Halfdan the Old

Halfdan the Old (Old Norse: Hálfdanr gamli and Hálfdanr inn gamli) was an ancient, legendary king from whom descended many of the most notable lineages of legend. A second Halfdan the Old is the purported great-grandfather of Ragnvald Eysteinsson. Halfdan the Old, ancestor of many lineages Hyndluljód The eddic poem Hyndluljód states in verses 14–16: "Of old the noblest     of all was Áli, Before him Halfdan,     foremost of Skjöldungs [Skjǫldungar]; Famed were the battles     the hero fought, To the corners of heaven     his deeds were carried. "Strengthened by Eymund [Eymundr],     the strongest of men, Sigtrygg [Sigtryggr] he slew     with the ice-cold sword; His bride was Álmveig [Álmveigr],     the best of women, And eighteen boys     did Álmveig bear him. "Hence come the Skjöldungs,     hence the Skilfings, Hence the Ödlings [Ǫðlingar],     hence the Ynglings, Hence come the free-born,     hence the high-born, The noblest of men     that in Midgard dwell: And all are thy kinsmen,     Óttar, thou fool!" Though Halfdan is himself called a Skjöldung in verse 14, in verse 16 the Skjöldungs are named instead as one of the families that sprang from Halfdan's marriage with Álmveig.