."

"Then I think I will cut my hair," the king laughed.

So he went and bathed and put on fresh clothes. Then the earl cut his
hair and beard and combed them and put a gold band about his head. Then
he looked at him and said:

"It is beautiful, smooth, and yellow."

And all people wondered at the beauty of the king's hair.

"I will give you a new name," the earl said. "You shall no longer be
called Shockhead. You shall be called Harald Hairfair."

"It is a good name," everybody cried.

Then Harald said:

"But I have another thing to do now. Guthorm, you shall take the same
message to Gyda that you gave ten years ago."

So Guthorm went and brought back this answer from Gyda:

"I will marry the king of all Norway."

So when the wedding time came, Harald rode across the country to the
home of Gyda's father, Eric. Many men followed him. They were all richly
dressed in velvet and gold.

For three nights they feasted at Eric's house. On the next night Gyda
sat on the cross-bench with her women. A long veil of white linen
covered her face and head and hung down to the ground. After the
mead-horns had been brought in, Eric stood up from his high seat and
went down and stood before King Harald.

"Will you marry Gyda now?" he asked.

[Illustration: "_I, Harald, King of Norway, take you Gyda, for my
wife_"]

Harald jumped to his feet and laughed.

"Yes," he said. "I have waited long enough."

Then he stepped down from his high seat and stood by Eric. They walked
about the hall. Before them walked thralls carrying candles. Behind them
walked many of King Harald's great earls. Three times they walked around
the hall. The third time they stopped before the cross-bench. King
Harald and Eric stepped upon the platform, where the cross-bench was.

Eric gave a holy hammer to Harald, and it was like the hammer of Thor.
Harald put it upon Gyda's lap, saying:

"With this holy hammer of Thor's, I, Harald, King of Norway, take you,
Gyda, for my wife."

Then he took a bunch of keys and tied it to Gyda's girdle, saying:

"This is the sign that you are mistress of my house."

After that, Eric called out loudly:

"Now, are Harald, King of Norway, and Gyda, daughter of Eric, man and
wife."

Then thralls brought meat and drink in golden dishes. They were about to
serve it to Gyda for the bride's feast, but Harald took the dish from
them and said:

"No, I will serve my bride."

So he knelt and held the platter. Whe