ABSTRACT
Scandinavian royal dynasties of the Viking Age and Middle Ages include several queens named Gunnhildr and a few called Gyða. Their identities or genealogies are often unclear; in some cases it is uncertain how many different people are involved. One such figure is the consort of the Swedish King Eiríkr Sigrsæli (the Victorious) (d. 995), a daughter or granddaughter of Polish prince Mieszko I. Another is the widow of Swedish King Önundr Jakob (d. 1050), who may also have married the Danish King Sveinn II Ástríðarson. Three scholia to Adam of Bremen’s history attempt to address confusion among different persons named Gunhilda and Guda. The etymology of the name Gyða is uncertain, but it could potentially function as a hypocoristic for Gunnhildr. Other sources where figures with these names appear include kings’ and family sagas as well as chronicles. Gunnhildrs and Gyðas in sagas are typically women of non-Scandinavian background whose strong will is regarded with ambivalence. The traits shared by a number of persons from different generations and contexts point to a literary trope or a traditional motif.
