A courting messenger from the Viking Harald Harfagre to Gyda (oil on canvas)

Harald Halfdansson (850-932), also known as Harald Fairhair was the first King of Norway; The unification of Norway is, according to a tale narrated in Heimskringla. The tale begins with a marriage proposal that resulted in rejection and scorn from Gyda, the daughter of Eirik, king of Hordaland. She said she refused to marry Harald "before he was king over all of Norway". Harald was therefore induced to take a vow not to cut nor comb his hair until he was sole king of Norway, and that ten years later, he was justified in trimming it; whereupon he exchanged the epithet "Shockhead" or "Tanglehair" for the one by which he is usually known