Westmar had twelve sons, three of whom had the same name—­Grep in common.  These three men were conceived at once and delivered at one birth, and their common name declared their simultaneous origin.  They were exceedingly skillful swordsmen and boxers.  Frode had also given the supremacy of the sea to Odd; who was very closely related to the king.  Koll rejoiced in an offspring of three sons.  At this time a certain son of Frode’s brother held the chief command of naval affairs for the protection of the country, Now the king had a sister, Gunwar, surnamed the Fair because of her surpassing beauty.  The sons of Westmar and Koll, being ungrown in years and bold in spirit, let their courage become recklessness and devoted their guilt-stained minds to foul and degraded orgies.

Their behaviour was so outrageous and uncontrollable that they ravished other men’s brides and daughters, and seemed to have outlawed chastity and banished it to the stews.  Nay, they defiled the couches of matrons, and did not even refrain from the bed of virgins.  A man’s own chamber was no safety to him:  there was scarce a spot in the land but bore traces of their lust.  Husbands were vexed with fear, and wives with insult to their persons:  and to these wrongs folk bowed.  No ties were respected, and forced embraces became a common thing.  Love was prostituted, all reverence for marriage ties died out, and lust was greedily run after.  And the reason of all this was the peace; for men’s bodies lacked exercise and were enervated in the ease so propitious to vices.  At last the eldest of those who shared the name of Grep, wishing to regulate and steady his promiscuous wantonness, ventured to seek a haven for his vagrant amours in the love of the king’s sister.  Yet he did amiss.  For though it was right that his vagabond and straying delights should be bridled by modesty, yet it was audacious for a man of the people to covet the child of a king.  She, much fearing the impudence of her wooer, and wishing to be safer from outrage, went into a fortified building.  Thirty attendants were given to her, to keep guard and constant watch over her person.

Now the comrades of Frode, sadly lacking the help of women in the matter of the wear of their garments, inasmuch as they had no means of patching or of repairing rents, advised and urged the king to marry.  At first he alleged his tender years as an excuse, but in the end yielded to the persistent requests of his people.  And when he carefully inquired of his advisers who would be a fit wife for him, they all praised the daughter of the King of the Huns beyond the rest.  When the question was pushed, what reason Frode had for objecting to her, he replied that he had heard from his father that it was not expedient for kings to seek alliance far afield, or to demand love save from neighbours.  When Gotwar heard this she knew that the king’s resistance to his friends was wily.  Wishing to establish his wavering spirit,