Frode (son of Olaf)

Also known as: Frode · Family: Danes · Role: son of Ingild · First appears: Book Seven · Part 1

In Book Seven · Part 1, Olaf, dying, gave his sons Frode and Harald rule over land and sea in yearly turns. When Harald’s success as a sea-rover earned Frode’s hatred, the quarrelling between Frode’s wife, Ulfhild, and Harald’s wife, Signe, further divided the brothers; they split their common goods. Frode secretly arranged for Harald to be killed, then had the agent killed to hide the crime. He later killed Karl after Karl implied that Frode knew who had murdered Harald.

Still in Book Seven · Part 1, Frode tried to kill Harald’s sons, Harald and Halfdan. Their guardians faked their deaths and hid them in a hollow oak. In Book Seven · Part 2, Frode learned that Ragnar had secretly raised the boys. At Funen, Ragnar was captured and confessed, asking Frode to spare them; Frode did so. On the following night, Harald and Halfdan burned Frode to death, and in Book Seven · Part 3 the account continues “After Frode was killed,” naming his son Erik.