H FigureNames in medieval languagesHistorical originName meaningRelationshipsEarly and English AttestationsNorse AttestationsGerman Attestations Hache , , Kemp Malone suggested that the name represented Achiulf (*Hāhiwulf), father of Ermanaric. The name is probably based on Gmc *hanha-, OHG hâhan ("to hang"). The Norse form in the Þiðreks saga is not cognate, see Áki1 In German tradition the father of Eckehart, protector of the Harlungen. In the Þiðreks saga, he is the father of their analogues. He also kills Earl Iron, who was the lover of his unfaithful wife Bolfriana. She marries Widege (Vithga) after he dies. In Widsith, he is mentioned in the same line as the Harlungen and as the head of Ermanaric's retinue. In Wolfdietrich, he aids Wolfdietrich and kills his brothers Bauge and Wachsmut who sought to disinherit their brother. Widsith Þiðreks saga, Biterolf und Dietleib, Wolfdietrich, Heldenbuch-Prosa Hadawardus Wilhelm Grimm suggests that he may have been the same individual as Hawart in the Nibelungenlied.The first element is from haþu ("battle"), and the second element is from vardu ("guardian"). One of Gunther's warriors killed by Walter of Aquitaine. Waltharius Haddingjar Possibly connected to the Hasdingi dynasty of the Vandals and the Heardingas of the Anglo-Saxons. Attempts have been made to connect them to the deities known as the Alcis as well.The name is the plural of the Odinic hero Haddingus, see below. They appear in Norse traditions of Germanic heroic poetry. They were the youngest of twelve brothers and it was only when they were together that they had the strength of a single man. Gesta danorum V, Hrómundar saga Grípsonar, Guðrúnarkviða II (28), Hervarar saga 3, Orvar-Odd's saga 29, Hyndluljóð 23, Haddingus See above.The name is identical to that of the Vandalic Hasdingi and they are derived from PGmc *hazda- meaning "long hair as on women". It is a reference to an early tradition on the sacrificial hair of the warriors of Odin.In the Icelandic sources, he always appears with his twin as the Haddingjar, and he had an important position in Scandinavian poetry. He is a typical Odinic hero who is aided by Odin in his many battles, and in the end he spectacularly sacrifices himself to Odin. There are structural similarities between Haddingus and another Odinic hero, king Harald Wartooth, which has led to speculations on how the traditions may be related. Gesta Danorum (I) Hadd the Hardy , See the etymology of Haddingus, above.He appears at the massive Battle of Brávellir as one of the Swedish king Sigurd Ring's warriors in the battle against the Danish king Harald Wartooth. He was one of the archers sent from Telemark, and the Swedes expected little from these archers that they held to be slow speaking drawlers. During the battle, Ubbi, on the Danish side, cleared a path in his wake with one sword in each hand and blood up to his shoulders. Having killed six champions and wounded 11, he went straight for the archers, so Hadd and Hroald shot 24 arrows in chest and killed him, which took a while. In Gesta Danorum, the archers are described a brave but humble. Seeing Ubbi having killed 25 champions and wounded 11 among the Swedes and the Geats, Haddir, Roald and Grettir stopped the massacre by showering the warrior with arrows and he died having been riddled with 144 arrows, an event that turned the battle against the Danes. Sögubrot, Gesta Danorum (VIII) Hadeburg and Sieglinde and Likely derived from folk belief. The first element of Haduburg is PGmc *haþu- ("fight"), second element PGmc *burgi, related to Gothic bairgan ("to save, protect"). For the etymology of Sieglinde, see Sieglinde. Two mermaids dwelling in the Danube. Hagen/Högni1 steals their clothes and forces them to prophecy the future of the Burgundians at Attila's court. In the Þiðreks saga, he then cuts them in half. Nibelungenlied, Þiðreks saga Hadubrand or , later German , *Haduz or *Hadō mean "battle", and the second element "sword" or "conflagration". The