Yngvi

Yngvi is a name that appears in Norse mythology and medieval Icelandic literature, applied to a legendary king of Sweden and, in some traditions, to the fertility god Freyr. In the medieval sources, Yngvi is associated with the early line of Swedish rulers known as the Ynglings; the dynasty takes its name from this eponymous ancestor in many versions of the tradition. Some accounts present Yngvi as a historical founder of the Swedish kingdom, while others treat him chiefly as a legendary progenitor figure whose lineage legitimates later kings.

Etymology and identity: The name Yngvi derives from Old Norse and is linked to the broader Indo-European Ing/Ingvaeones mythic complex. The root is connected to an ancestral figure named Ing or Ingvi, a progenitor figure used to explain the origin of the Ingling line. In some passages, the name is also linked to Freyr, the Norse fertility deity, with the compound form Yngvi-Freyr used to refer to the god or to a syncretic identification between the kingly line and Freyr’s cult.

Attestations and interpretation: Yngvi appears in the Heimskringla, particularly in the Ynglinga saga, where he is described as an ancestor of Swedish kings. The association with Freyr occurs in poetry and other medieval texts, where Yngvi-Freyr is used as an epithet or alternative name for Freyr. Because of these overlapping attributions, modern scholars view Yngvi as a blended figure who serves both genealogical and religious functions within the Norse tradition. The historicity of a real ruler named Yngvi is not supported by independent evidence, and the figure is commonly treated as legendary.

See also: Freyr, Ing (mythology), Yngling dynasty, Ingvaeones.