According to Norse tradition, Gylfi is the oldest recorded king of Scandinavia. When appearing in disguise he would use the name Gangleri .
According to the Icelandic bishop, historian and poet, Snorri Sturluson's
Ynglynga saga section of the best known old Norse kings saga, Heimskringla and the Eddic poem about Ragnar Lodbrok, Ragmarsdrapa, Gyfli was seduced by the goddess Gefjon to give her as much land as she could plow in one night. Gefjon then transforms her four sons into a team of oxen and took enough land to make the Danish island of Zealand and leaving the Swedish lake, Marlaren.
In the Tricking of Gylfi,
Gylfaginning, in the
Prose Edda and the
Ynglynga saga the supposed historic story of how Odin, in non-deity version and his people the AEsir and Vanir, who would later become Swedes, obtained new land where they built the settlement of Old Sigtuna. In Snorri's account, Gylfi is deluded by the AEsir to accept their religion, hence the name "Gylfaginning" : the Deluding of Gylfi. Gylfi and the older remaining Bronze Age inhabitants of the land then supposedly adopted the religion of the AEsir and began to live under their rule.
 |
| Deluding of Gylfi |
Snorri presented an outline of Norse mythology through a dialogue between Gylfi and the three rulers of the AEsir. Snorri's account is possibly based upon an old tradition of tracing particular beliefs or foundations of tracing old Norse cults to the legendary Gylfi. Because, more than likely the historic King Gylfi was already a follower of the Norse religion and, naturally, could have passed his beliefs and/or on to his subjects.
 |
| Gylfi greets Odin ~ Hugo Hamilton etching, 1830 |
Gyfli also makes an appearance in a version of
Hervarar saga Gylfi married his daughter Heior to Sigrlami, king of Gardariki (Russia) and the first owner of the sword Tyrfing , that was forged by, due to force of Heior and Sigrlami's son, Svafrlami, the dwarves, Dvalin and Durin (
Hello Mr. Tolkien!) .
