"Blæja" (later known as Heluna)

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"Blæja" (later known as Heluna)'s Geni Profile

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N.N.

Also Known As: "Bjoju", "Bleja", "Blaeja", "Blæju", "Helena", "Heluna", "Helenu", "Ellusdotter", "Heluna Ælla", "Helena Bjoju"
Birthdate:
Birthplace: Northumberland, England (United Kingdom)
Death: circa 875 (36-53)
Jutland, Denmark
Immediate Family:

Daughter of Ælla, king of Northumbria
Wife of Sigurd "Snake-in-the-eye" Ragnarsson
Mother of Tora, "Álöf" Sigurdsdottir; Aslaug Sigurdsdatter; Knut Harde Sigurdsson, king of Sjaelland and Sigurdsson of Sjaella

Occupation: Princess of Northumbria, of Denmark, Född prinsessa av Northumbria
Managed by: Private User
Last Updated:

About "Blæja" (later known as Heluna)

SOURCES

Þáttr af Ragnars Sonum (The Tale of Ragnar's Sons) says Sigurd's wife was Blaeja, daughter of Ælla.

"Sigurðr ormr í auga átti Blæju, dóttur Ellu konungs."
"Sigurd Snake-in-Eye married Blæja, the daughter of King Ella."

The Jómsvíking saga (part of Ólaf Tryggvasons' saga, which is part of Flateyjarbók) says Sigurd's wife was Heluna, daughter of Ælla.

"Sigurdr atti Helunu dottur Ella konungs."
"Sigurd married Heluna, the daughter of King Ella."

NOTE

With reference to this discussion, it seems the most accurate reconstruction of events would be that Sigurd married a woman (possibly a daughter of king Ælla of Northumbria) who's name has been lost to history. On marriage, following a Norse tradition, she gained a nickname of "Blæja" or "dark eye" (possibly in reference to her blue, black or grey eye colour) which we find preserved in Þáttr af Ragnars Sonum (The Tale of Ragnar's Sons).
Other oral traditions lost this nickname also and so by the time of the recording of the Jómsvíking saga (part of Ólaf Tryggvasons' saga, which is part of Flateyjarbók) she was assigned the name "Heluna". Ironically, Heluna is derived from the Greek Helena which we know from onomastic studies was not present in England until hundreds of years after the time frame this woman lived in.


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"Blæja" (later known as Heluna)'s Timeline

790
790
Jylland, Denmark
800
800
Jutland, Denmark
814
814
814
830
830
Northumberland, England (United Kingdom)
875
875
Age 45
Jutland, Denmark
1921
December 6, 1921
Age 45
December 21, 1921
Age 45
????