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Birth:          ABT  923 of Sweden
Death:           985 Battle of Blackfeld
Cause of Death: slain

Notes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Styrbj%C3%B6rn_the_Strong
Styrbjörn the Strong (Old Norse Styrbjörn Sterki) (died c. 985) was, according to late 
Norse sagas, the son of the Swedish king Olof, and the nephew of Olof's co-ruler and 
successor Eric the Victorious, who defeated and killed Styrbjörn at the Battle of 
Fyrisvellir.[1] As with many figures in the sagas, doubts have been cast on his 
existence,[2] but he is mentioned in a roughly contemporary skaldic poem about the 
battle. According to legend, his original name was Björn and Styr-, added when he had 
grown up, was an epithet meaning that he was restless, controversially forceful and 
violent.[3]
Prose retellings[edit]

It is believed that there once was a full saga about Styrbjörn, but most of what is 
extant is found in the short Styrbjarnar þáttr Svíakappa. Parts of his story are also 
retold in Eyrbyggja saga, Saxo Grammaticus' Gesta Danorum (book 10), Knýtlinga saga 
and Hervarar saga. He is also mentioned in the Heimskringla (several times), and in 
Yngvars saga víðförla, where Ingvar the Far-Travelled is compared to his kinsman 
Styrbjörn. Oddr Snorrason also mentions him in Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar (c. 1190), 
writing that Styrbjörn was defeated with magic. In modern days, he is also the hero of 
a novel called Styrbiorn the Strong by the English author Eric Rücker Eddison (1926),
[4] and he figures in The Long Ships, by Frans G Bengtsson.
Styrbjarnar þáttr Svíakappa[edit]

Main article: Styrbjarnar þáttr Svíakappa

Styrbjarnar þáttr Svíakappa ('the tale of Styrbjörn the Swedish Champion'), preserved 
in the Flatey Book, is the source that contains the most material about Styrbjörn.

According to the tale, Styrbjörn, who was originally called Björn, was the son of Olof, 
a brother of King Eric, who died of poisoning when Björn was still a young boy. When 
he was 12 years old, he asked his uncle King Eric for his birthright, but was denied 
the co-rulership until he turned 16. One day he got into a fight with and killed a 
courtier, who had hit him on the nose with a drinking horn.

When he was 16, the Thing decided that he was not fit to be king, and instead 
appointed a man of low birth. His uncle Eric did not want him to stay at home, 
because of his violent nature and the complaints from the free farmers, so he gave him 
60 well equipped longships, whereupon the frustrated boy took his sister Gyrid and 
left. Eric also called him "Styrbjörn", adding Styr- because of his nephew's unruly and 
quarrelsome nature.

He ravaged the shores of the Baltic Sea and when he was twenty, took the stronghold 
of Jomsborg from its founder Palnetoke and became the ruler of the Jomsvikings. After 
some time he allied himself with the Danish king Harald Bluetooth and married his 
sister Gyrid to him. Styrbjörn married Harald's daughter Tyra, whom he was given by 
Harald for conquering Jomsborg.

Harald gave him even more warriors and now Styrbjörn set about taking the throne of 
Sweden. He sailed with a huge force which included 200 Danish longships in addition 
to his own Jomsvikings. When they arrived at Föret (Old Norse Fyris) in Uppland, he 
burnt the ships in order to force his men to fight to the end. However, the Danish 
force changed its mind and returned to Denmark. Styrbjörn marched alone with his 
Jomsvikings to Gamla Uppsala. His uncle was, however, prepared and had sent for 
reinforcements from all directions.

During the first two days, the battle was even. That evening, Eric went to the statue 
of Odin at the Temple at Uppsala, where he sacrificed. He promised Odin that if he 
won the battle, he would belong to Odin and arrive at Valhalla ten years from then. 
The next day, Eric threw his spear over the enemy and said, "I sacrifice you all to 
Odin". Styrbjörn and his sworn men stayed and died.

Eyrbyggja saga[edit]

Main article: Eyrbyggja saga

The Eyrbyggja saga has a short summary of Styrbjörn's career in connection with one 
of its protagonists:

“ But when Biorn came out over the sea, he went south to Denmark, and then south 
further to Jomsburg, and in those days was Palnatoki captain of the Jomsburg Vikings. 
Biorn entered into covenant with them, and was called a champion there. He was in 
Jomsburg when Styrbiorn the Strong won it, and he went to Sweden when they of 
Jomsburg gave aid to Styrbiorn, and was withal at the battle at Fyrisfield where 
Styrbiorn fell, and fled thence to the woods with the other Jomsburg Vikings. And 
while Palnatoki was alive was Biorn with him, and was deemed the best of men and 
the bravest in all deeds that try a man.[9] ” 

Hervarar saga[edit]

