she turned half
round and gave me another look, which I have always held was a proof of
her good judgment. However, Gyda passed on, and when she came to King
Gundalf she stopped, looked at him straight in the face, and asked what
sort of a man he was.

"He said, `I am called Gundalf, and am a stranger here!'

"Gyda replies, `Wilt thou have me if I choose thee?' He answered, `I
will not say No to that;' then he asked her what her name was, and her
family and descent.

"`I am called Gyda,' said she, `and am daughter of the King of Ireland,
and was married in this country to an earl who ruled over this district.
Since his death I have ruled over it, and many have courted me, but
none to whom I would choose to be married.'

"She was a young and handsome woman. They afterwards talked over the
matter together and agreed, and so Gundalf and Gyda were betrothed.

"Alfin was very ill pleased with this. It was the custom there, as it
is sometimes here, if two strove for anything, to settle the matter by
holm-gang. [Note: or single combat: so called because the combatants in
Norway went to a holm, or uninhabited isle, to fight.] And now Alfin
challenged Gundalf to fight about this business. The time and place of
combat were settled, and it was fixed that each should have twelve men.
I was one of the twelve on our side. When we met, Gundalf told us to do
exactly as we saw him do. He had a large axe, and went in advance of
us, and when Alfin made a desperate cut at him with his sword, he hewed
away the sword out of his hand, and with the next blow hit Alfin on the
crown with the flat of his axe and felled him. We all met next moment,
and each man did his best; but it was hard work, for the Irishmen fought
well, and two of them cut down two of our men, but one of these I
knocked down, and Gundalf felled the other. Then we bound them all
fast, and carried them to Gundalf's lodging. But Gundalf did not wish
to take Alfin's life. He ordered him to quit the country and never
again to appear in it, and he took all his property. In this way
Gundalf got Gyda in marriage, and he lived sometimes in England and
sometimes in Ireland. Thikskul the scald says in regard to this:--

"`King Gundalf woo'd Queen Gyda fair,
With whom no woman could compare,
And won her, too, with all her lands,
By force of looks and might of hands
From Ireland's green and lovely isle
He carried off the Queen in style.
He made proud