QUEEN THYEl EXPLAINS A DREAM. 457 



for the hand of Harald Jarl's daughter, or else attack him. 

 When Harald Jarl and his daughter heard of King Gorm's 

 journey and of his intentions, they sent messengers to invite 

 him to a grand feast. This he accepted, and sat with them at 

 the feast in good friendship and honour. Then he announced 

 his errand to the Jarl, who said that his daughter should decide 

 for herself, as she was much wiser than he. His suit was 

 brought before her, and she said : ' It shall not be decided forth- 

 with, and thou shalt return with good and honourable gifts. 

 If thou thinkest much of me, thou shalt, when thou comest home, 

 quickly cause to be built a house large enough for sleeping 

 in. It must stand where no house has stood before. Therein 

 shalt thou sleep the first night of the winter, and three nights 

 together ; and remember if thou dreamest anything. And thou 

 shalt send men to tell me of thy dreams, if thou hast any, and 

 I will then say whether I will marry thee or not. But do 

 not send if thou dost not dream.' After this talk, King Gorm 

 remained but a short time at the feast, and made ready to 

 go home, as he was anxious to try her wisdom. He left with 

 much honour and suitable gifts. When he returned home, 

 he did in all things as she had told him : had the house built, 

 and went into it as directed. He left three hundred fully- 

 armed men near the house, and bade them watch and guard, 

 as he thought there might be some treachery connected with 

 it. He lay down on the bed which had been made in the 

 house, and fell asleep and dreamt ; and there he slept three 

 nights, and then sent men and writings to Holtsetalaud to 

 the Jarl. 



" The messengers arrived and told Harald Jarl and his 

 daughter of King Gorm's dreams, and their errand to Thyri. 

 When she had heard the dreams, she said : ' You may stay 

 here as long as you like, but you shall tell your king that I 

 will marry him.' They returned and told the king, who was 

 very glad. 



" He made his journey to Holtsetaland with many and well- 

 dressed men. Harald Jarl heard of it, and had a splendid 

 feast and grand entertainment prepared for him ; and now 

 they were married and loved each other well. At the feast 

 Gorm entertained them by telling his dreams. ' I dreamt 

 the first night, and all the three nights which I slept in the 

 house, that I was outside and overlooked my whole realm. 

 I saw the sea recede from the land so that all islands, sounds, 

 and fjords were dry. After that I saw that three oxen went 

 out of the sea upon the land where I was, and bit off all the 

 grass closely where they walked, and then went away. 



" ' The second dream was very like the first, for it seemed 



