Danes that Hildiger had overthrown
Halfdan. After this, Siwar, a Saxon of very high birth, began to be a
suitor for Gurid, the only survivor of the royal blood among the Danes.
Secretly she preferred Halfdan to him, and imposed on her wooer the
condition that he should not ask her in marriage till he had united into
one body the kingdom of the Danes, which was now torn limb from limb,
and restored by arms what had been wrongfully taken from her. Siwar made
a vain attempt to do this; but as he bribed all the guardians, she was
at last granted to him in betrothal. Halfdan heard of this in Russia
through traders, and voyaged so hard that he arrived before the time of
the wedding-rites. On their first day, before he went to the palace, he
gave orders that his men should not stir from the watches appointed them
till their ears caught the clash of the steel in the distance. Unknown
to the guests, he came and stood before the maiden, and, that he
might not reveal his meaning to too many by bare and common speech, he
composed a dark and ambiguous song as follows:

"As I left my father's sceptre, I had no fear of the wiles of woman's
device nor of female subtlety.

"When I overthrew, one and two, three and four, and soon five, and next
six, then seven, and also eight, yea eleven single-handed, triumphant in
battle.

"But neither did I then think that I was to be shamed with the taint of
disgrace, with thy frailness to thy word and thy beguiling pledges."

Gurid answered: "My soul wavered in suspense, with slender power over
events, and shifted about with restless fickleness. The report of thee
was so fleeting, so doubtful, borne on uncertain stories, and parched by
doubting heart. I feared that the years of thy youth had perished by
the sword. Could I withstand singly my elders and governors, when they
forbade me to refuse that thing, and pressed me to become a wife? My
love and my flame are both yet unchanged, they shall be mate and match
to thine; nor has my troth been disturbed, but shall have faithful
approach to thee.

"For my promise has not yet beguiled thee at all, though I, being alone,
could not reject the counsel of such manifold persuasion, nor oppose
their stern bidding in the matter of my consent to the marriage bond."

Before the maiden had finished her answer, Halfdan had already run his
sword through the bridegroom. Not content with having killed one man, he
massacred most of the guests. Staggering tipsily