The Heimskringla on Gunhild

Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 34. Marriage Of Eirik.

• attestation: Gunhild was daughter of Ozur Tote of Halogaland and claimed she was learning sorcery from two skilled Finns who both wanted to marry her.

  "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.""

• attestation: The two Finnish sorcerers could track on frozen or thawed earth like dogs, run on skis faster than any creature, and kill anyone they looked upon in anger.

  "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."

• attestation: Gunhild devised a plan to trick the two Finns: she scattered ashes to obscure the visitors' tracks, then put the Finns to sleep between her arms so Eirik's men could kill them.

  "she took in her hand, and strewed both outside and inside of the hut."

• attestation: Gunhild used seal-skin bags placed over the sleeping Finns' heads to immobilize them before signaling Eirik's men to kill them.

  "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."

Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 46. The Death Of Olaf And Of Sigrod.

• attestation: Gunhild was the most beautiful of women, clever with much knowledge, but very false and cruel.

  "Gunhild, his wife, was the most beautiful of women,--clever, with much knowledge, and lively; but a very false person, and very cruel in disposition."

Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > Preliminary Remarks.

• attestation: Queen Gunhild is said to have had a bad influence on Eirik.

  "his queen Gunhild seems to have had a bad influence on him."

• attestation: In Fagrskinna, a poem by Gunhild describes Odin welcoming Eirik to Valhalla after his death.

  "In "Fagrskinna" is found a poem (not given by Snorre) which Gunhild (his wife) had made on King Eirik after his death, telling how Odin welcomed him to Valhal."

Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 4. Eirik'S Death.

• attestation: The survivors fled to Northumberland and brought the news of Eirik's death to Gunhild and her sons.

  "those who escaped went to Northumberland, and brought the news to Gunhild and her sons (A.D. 941)."

Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 5. Gunhild And Her Sons.

• attestation: After Eirik's death, Gunhild and her sons fled Northumberland with all available ships and men, taking their accumulated wealth.

  "When Gunhild and her sons knew for certain that King Eirik had fallen, after having plundered the land of the King of England, they thought there was no peace to be expected for them; and they made themselves ready to depart from Northumberland"

• attestation: Gunhild and her sons sailed to Orkney, where Thorfin Hausakljufer was earl (a son of Torfeinar), and stationed there.

  "they first steered northward to Orkney, where Thorfin Hausakljufer was earl, a son of Torfeinar, and took up their station there for a time."

Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > Preliminary Remarks

• attestation: The saga of King Harald Grafeld and Earl Hakon could be called Gunhild's Saga, as she is the chief person in it.

  "This saga might be called Gunhild's Saga, as she is the chief person in it."

Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 1. Government Of The Sons Of Eirik.

• attestation: Gunhild, called the King-mother, actively involved herself in governing the country.

  "Their mother Gunhild, who was called the King-mother, mixed herself much in the affairs of the country."

• attestation: Gunhild's sons controlled the middle of the country during their first winter of rule.

  "Gunhild's sons held the middle of the country the first winter."

• relationship: Eyvind's mother Gunhild was a daughter of Earl Halfdan and granddaughter of Ingibjorg, a daughter of Harald Fairhair.

  "Gunhild, Eyvind's mother, was a daughter of Earl Halfdan, and her mother was Ingibjorg, a daughter of Harald Harfager."

• attestation: Gunhild's sons resided mostly in the middle of the country, not trusting the Throndhjem or Viken people where Hakon's friends lived.

  "Gunhild's sons resided mostly in the middle of the country, for they did not think it safe for them to dwell among the people of Throndhjem or of Viken, where King Hakon's best friends lived"

• attestation: Gunhild's sons were reputed to be penurious and to hide their money in the ground.

  "All Gunhild's sons had the character of being penurious; and it was said they hid their money in the ground."

Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 2. Christianity Of Gunhild'S Sons.

• attestation: Gunhild's sons embraced Christianity in England but made no progress spreading it in Norway.

  "Gunhild's sons embraced Christianity in England, as told before; but when they came to rule over Norway they made no progress in spreading Christianity"

• attestation: Gunhild's sons destroyed idol temples and halted sacrifices where they had the power, provoking great animosity.

  "only they pulled down the temples of the idols, and cast away the sacrifices where they had it in their power, and raised great animosity by doing so."

• attestation: Crop yields declined during their reign because multiple kings each maintained their own court, causing great expenses.

  "The good crops of the country were soon wasted in their days, because there were many kings, and each had his court about him."

• attestation: Despite their faults, all of Gunhild's sons were remarkably handsome, strong, and skilled in exercises.

  "They were, however, all of them remarkably handsome men--stout, strong, and expert in all exercises."

Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 3. Councils By Gunhild And Her Sons.

• attestation: Gunhild challenged her sons for letting Earl Sigurd rule the entire Throndhjem country instead of claiming it themselves.

  "There is besides Earl Sigurd ruling over the whole Throndhjem country; and no reason can I see why ye let so large a kingdom be ruled by an earl, and not by yourselves."

• attestation: Gunhild reminded her sons that their grandfather Harald Fairhair thought it a small matter to destroy an earl's power and unify Norway.

  "Your grandfather, whose name you bear, King Harald, thought it but a small matter to take an earl's life and land when he subdued all Norway, and held it under him to old age."

• attestation: Gunhild devised a plan to send Harald and Erling to North More in harvest to arrange a secret attack on the earl.

