON Olaf "Trekalia" ("the Wood Cutter" or "tree hewer")
Birth: ABT 682 Varmland, Sweden
Death: ABT 710
Notes
sacrificed his own people in time of famine
the last Yngling ruler of Uppsala
settled in West Sweden
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olof_Tr%C3%A4t%C3%A4lja
Olaf Tree Feller (Old Norse: Óláfr trételgja, Swedish: Olof Trätälja, Norwegian: Olav
Tretelgja, all meaning Olaf Woodwhittler) was the son of the Swedish king Ingjald ill-
ruler of the House of Yngling according to Ynglingatal.
Heimskringla[edit]
His mother was Gauthild, a princess of West Götaland, whose maternal grandfather
was Olof the Sharp-sighted, the king of Nerike.
His mother sent him to his foster-father Bove in West Götaland, where he grew up with
his foster-brother Saxe who was surnamed Flette.
When Olof heard of his father's death, he assembled the men who were willing to
follow him and went to his kinsmen in Nerike, because after his father's atrocities, the
Swedes had grown hostile towards the Ynglings.
When the Swedes learnt that Olof and his kin had sought refuge in Nerike, they were
attacked and had to head west through deep and mountainous forests (Kilsbergen) to
Lake Vänern and the estuary of Klarälven (where Karlstad is now situated). Here, they
settled and cleared land. Soon they had created a whole province called Värmland,
where they could make a good living.
When the Swedes learnt that Olof was clearing land, they were amused and called him
the Tree-feller. Olof married a woman named Solveig who was a daughter of Halfdan
Guldtand of Soleyar. Olof and Solveigh had two sons, Ingjald Olofsson and Halfdan
Hvitbeinn, who were brought up in Soleyar in the house of his mother's uncle Sölve.
Because of king Ivar Vidfamne and his harsh rule many Swedes emigrated to
Värmland, and they became so numerous that the province could not sustain them.
The land was afflicted by famine of which the Swedes accused the king. It was an old
tradition in Sweden of holding the king responsible for the wealth of the land (see
Domalde). The Swedes accused Olof of neglecting his sacrifices to the gods and
believed that this was the cause of the famine.
The Swedish settlers thus rebelled against Olof, surrounded his house on the shores
of lake Vänern and burnt him inside it. Thus he was sacrificed to Odin, like his
ancestor Domalde.
Ynglingatal and Historia Norwegiae[edit]
However, Historia Norwegiae says that Olof succeeded his father and ruled as the
king of Sweden in peace until his death.
Ejus filius Olavus cognomento tretelgia diu et pacifice functus regno plenus dierum
obiit in Swethia.[1]
His son, Olav, known as Tretelgje, accomplished a long and peaceful reign, and died
in Sweden, replete in years.[2]
The lines of Ynglingatal appear to say that he was a Swedish prince (svía jöfri), and
that he was burnt inside his hall and disappeared from Gamla Uppsala.
Ok við vág,
viðar (telgju)hræ Ólafshofgyldir svalg,ok glóðfjálgrgervar leystisonr Fornjótsaf Svía
jöfri.Sá áttkonrfrá UppsölumLofða kynsfyrir löngu hvarf.[3]
Archaeology[edit]
Source
Along the lower parts of the river Byälven in Värmland, there are three large barrows,
which legend attributes to Olof Trätälja. Moreover, there are many hillforts near this
river and the northern shore of Lake Vänern testifying to a violent period.
Archaeological excavations from one of the hillforts, Villkorsberget, show that it was
burnt in a period corresponding to Olof (510–680).
Parents
ONUNDSSON Ingjald ("Braut"( ("The WIcked") (ABT 660 - )
ALGAUTSDOTTIR Gauthild (ABT 664 - )
Siblings
INGJALDSSON Olaf "Trekalia" ("the Wood Cutter" or "tree hewer") (ABT 682 - ABT 710)
Marriage To HALFDANSDOTTIR Solveig (ABT 684 - )
m.
Notes
Parents
____ Halfdan "Guldand" ("Gold Tooth") (ABT 650 - )
----- ----- ()
Children by HALFDANSDOTTIR Solveig ABT 684 -
OLAFSSON Halfdan "Hvitbein" ("white leg") (ABT 704 - )
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