Early Kings Of Norway
Thomas Carlyle
Transcriber's Note: The text has been taken from volume 19 of the "Sterling Edition" of Carlyle's complete works. All footnotes have been collected as endnotes. The pound (currency) symbol has been replaced by the word "pounds".
The Icelanders, in their long winter, had a great habit of writing; and were, and still are, excellent in penmanship, says Dahlmann. It is to this fact, that any little history there is of the Norse Kings and their old tragedies, crimes and heroisms, is almost all due. The Icelanders, it seems, not only made beautiful letters on their paper or parchment, but were laudably observant and desirous of accuracy; and have left us such a collection of narratives (Sagas, literally "Says") as, for quantity and quality, is unexampled among rude nations. Snorro Sturleson's History of the Norse Kings is built out of these old Sagas; and has in it a great deal of poetic fire, not a little faithful sagacity applied in sifting and adjusting these old Sagas; and, in a word, deserves, were it once well edited, furnished with accurate maps, chronological summaries, &c., to be reckoned among the great history-books of the world. It is from these sources, greatly aided by accurate, learned and unwearied Dahlmann, the German Professor, that the following rough notes of the early Norway Kings are hastily thrown together. In Histories of England (Rapin's excepted) next to nothing has been shown of the many and strong threads of connection between English affairs and Norse.
CONTENTS/x/
CHAPTER I. HARALD HAARFAGR.
CHAPTER II. ERIC BLOOD-AXE AND BROTHERS.
CHAPTER III. HAKON THE GOOD.
CHAPTER IV. HARALD GREYFELL AND BROTHERS.
CHAPTER V. HAKON JARL.
CHAPTER VI. OLAF TRYGGVESON.
CHAPTER VII. REIGN OF OLAF TRYGGVESON.
CHAPTER VIII. JARLS ERIC AND SVEIN.
CHAPTER IX. KING OLAF THE THICK-SET'S VIKING DAYS.
CHAPTER X. REIGN OF KING OLAF THE SAINT.
CHAPTER XI. MAGNUS THE GOOD AND OTHERS.
CHAPTER XII. OLAF THE TRANQUIL, MAGNUS BAREFOOT, AND SIGURD THE CRUSADER.
CHAPTER XIII. MAGNUS THE BLIND, HARALD GYLLE, AND MUTUAL EXTINCTION OF THE HAARFAGRS.
CHAPTER XIV. SVERRIR AND DESCENDANTS, TO HAKON THE OLD.
CHAPTER XV. HAKON THE OLD AT LARGS.
CHAPTER XVI. EPILOGUE.
FOOTNOTES:
- Harald Haarfagr
- Eric Blood-Axe And Brothers
- Hakon The Good
- Harald Greyfell And Brothers.
- Hakon Jarl.
- Olaf Tryggveson
- Reign Of Olaf Tryggveson
- Jarls Eric And Svein.
- King Olaf The Thick-Set's Viking Days.
- Reign Of King Olaf The Saint.
- Magnus The Good And Others
- Olaf The Tranquil, Magnus Barefoot, And Sigurd The Crusader.
- Magnus The Blind, Harald Gylle, And Mutual Extinction Of The Haarfagrs.
- Sverrir And Descendants, To Hakon The Old.
- Hakon The Old At Largs
- Epilogue.
- *** End Of The Project Gutenberg Ebook Early Kings Of Norway ***