  "We shall go to work another way, and not put ourselves forward. Harald and Erling shall come in harvest to North More, and there I shall meet you, and we shall consult together what is to be done."

Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 9. King Trygve Olafson'S Murder.

• attestation: The secret meeting raised Gunhild's suspicions of a treasonable plot against her sons.

  "Gunhild and her sons came to hear of this meeting, and they suspected it must have been to lay a treasonable plot against the kings"

Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 12. Earl Hakon'S Feuds.

• attestation: In 963, Gunhild's sons levied a great army in Viken and sailed north against Earl Hakon in Throndhjem.

  "Gunhild's sons levied a great army in Viken (A.D. 963), and sailed along the land northwards, collecting people and ships on the way out of every district."

• attestation: Gunhild's sons stayed in Throndhjem all summer collecting taxes, leaving Sigurd Slefa and Gudrod behind when the others returned east.

  "Gunhild's sons conducted their army north to Throndhjem, and remained there the whole summer collecting the scat and duties. But when summer was advanced they left Sigurd Slefa and Gudron behind"

Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 13. Of Earl Hakon And Gunhild'S Sons.

• attestation: When Gunhild's sons heard of Hakon's return to Throndhjem, they withdrew by ship from the fjord.

  "When the sons of Gunhild heard of this they got on board their ships, and sailed out of the Fjord"

Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 17. The Seasons In Norway At This Time.

• attestation: During Gunhild's sons' reign, the seasons were consistently bad and worsened over time, with the bondes blaming the kings.

  "While Gunhild's sons reigned in Norway the seasons were always bad, and the longer they reigned the worse were the crops; and the bondes laid the blame on them."

Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 2. Of Gunhild S Sons.

• attestation: Gunhild inquired particularly about Astrid, but her sons' conflict with Earl Hakon prevented them from searching during that winter.

  "as Gunhild's sons the same harvest and winter after had bickerings with Earl Hakon, as before related, they did not seek after Astrid and her son that winter."

Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 3. Astrid'S Journey.

• attestation: In spring 964, Gunhild sent thirty armed men led by Hakon to Oprustader to seize Trygve's son.

  "Then Gunhild, without delay, sent off men well furnished with arms and horses, and in all a troop of thirty; and as their leader she sent a particular friend of her own, a powerful man called Hakon."

• attestation: Gunhild's men arrived at Bjorn's house and learned about the travelers, then traced them toward Thorstein's.

  "Hakon asked Bjorn if he knew anything about Astrid, and he said some people had been there in the evening wanting lodgings; "but I drove them away, and I suppose they have gone to some of the neighbouring houses.""

Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 4. Hakon'S Embassy To Sweden.

• attestation: Gunhild sent her agent Hakon to the Swedish king Eirik with presents and a request to help seize Olaf Trygvason from Hakon Gamle.

  "Gunhild had sent him with the request that the king would assist him in getting hold of Olaf Trygvason, to conduct him to Norway, where Gunhild would bring him up."

• attestation: The messengers returned to Norway having failed, only able to report they had seen Olaf.

  "proceeded home to Norway to tell Gunhild their ill success, and that they had only seen Olaf."

Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 16. Gunhild'S Sons Leave The Country.

• attestation: When Gunhild and her remaining sons heard of Hakon's advance with a great fleet, they fled west to the Orkney Islands in 969 AD.

  "Then they took the same resolution as before, to sail out to sea with such men as would follow them away to the westward (A.D. 969). They came first to the Orkney Islands, and remained there a while."

Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 38. Harald Gormson'S Death.

• relationship: As part of the peace, Svein married Gunhild (Burizleif's daughter) and Burizleif married Thyre (Harald's daughter, Svein's sister).

  "King Svein should marry Gunhild, King Burizleif's daughter; and King Burizleif again Thyre, a daughter of Harald, and King Svein's sister"

• relationship: Svein and Gunhild's sons were Harald and Knut (Canute) the Great.

  "Their sons were Harald and Knut (Canute) the Great."

Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 98. King Svein'S Marriage.

• attestation: Queen Gunhild fell sick and died.

  "Queen Gunhild fell sick and died"

Heimskringla > part in the government with his brother Hardaknut. In the same autumn > 18. Of The English Kings.

• attestation: Canute and Queen Emma's daughter Gunhild married Emperor Henry the Mild of Germany and died five years after Canute

  "the daughter of Canute and Queen Emma was Gunhild, who was married to the Emperor Henry of Germany, who was called Henry the Mild. Gunhild had been three years in Germamy when she fell sick, and she died five years after the death of her father King Canute the Great."

Heimskringla > part in the government with his brother Hardaknut. In the same autumn > 42. Of Earl Orm.

• relationship: Gunhild, another daughter of Earl Svein, was married to the Danish king Svein Ulfson.

  "Gunhild, Earl Svein's other daughter, was married to the Danish king, Svein Ulfson."

Heimskringla > part in the government with his brother Hardaknut. In the same autumn > 16. Of King Inge.

• attestation: Gunhild, Simon's wife and King Hakon's foster-mother, allegedly employed a witch named Thordis Skeggia to sit out all night and secure victory for Hakon.

  "Gunhild, who was married to Simon, King Hakon's foster-brother, had a witch employed to sit out all night and procure the victory for Hakon; and that the answer was obtained, that they should fight King Inge by night, and never by day"