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236 SIB ALDINGAK. |
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she found in all her retinue no one who was willing to risk a combat with her accuser, a man of gigantic stature, save a little boy whom she had brought with her from England. The issue of the duel established her innocence, — her diminutive champion succeeding by some miracle in ham-stringing his huge adversary; but it is alleged that the queen refused to return to her husband, and passed the rest of a long life in a monastery.*
A Norman-French Life of Edward the Confessor, written about 1250, repeats this story, and adds the champion's name.f
" A daughter had the king, Who was not so beautiful as clever. Gunnild her name; and he gave her To him who with love had asked for her, — The noble Emperor Henry. She remained not long with him, Because by felons, who had no reason To blame her calumniously, She was charged with shame: To the Emperor was she accused. According to the custom of the empire,
# " Although there are seven centuries between William and our times," says Grundtvig, "and the North Sea between Jutland and the land of his birth, it almost seems as if he had taken his account from the very ballad which is at this day sung on the little island of Fuur in the Lym Fiord."
t We have substituted this paragraph instead of a later chronicle cited by Grundtvig. The translation is that of the English editor: Lines of Edward the Omfessor (p. 39, 193), recently published by authority of the British government. |
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