Main article: Hervarar saga

The Hervarar saga gives an even shorter summary of Styrbjörn and his battle with his 
uncle Eric:

“ Olaf was the father of Styrbjörn the Strong. In their days King Harold the Fair-haired 
died. Styrbjörn fought against King Eric his father's brother at Fyrisvellir, and there 
Styrbjörn fell. Then Eric ruled Sweden till the day of his death.[10] ” 

Knýtlinga saga[edit]

Main article: Knýtlinga saga

The Knýtlinga saga recounts that Styrbjörn was the son of the Swedish king Olaf. 
When Harald Bluetooth ruled in Denmark, Styrbjörn was making war in the east (í 
hernaði í Austrveg), then came to Denmark where he took Harald captive. Harald 
gave his daughter Tyra Haraldsdotter to Styrbjörn and joined him on his expedition to 
Sweden. On arrival, Styrbjörn set his own ships on fire, but when Harald saw that 
Styrbjörn no longer had any ships he sailed back out on Mälaren (Löginn) and back to 
Denmark. Styrbjörn fought his uncle Eric on the Fyrisvellir and he fell together with 
most of his men. Some of his men fled and this the Swedes called the Fyriselta, the 
chase of the Fyris.

Gesta Danorum[edit]

Main article: Gesta Danorum

The Danish chronicler Saxo Grammaticus tells a more pro-Danish version in Gesta 
Danorum (Book 10). According to him, Styrbjörn was the son of the Swedish king 
Björn. Styrbjörn had an uncle named Olaf, whose son Eric had taken the Swedish 
kingdom from Styrbjörn. Styrbjörn came to Harald Bluetooth, bringing his sister Gyrithe 
with him, and humbly asked Harald for help. Harald decided to befriend Styrbjörn and 
Harald offered his sister Gyrithe to be Stybjörn's wife. Harald then conquered the land 
of the Slavs and took the stronghold Julin (Jomsborg), which he gave to Styrbjörn to 
command with a strong force. Styrbjörn and his force (the Jomsvikings) dominated the 
seas, winning many victories, and they were more beneficial to Denmark than any 
force on land would have been. Among the warriors were Bue, Ulf, Karlsevne and 
Sigvald.

Styrbjörn wanted revenge and asked Harald for help to take the throne of Sweden. 
Harald wanted to help Styrbjörn and to this end he sailed to Halland, but was informed 
that the German emperor Otto had attacked Jutland, and Harald was more eager to 
defend his own country than to attack another one. When Harald had driven away the 
Germans, Styrbjörn had already rashly departed with his own force for Sweden, where 
he fell.

Alleged descendants[edit]

In the 18th century, Danish historian Jacob Langebek proposed that Styrbjörn and 
Tyra were the parents of Thorkel Sprakalegg, who was father of Ulf the Earl and of 
Gytha Thorkelsdóttir, wife of Godwin, Earl of Wessex, and thus grandfather of kings 
Sweyn II of Denmark and Harold Godwinson of England.[11][12] The earliest known 
source which says anything about the father of Thorkell Sprakalegg was the chronicle 
of John of Worcester, who says that 'Spraclingus' was son of 'Urso', (Latin for bear) 
which would be Bjorn. Both Saxo Grammaticus and Gesta Antecessorum Comitis 
Gualdevi derive Thorkel from the mating of a bear with a noblewoman, Saxo relating 
that they produced a son named for his father (i.e. named Bjorn), who was in turn 
father of 'Thrugillus, called Sprageleg', while the Gesta tells a similar story but turns 
the Urso, father of 'Spratlingus' (sic) in John of Worcester's pedigree into the actual 
bear involved.[13] Langebek suggested that Saxo's tale of a 'Wild' Björn, father of 
Thorkel, was an allegorical reference to Styrbjörn.[11] Otto Brenner, in his accounting 
of the descendants of Gorm the Old, rejects Thorkill as son of Styrbjörn and Thyra.[14]


Parents
BJORNSSON Olaf (ABT  900 - ABT  975)
THRANDSDOTTIR Ingeberg (ABT  886 - )

Siblings
OLAFSDOTTIR Gunild (ABT  920 - )
OLAFSSON Styrbjorn "the Strong" (ABT  923 -  985)
OLAFSDOTTIR Gyrithe (ABT  925 - )

Marriage To HARALDSDOTTIR OF DENMARK Thyra (ABT  947 - 18 Sep 1000)
    m.  

Notes
his 1st

Parents
____ Harold III "Blaatand" ("Blue Tooth") (ABT  910 - 1 Nov  988)
OLAFSDOTTIR Gyrithe (ABT  925 - )

Children by HARALDSDOTTIR OF DENMARK Thyra ABT  947 - 18 Sep 1000
STYRJORNSSON Thorgil "Sprakling" (ABT  970 - ABT 1009)

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