Gyda Eiriksdatter by Christian Krohg 1899
"King Harald sent his men to a girl called Gyda, daughter of King
Eirik of Hordaland, who was brought up as foster-child in the
house of a great bonde in Valdres. The king wanted her for his
concubine; for she was a remarkably handsome girl, but of high
spirit withal. Now when the messengers came there, and delivered
their errand to the girl, she answered, that she would not throw
herself away even to take a king for her husband, who had no
greater kingdom to rule over than a few districts. "And
methinks," said she, "it is wonderful that no king here in Norway
will make the whole country subject to him, in the same way as
Gorm the Old did in Denmark, or Eirik at Upsala." The messengers
thought her answer was dreadfully haughty, and asked what she
thought would come of such an answer; for Harald was so mighty a
man, that his invitation was good enough for her. But although
she had replied to their errand differently from what they
wished, they saw no chance, on this occasion, of taking her with
them against her will; so they prepared to return. When they
were ready, and the people followed them out, Gyda said to the
messengers, "Now tell to King Harald these my words. I will only
agree to be his 1awful wife upon the condition that he shall
first, for my sake, subject to himself the whole of Norway, so
that he may rule over that kingdom as freely and fully as King
Eirik over the Swedish dominions, or King Gorm over Denmark; for
only then, methinks, can he be called the king of a people."
-Saga of Harald Fairhair, Chapter 3
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| Gyda Eiriksdatter by Christian Krohg 1899. |
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