D FigureNames in medieval languagesHistorical originName meaningRelationshipsEarly and English AttestationsNorse AttestationsGerman Attestations Dag The name means "day" from PGmc *daʒaz. In the Eddic poem Helgakvíða Hundingsbana II, Dag was the son of Högni3 and the brother of Sigrún and Bragi. When Helgi Hundingsbane fought for the hand of Sigrún against her suitor Hothbrodd and her family, only Dag was spared and made to swear allegiance to the Völsungs. As Dag was obliged by honour to avenge his father, he sacrificed to Odin and the god lent him his spear. Dag found Helgi in the Grove of fetters (probably the sacred grove of the Semnones mentioned by Tacitus) and pierced him with the spear. He went to his sister to inform her about it and she put a curse on him. Helgakvíða Hundingsbana II Dag the Great Probably Snorri's addition.For the etymology of Dagr, see Dag above.In the Ynglinga saga, Dag the Great is the father of Dageiðr, who together with Alaric, the king of Sweden, had the son Alf1. Dag's descendants were called the Daglings (dǫglingar). In Snorri's source Ynglingatal 8, dǫglingar ("descendant of Dag") appears and in Ynglingatal 11, Dags frændr ("Dag's kinsmen") but Elias Wessén comments that this probably refers to Dag the Wise an earlier king of Sweden, and Snorri's inclusion of a second king named Dag appears unmotivated. Ynglingatal 20, Ynglinga saga 8, 11 Dag the Wise For the etymology of Dagr, see Dag the Great above. Dag the Wise was an early Swedish king who was the son of Dyggve and the father of Alaric and Eric. The Historia Norwegiæ reports that he died fighting against Danes wanting to avenge his tame sparrow. Ynglingatal and Ynglinga saga add that the king had the ability to speak with the sparrow. In Ynglinga saga, it was killed in Reidgotaland and the king found out where by sacrificing a boar. However, when invading and avenging his sparrow in Gotland (sic.), he was killed by a thrall who threw a pitchfork at him. Ynglingatal (VIII), Historia Norwegiæ, Íslendingabók, Ynglinga saga (18) Dæghrefn The name means "day raven" from PGmc *daʒaz ("day") and *χrabnaz ("raven"). Beowulf mentions the Frankish warrior Dæghrefn before he is going to slay the dragon. During Hygelac's historic raid into Frisia, Dæghrefn appears to have killed Hygelac and Beowulf avenges him by crushing Dæghrefn to death with his bare hands. He also saves Hygelac's necklace from being taken to the Frisian lord. Dæghrefn has a "characteristically Frankish" name.Beowulf Dankwart First element from PGmc *þank, related to OHG dankjan ("to think"), second element PGmc *wardu ("guardian"). Hagen/Högni1's younger brother. He is killed by Helferich. He appears along with Hagen in several other epics. Nibelungenlied, Nibelungenklage, Dietrichs Flucht, Rosengarten zu Worms Diether , Possibly a mixture of Theodoric the Great's brother Theodemund and his nephew Theodahad (died 536). First element PGmc *þeudo- (people), second *hari- ("host, army"). Son of Dietmar, brother of Dietrich von Bern, nephew of Ermanaric, cousin of the Harlungen. He is killed by Witige, along with the sons of Attila and Helche. Þiðreks saga, Dietrichs Flucht, Rabenschlacht Dietleib von Steier , First element PGmc *þeudo- ("people"), second element OHG leiba ("remnant"). Son of Biterolf. In Biterolf und Dietleib, he leaves his home at Toledo, Spain, to seek his father who is serving Attila. They briefly fight when they are both incognito. He is known as "von Steier" (of Styria) because Attila grants his father Styria as a fief. In Laurin, his sister Künhilt has been abducted by the dwarf king Laurin and he subsequently aids her in escaping. In the Þiðreks saga, his father is Danish and his mother Saxon, and he is an unpromising youth until he saves his father's life. He joins Dietrich von Bern's men. Eventually, he is killed by queen Ostacia in the form of a dragon. Þiðreks saga, Dietrichs Flucht, Rabenschlacht, Biterolf und Dietleib, Rosengarten zu Worms, Laurin, VirginalDietlind1 , She may have her basis in Theodelinda (dead c. 628). First element PGmc *þeudo- ("people"), the second element is *linthia meaning "soft, flexible", but possibly also "snake" or "dragon". The mother of Dietleib. Þiðreks saga, Biterolf und Dietleib Dietlind2 See Dietlind1 The daughter of Rüdiger; she is betrothed to Giselher. She has a dream telling her of her father's death, and Dietrich von Bern, her uncle, promises to find her a husband. Nibelungenlied, Nibelungenklage Dietmar or , Historical Ostrogothic king Theodemir (died 475) First element PGmc *þeudo- ("people"), second -māri ("famous"). Father of Dietrich von Bern and Diether, brother of Ermanaric, uncle of the Harlungen. Mentioned as Þjóðrekr's father in Guðrúnarkviða III. Þiðreks saga, Dietrichs Flucht, Heldenbuch-Prosa Dietrich von Bern , , or , The Ostrogothic king Theodoric the Great (454–526). "People-ruler", from PGmc *þeudo- ("people") and PGmc *rīk- ("ruler, powerful"). Son of Dietmar, brother of Diether, nephew of Ermanaric. Dietrich's exile is first mentioned in the Hildebrandslied. In Old English sources, it is mentioned that Dietrich spent thirty years at Maeringa burg, and that he gave a sword to Witege for aiding him against giants. In the Nibelungenlied, he appears as an exile at Attila's court. All of his men are killed in the fighting with the Burgundians except Hildebrand1. In the Nibelungenklage, he organizes the burial of the dead and then sets out with his wife Herrat and Hildebrand1 to reclaim his kingdom. In Dietrichs Flucht, his uncle Ermanaric forces Dietrich into exile from his kingdom in Lombardy. Dietrich wins three Pyrrhic victories but each time is unable to reclaim his kingdom. In Rabenschlacht, Dietrich's brother Diether and the sons of Attila are killed; Rüdiger arranges for him to be reconciled with Attila. In other epics, Dietrich arranges a great tournament against the Burgundians and Siegfried, and fights against various supernatural beings, including being captured by giants. In the Þiðreks saga, Dietrich's youthful adventures, exile, and return to his kingdom are recounted, as well as his death riding an infernal horse that carries him to hell. References in the Eddic poems to Dietrich are fairly late. Deor, Waldere Guðrúnarkviða II, Guðrúnarkviða III Hildebrandslied, Annals of Quedlinburg, Nibelungenlied, Nibelungenklage, Þiðreks saga, Dietrichs Flucht, Rabenschlacht, Alpharts Tod, Rosengarten zu Worms, Eckenlied, Sigenot, Goldemar, Dietrich und Fasolt, Laurin, Virginal, Wunderer, Ermenrichs Tod, Heldenbuch-Prosa Dietrich von Griechen , possibly Theodoric Strabo has been suggested as the origin of this figure. See Dietrich von Bern. In the German sources, one of Attila's vassals and Dietrich von Bern's companion. He is possibly the same figure as Thidrek Valdemarsson in the Þiðreks saga. Dietrichs Flucht, Rabenschacht, Rosengarten zu Worms. Possibly in Þiðreks saga. Dietwart Probably an invention of the poet or redactor of Dietrichs Flucht. First element PGmc *þeudo- ("people"), the second element is PGmc *warda- ("protector, guardian"). An ancestor of Dietrich von Bern's and an ideal prince. He kills a dragon during his bridal quest to marry Minne ("love"). Dietrichs Flucht Domalde or , or It is the same name as Frankish Domald/Domuald and Old High German Tuomwald. The first element is dómr from PGmc *dōmaz ("judgment"). The second element -valdi is a variant of -valdr and they are from PGmc *waldaz ("ruler"). The oldest source Ynglingatal only reports that the Swedes sacrificed their king Domaldi in the hope of having better harvests. Snorri adds in Ynglinga saga that during a famine, the Swedes sacrificed oxen the first year, and people the second year. The third year they sacrificed their king. The Historia Norwegiæ says that the Swedes sacrificed him to Ceres which was probably Interpretatio Romana for the goddess Freyja. A similar sacrifice is reported to have been performed as early as the 4th c. by the