Eirik, Harald's son, was fostered in the house of the herse Thorer, son
of Hroald, in the Fjord district. He was the most beloved and honoured
by King Harald of all his sons. When Eirik was twelve years old,
King Harald gave him five long-ships, with which he went on an
expedition,--first in the Baltic; then southwards to Denmark, Friesland,
and Saxland; on which expedition he passed four years. He then sailed
out into the West sea and plundered in Scotland, Bretland, Ireland, and
Valland, and passed four years more in this way. Then he sailed north to
Finmark, and all the way to Bjarmaland, where he had many a battle, and
won many a victory. When he came back to Finmark, his men found a girl
in a Lapland hut, whose equal for beauty they never had seen. She said
her name was Gunhild, and that her father dwelt in Halogaland, and was
called Ozur Tote. "I am here," she said, "to learn sorcery from two of
the most knowing Fins in all Finmark, who are now out hunting. They both
want me in marriage. They are so skilful that they can hunt out traces
either upon the frozen or the thawed earth, like dogs; and they can run
so swiftly on skees that neither man nor beast can come near them in
speed. They hit whatever they take aim at, and thus kill every man
who comes near them. When they are angry the very earth turns away in
terror, and whatever living thing they look upon then falls dead. Now ye
must not come in their way; but I will hide you here in the hut, and ye
must try to get them killed." They agreed to it, and she hid them, and
then took a leather bag, in which they thought there were ashes which
she took in her hand, and strewed both outside and inside of the hut.
Shortly after the Fins came home, and asked who had been there; and she
answered, "Nobody has been here." "That is wonderful," said they, "we
followed the traces close to the hut, and can find none after that."
Then they kindled a fire, and made ready their meat, and Gunhild
prepared her bed. It had so happened that Gunhild had slept the three
nights before, but the Fins had watched the one upon the other, being
jealous of each other. "Now," she said to the Fins, "come here, and lie
down one on each side of me." On which they were very glad to do so. She
laid an arm round the neck of each and they went to sleep directly. She
roused them up; but they fell to sleep again instantly, and so soundly
the she scarcely could waken them. She even raised them up in the bed,
and still they slept. Thereupon she too two great seal-skin bags, and
put their heads in them, and tied them fast under their arms; and then
she gave a wink to the king's men. They run forth with their weapons,
kill the two Fins, and drag them out of the hut. That same night came
such a dreadful thunder-storm that the could not stir. Next morning they
came to the ship, taking Gunhild with them, and presented her to Eirik.
Eirik and his followers then sailed southwards to Halogaland and he sent
word to Ozur Tote, the girl's father, to meet him. Eirik said he would
take his daughter in marriage, to which Ozur Tote consented, and Eirik
took Gunhild and went southwards with her (A.D. 922).