THE SCENE: When Siord came home wounded after sparring with Detsleff all day, his muscular daughter immediately punches Detsleff into the ground. However, this initial act of violence eventually gives way to warmer feelings as the night unfolds.
THE TEXT: Siord’s daughter was as strong as a man. She saw that her father’s armour was badly damaged. She grabbed Detsleff with both hands and struck him on the ear with her first, so that he fell over and thought that his neck was broken. Detsleff was ashamed that he had been knocked down by a woman. He grabbed her arm with one hand, so hard that blood rand out by each of her nails. And he held her by the neck so that water ran from both her eyes. Then she asked him for peace. He though it would be shameful to kill a maiden, even though he could have done it. They let go of each other and went into the house. Detsleff was made welcome there. The maiden served him in the evening. As well as being strong, she was also fair to look at. She looked gently at Detsleff, and he liked that. So he squeezed her fingers when he was taking hold of a bowl. When she came with another bowl he trod on her foot. And so they fell in love. She lay with Detsleff that night without her father and mother’s knowledge, and she wanted to compensate what she had done against him.
– The Saga of Didrik of Bern, 15th Century AD
