Yngvi
Name of the progenitor of the Yngling lineage, a legendary dynasty of Swedish kings from whom the earliest historical Norwegian kings in turn claimed to be descended. The name is applied as follows:- Yngvi is a name of the god Freyr, perhaps intended as Freyr's true name while Freyr 'Lord' is his common title. In Snorri Sturluson's Heimskringla Yngvi-Freyr is euhemerized as a king of Sweden who reigned in succession to his father Njord who in turn succeeded Odin. His descendants are the Ynglings.
- In the Islendíngabók Yngvi Tyrkja konungr 'Yngvi king of Turkey' appears as father of Njord who in turn is the father of Yngvi-Freyr the ancestor of the Ynglings.
- In the introduction to Snorri Sturluson's Edda Snorri claims again that Odin reigned in Sweden and relates: "Odin had with him one of his sons called Yngvi, who was king in Sweden after him; and those houses come from him that are named Ynglings". Snorri makes no connection at this point between Yngvi and Freyr.
The element Ing- in Old English names is usually considered cognate to Yngvi
The Old English Runic Poem contains these obscure lines:
- Ing wæs ærest mid Eástdenum
- gesewen secgum, oð he síððan eást
- ofer wæg gewát. wæn æfter ran.
- þus Heardingas þone hæle nemdon.
- Ing was first amidst the East Danes
- so seen, until he went eastward
- over the sea. His wagon ran after.
- Thus the Heardings named that hero.
