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 lawful 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."