name "Alebrand" has a first element PGmc *ali- ("different, other"). Son of Hildebrand1. In the original legend, Hildebrand1 probably kills him when his son does not recognize him and insists on fighting him (as alluded to in Ásmundar saga kappabana), but in later versions the two are reconciled. Ásmundar saga kappabana (unnamed). Hildebrandslied, Þiðreks saga, Jüngeres Hildebrandslied Hagal The name means "the skillful", from PGmc *χaʒaz ("handy, skillful"). It may be attested as Hagala on the Kragehul spear shaft.Hagal was the foster-father of Helgi Hundingsbane. When Helgi had spied in the hall of Hunding, he revealed himself on purpose to Hunding's son Heming by telling a shepherd that he was the man they had thought was Hamal, Hagal's son. As Helgi was Hagal's foster-son, Hunding sent a search party to Hagal led by his evil counsellor Blind. Helgi disguised himself as a female thrall and started grinding the quern. When Blind saw him, he commented that the thrall woman had hard eyes. Hagal answered him that the woman was a Valkyrie and a sister of Sigar and Högni that Helgi had taken captive. Helgi escaped, got on a warship and killed Hunding. Helgakviða Hundingsbana II Hagathio See Aldrian1 Hagbard1An originally continental Germanic name (Old High German Hagupart), from the noun *hag- ("paddock, fenced area") or the adjective *hag- ("comfortable, skilled") and *barð- ("beard"). The son of Hámundr and the brother of Haki1, he is mentioned in several sources both as a sea-king and as the hero of the Romeo and Juliet couple Hagbard and Signy. Skáldskaparmál, Ynglinga saga (22), Ynglingatal (9, 12), Vellekla (26), Nafnaþulur (Ia2), Gesta Danorum (VII), Völsunga saga (XXV) Hagbard2 See Hagbard1 Hagbard was the son of a king named Hunding who was killed by Sigmund's son Helgi, who thus earned himself the cognomen Hundingsbane. Hunding's sons attacked Helgi but were defeated and killed. The Völsunga saga names his sons Alf2 and Eyjolf, Hervard2 and Hagbard2, but Helgakviða Hundingsbana I and II the names Hjorvard3 and Havard appear instead of Hervard2 and Hagbard2. Helgakviða Hundingsbana II adds a brother named Heming, and the Völsunga saga adds yet another brother called king Lyngvi who killed Sigmund in battle. Völsunga saga Hagen/Högni1 , , Not historical. Disputed, possibly based on PGmc *hag- "hedge", a proposed PGmc *haganaz (breeding animal/boar), or related to ON hagr ("service"). Hag- also means "fenced area" so it may mean "protector". In the German tradition, vassal of Gunther and friend of Walthar of Aquitaine. The Þiðreks saga, the son of a demon and Gunnarr's half-brother. In the Norse tradition, brother of Gunnarr. In Waltharius, Hagen was a hostage at Attila's court. He refuses to help Gunther against his friend Walter of Aquitaine until the latter has killed Hagen's nephew; Hagen loses an eye and six teeth in the fight, but cuts off Walter's right arm. In the Nibelungenlied, Hagen helps Brunhild plot against Siegfried/Sigurd after Kriemhild has publicly humiliated her. With Gunther's permission, he kills Siegfried by stabbing him in the back. He has Siegfried's treasure sunk in the Rhine. When the Burgundians have gone to Attila's hall, Hagen kills Attila's son after hearing of Bleda's attack on the Burgundian squires. He is captured by Dietrich von Bern and Kriemhild beheads him. In the Norse tradition, Högni refuses to attack Sigurd because they have sworn oaths. When Attila invites them to his hall, he predicts disaster but goes anyway. He has his heart cut out by the Huns. In the Þiðreks saga, he pursues the fleeing Walter of Aquitaine on Attila's orders. Waldere Grípisspá, Brot af Sigurðarkviðu, Sigurðarkviða hin skamma, Dráp Niflunga, Guðrúnarkviða II, Guðrúnarkviða III, Oddrúnargrátr, Atlakviða, Atlamál, Skáldskaparmál, Völsunga saga, Norna-Gests þáttr Waltharius, Nibelungenlied, Þiðreks saga, Walther und Hildegund, Rosengarten zu Worms, Hagen/Högni2 , , , (Gesta Danorum) Possibly a historical figure from around