The Gesta Danorum (Books I-IX) on Wermund

The Danish History, > Books I-Ix > Customary Law.

• attestation: Wermund resolved to commit suicide if his son were slain, being too old to avenge him.

  "Wermund resolves to commit suicide if his son be slain (in hopelessness of being able to avenge him"

The Danish History, > Books I-Ix > War.

• attestation: Several named swords appear in Saxo's narrative, including Snyrtir (Bearce's), Hothing (Agnar's), Lauf (Bearce's), and Screp (Wermund's).

  "Such are "Snyrtir", Bearce's sword; "Hothing", Agnar's blade; "Lauf", or "Leaf", Bearce's sword; "Screp", Wermund's sword, long buried and much rust-eaten, but sharp and trusty, and known by its whistle"

The Danish History, > Book Four.

• attestation: Wermund succeeded Wiglek and maintained prolonged peace; he begat a son Uffe in old age

  "WERMUND, his son, succeeded him. The long and leisurely tranquillity of a most prosperous and quiet time flowed by"

• relationship: Wermund married Uffe to the daughter of Frowin, governor of Sleswik, who had two brilliant sons Ket and Wig

  "got him for a wife the daughter of Frowin, the governor of the men of Sleswik"

• attestation: Wermund raised Frowin's sons to their father's rank; Athisl invaded Denmark again with all Sweden's best warriors

  "Wermund raised the sons of Frowin to honours of the same rank as their father's"

• attestation: Wermund gave Folk a golden cup; Folk vowed to drink his own blood before he would flee

  "Wermund also bade him keep the cup, which was of gold"

• attribution: Wermund described four kinds of warriors: veterans who spare fugitives, fierce youths who kill indiscriminately, cowards of noble birth who merely fill ranks, and shirkers who hide in the rear

  "he should know that there were four kinds of warrior to be distinguished in every army"

• attribution: Wermund explained that Athisl escaped because the best warriors pursued victory rather than fleeing enemies

  "when he fled he was not pursued pertinaciously by the men of the front rank; since these made it their business to preserve the victory, not to arrest the conquered"

• attestation: The King of Saxony demanded blind old Wermund surrender his kingdom or have his son fight the Saxon prince

  "the King of Saxony, thinking that Denmark lacked a leader, sent envoys ordering him to surrender to his charge the kingdom"

• attestation: Wermund felt Uffe's body to confirm his identity, then asked why he had hidden his eloquence in years of silence

  "he bade him come nearer to him, wishing to test with his hands what he could not with his eyes"

• attestation: Wermund had buried Skrep because he had no hopes of his son's improvement; he now dug it up and gave it to Uffe

  "The king, loth to leave this for the benefit of posterity, and greatly grudging others the use of it, had buried it deep in the earth"

• attestation: Blind Wermund stood on the bridge's end, determined to drown himself if Uffe lost

  "Wermund planted himself on the end of the bridge, determined to perish in the waters if defeat were the lot of his son"

• attestation: Wermund wept with joy at Uffe's double victory, and the disgrace of Athisl's death was erased

  "he burst into tears from excess of joy. Thus gladness bedewed the cheeks which sorrow could not moisten"