Sigrid Toftesdatter Storråde ^{1 2 3}

  General Notes:

Levde ca. 1000.

Sigrid kjennes kun fra den sene sagalitteratur, og det er meget vanskelig å avgjøre om det i fortellingene om henne finnes trekk av historisk verdi. Sannsynligvis levde det omkring år 1000 en svensk høvdingdatter, Sigrid, hvis far Skogul-Toste var en stormann, rik på gods. I den norrøne tradisjon minnes hun som "Storråde", den som legger vidstrakte planer. I den svenske overlevering kalles hun "den rike", idet det henvises til hennes utstrakte eiendommer, det såkalte "Sigridlev", som var en del av den danske kongeætts arvegods i Sverige. Disse få og lite informative trekk er alt som kan henføres til en historisk Sigrid Storråde. Beretningene om hvordan hun brendte inne sine friere, den norske konge Harald Grenske og den russiske Vsevolod, synes ikke å hvile på noen pålitelig tradisjon. Den dramatiske fortelling om Olav Trygvessons frieri til henne, og den voldsomme strid det medførte, er ren og skjær sagadiktning.

Hun har heller ikke, som sagaene beretter, først vært gift med kong Erik Segersäll og deretter med Svend Tjugeskjegg. Her har sagaskriverne byttet ut disse kongers virkelige "felles" dronning, den polske hertugdatteren Gunhild, med Sigrid. Dette utelukker imidlertid ikke at Svend før eller etter dette giftet kan ha ektet Skogul-Tostes datter.

I den middelalderlige sagnutvikling er Sigurddiktningens praktfulle skildring av Brynhild Budlesdatter (Die Nibelungensaga) trekk for trekk blitt overført til Sigrid. Brynhilds og Sigrids karakterer og omgivelser blir så godt som identiske i sagaene. Derved har detaljer som kan tenkes å ha tilhørt en historisk Sigrid Storråde gått tapt.

From Snorre Sturlasson: Saga of King Harald Grafeld and of Earl Hakon Son of Sigurd:

"11. OF HARALD GRENSKE.
... There was a man in Svithjod at that time called Toste, one of the most powerful and clever in the land among those who had no high name or dignity; and he was a great warrior, who had been often in battle, and was therefore called Skoglar-Toste. Harald Grenske came into his company, and cruised with Toste in summer; and wherever Harald came he was well thought of by every one. In the winter Harald, after passing two years in the Uplands, took up his abode with Toste, and lived five years with him. Toste had a daughter, who was both young and handsome, but she was proud and high-minded. She was called Sigrid, and was afterwards married to the Swedish king, Eirik the Victorious, and had a son by him, called Olaf the Swede, who was afterwards king of Svithjod. King Eirik died in a sick-bed at Upsala ten years after the death of Styrbjorn."

From Snorre Sturlasson: King Olaf Trygvason's Saga:

"66. OLAF PROPOSES MARRIAGE TO QUEEN SIGRID.
Queen Sigrid in Svithjod, who had for surname the Haughty, sat in her mansion, and during the same winter messengers went between King Olaf and Sigrid to propose his courtship to her, and she had no objection; and the matter was fully and fast resolved upon. Thereupon King Olaf sent to Queen Sigrid the great gold ring he had taken from the temple door of Hlader, which was considered a distinguished ornament. The meeting for concluding the business was appointed to be in spring on the frontier, at the Gaut river. Now the ring which King Olaf had sent Queen Sigrid was highly prized by all men; yet the queen's gold-smiths, two brothers, who took the ring in their hands, and weighed it, spoke quietly to each other about it, and in a manner that made the queen call them to her, and ask "what they smiled at?" But they would not say a word, and she commanded them to say what it was they had discovered. Then they said the ring is false. Upon this she ordered the ring to be broken into pieces, and it was found to be copper inside. Then the queen was enraged, and said that Olaf would deceive her in more ways than this one. ..."

"68. MEETING OF OLAF AND SIGRID.
Early in spring (A.D. 998) King Olaf went eastwards to Konungahella to the meeting with Queen Sigrid; and when they met the business was considered about which the winter before they had held communication, namely, their marriage; and the business seemed likely to be concluded. But when Olaf insisted that Sigrid should let herself be baptized, she answered thus: -- "I must not part from the faith which I have held, and my forefathers before me; and, on the other hand, I shall make no objection to your believing in the god that pleases you best." Then King Olaf was enraged, and answered in a passion, "Why should I care to have thee, an old faded woman, and a heathen jade?" and therewith struck her in the face with his glove which he held in his hands, rose up, and they parted. Sigrid said, "This may some day be thy death." The king set off to Viken, the queen to Svithjod."

"108. CONSPIRACY AGAINST KING OLAF.
The Danish king, Svein Tjuguskeg, was married, as before related, to Sigrid the Haughty (Storråde). Sigrid was King Olaf Trygvason's greatest enemy; the cause of which, as before said, was that King Olaf had broken off with her, and had struck her in the face. She urged King Svein much to give battle to King Olaf Trygvason; saying that he had reason enough, as Olaf had married his sister Thyre without his leave, "and that your predecessors would not have submitted to." Such persuasions Sigrid had often in her mouth; and at last she brought it so far that Svein resolved firmly ondoing so. ..."

  Noted events in her life were:

• She was a Queen.

Sigrid married Eric VI the Victorious Bjornsson, son of Bjorn the Old of Sweden Ericsson and Unknown. (Eric VI the Victorious Bjornsson died in 995.)

Sigrid next married Svend I Haraldsson Tjugeskjegg of Denmark, son of Harald I Gormsson Blåtann of Denmark and Gyrid, circa 1000. (Svend I Haraldsson Tjugeskjegg of Denmark was born circa 960, died on 3 Feb 1014 in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, England and was buried in Roskilde Cathedral, Denmark ³.)