the Baltic Sea c. 4th century. If the etymology "gardian" is correct, it's possible that he was originally identical with Hagen/Högni1. See Hagen/Högni1 Father of Hildr1. He fights Heoden when the latter kidnaps his daughter. In Widsith he is king of the "Island-Rugians" (, but in other sources his people are called by his own name. In Kudrun, he is the son of the king of Ireland; as a child he is carried off by a gryphon to an island. He kills the gryphon and rescues three princess, later becoming a harsh ruler. Later, he keeps his daughter Hildr in strict seclusion and fights against the forces of Heoden when the latter abducts her; he is later reconciled to the marriage. Hagen's refusal of his daughter to Heoden (Etene) is also recounted in Dukus Horant. In Norse sources, he fights Heoden and each night the dead are resurrected by Hildr so that the battle is unending. Widsith, Deor Sörla þáttr, Ragnarsdrápa, Gesta Danorum, Skíðaríma, Skáldskaparmál Kudrun, Dukus Horant Haki1 , The name Haki means "hook", from PGmc *χakōn ("hook").The most well-known legendary hero named Haki was the brother of Hagbard1 and avenged him by killing the Danish king Sigar. Sigar's son Sigvaldi chased him away, however. Ynglinga saga relates that with the help of Starkad, he attacked king Hugleik on the Fyrisvellir and killed him and his sons, after which he ruled Sweden for three years. Eventually, Hugleik's cousins Erik and Jorund, who were the sons of the former king Yngvi1, attacked him. He managed to kill Erik and make Jorund flee the battle, but he was mortally wounded. He had a ship loaded with the fallen men and their weapons, and had a bonfire on the ship. He laid himself on the bonfire and steered the burning ship out on the sea, a death that was praised for a long time. Ynglinga saga (22), Nafnaþulur, Völsunga saga (XXV), Gesta Danorum (VII) Haki2 the Bold Not authentic, but borrowed from another legend.See Haki1One of Hrólfr kraki's champions.Hrólfs saga kraka Haki3 Cut-Cheek , See Haki1He appears at the massive Battle of Brávellir as one of the Danish king Harald Wartooth's warriors in the battle against the Swedish king Sigurd Ring. He was a great champion and before Starkad killed him, he managed to inflict such wounds on the giant warrior that Starkad received a deep cut between shoulders and neck so one could see what was inside, and on his chest his lungs were falling out, and he lost a right hand finger. In Gesta Danorum, Haco is called the "bravest of the Danes", and cut Starkad's neck to the middle, cut his chest so a lung stuck out and cut off one of Starkad's fingers, of the which the wound took a very long time to heal. Sögubrot, Gesta Danorum (VIII) Haki4 the Hadeland Berserk See Haki1In Ragnars saga loðbrókar and Hálfdanar saga svarta, Haki was a berserker from Hadeland who killed Sigurd Hart, the son of Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye, while the latter was out hunting. Then he went to Sigurd's home in Ringerike and captured his daughter Raghnild and son Gutthorm2. He intended to marry the 15-year-old girl but being severely wounded the wedding was postponed. In the winter, Halfdan the Black came and took Ragnhild and Gutthorm2 and set fire to Haki's hall killing his men. Haki survived and pursued them until he came to lake Mjøsa, where he committed suicide by falling on his own sword. Ragnarssona þáttr, Hálfdanar saga svarta Hakon The etymology is contested but the first element is probably from PN Hā- which is from *hanha (probably "horse") or *hauha ("high") and the second element is konr ("son", "descendant"). It may also be the same name as OE Hæþcyn, from PN *Haþukunja. A king of Denmark. Gudrun stays with him and his daughter Thora for three years after Sigurd's death. Guðrúnarkviða I, Guðrúnarkvíða II, Völsunga saga Haklangr The name is West Norse and borrowed by the Icelandic saga author from a Norwegian petty king who opposed Harald Fairhair.The name may mean "cleft lip and cleft palate", or "long