Burgundians, and as late as the 1527 c. the Swedish king Gustav Vasa complained that his subjects considered him responsible for the harvests. Ynglingatal (V), Historia Norwegiæ, Íslendingabók, Ynglinga saga (15) Domar , The PN form of the name was *dōmaharjaʀ. It is the same name as Visigothic Domarius and Old English Domhere . The first element is dómr from PGmc *dōmaz ("judgment"). The second element is -harjaz ("war chief", "warrior"). Domarr was an early Swedish king who succeeded his father Domaldi and who was the father of Dyggve. After the sacrifice of his father for good harvests, he had a prosperous and peaceful reign and died of illness at Uppsala. He was burned at the Fýrisvellir on the bank of the river Fyris and standing stones were raised after him. Ynglingatal (VI), Historia Norwegiæ, Íslendingabók, Ynglinga saga (16) Drasian , Connections to the Gepid king Thrafstila or the Roman general Drusus have been suggested, but George Gillespie finds these suggestions "[s]omewhat bizarre". The first element of the name is PGmc *þrasa ("quick" or "threaten"), the ending -îân is frequent in the names of characters who are heathens, giants, and dwarfs. In Wolfdietrich, Drasian abducts Wolfdietrich's wife and is subsequently killed by him. In Þiðreks saga, the widow of Drasian sends Ecke out to find Dietrich von Bern, and Dietrich marries one of his daughters. Wolfdietrich, Þiðreks saga The Dragon (Beowulf) and Wyrm is from PGmc *wurmaz or *wurmiz meaning "snake", while draca is from Latin dracō ("dragon").In Beowulf, a slave accidentally awakes a dragon in a barrow that is guarding a treasure (2212), which is a typical trait for Scandinavian dragons, and it flies by night and sets things ablaze (2272ff). The dragon was upset because he had protected the treasure for three centuries, and a slave steals a cup from him. It is more than 50 feet long (3042), spews fire (2308f, 2313) and has fangs (2692), but it is probably the poisonous breath (2839) that kills the hero Beowulf. It is snake like and coils like one (2561, 2567–2569), and it moves quickly (2288). It is covered with scales (2273), and bone (2578), but its belly was softer (2699). It appears to be lizard-like but it flies (2315, 2830, 2832f). The imagery recalls a dragon seen on a shield from Sutton Hoo. During the fight, Beowulf hits it with his sword Nægling, but it breaks, and the dragon bites him in the neck with his fangs wounding him mortally (2691f). Wiglaf attacks the dragon's belly, and Beowulf gets the chance to use his dagger on the dragons belly and kill it. Beowulf Drasolf The first element is PGmc *thrasa- ("to fight", "to move fast"), the second element is PGmc *wulfa- ("wolf"). Drasolf is married to Sigmund's sister Signy2. He attacks the Poles, and Sigmund supports him, leaving Sigmund's wife Sisibe (Hjördis/Sieglinde) in the hands of Sigmund's unscrupulous advisors. Drasolf's campaign against Poland is successful. Þiðreks saga Drífa1 The name means "snowdrift"Snorri tells in Ynglinga saga that she was the daughter of Snær ("snow") in Lappland. One winter Vanlandi, the king of Sweden, stayed with them and married her promising to return for her after three years. However, after ten years he had still not returned. Humiliated Drífa1 sent their son Vísburr to Uppsala (where the Swedish king resided) accompanied by a witch named Hulð, whom she had paid to transport Vanlandi to Lappland with magic, or kill him. The magic caused Vanlandi to want to go Lappland, but his advisors made him stay. Instead Hulð had him hag ridden to death. Ynglinga saga (13) Drífa2 See Drífa1 In Hrólfs saga kraka, the daughter of Hrólfr kraki who marries her off to Bödvar Bjarki, and she thus replaces Hrut (Freawaru) in the saga. She and her sister Skur also appear in the Skjöldunga saga, as the daughters of Hrólfr.Skjöldunga saga, Hrólfs saga kraka Durinn If the first vowel was long it means "the sleepy one", but if it was short "door-keeper". It may also be connected to Ol