The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-07-19
EOgWEGiAa CONFEDERATION.
Celebration Of tho One Thousendth Anniversary
OF tho Establishment Of the Kingdom OF
Norway-Rsminiscsnc OF King Har-
aid Haarfagsr, the Fair-Haired.

Yesterday the 18th OF July, 1872, WIS the onS
thOusandth anniversary OF the establishment OF tho
Kingdom OF Norway, and the Norwegian natios
celebration OF yesterday was the grandest holiday
in the life of people, ali over the country bat espe
cally by unwilling Q great monument to the
memory OF the man who, one thousand years ago
e72-united the then divided nation into one. Nor.
way was before that time split In twenty nine small
kingdoms, which were called Fylkir; but one OF tbS
kings, Harald Haarfager the Fairhaired), sublu-
gated all the others, and placed the golden CROWN
of the whole OF Norway around his fair locks. In
memory Of this event the Norwegians have erecte&
the above mentioned monument, which consists oe
an Obelisk with golden crown on top. and twenty
nine smaller stones lone for each .'FylkiD around
IL. Each "Fylkt'' has sent its own stone. but tho
monument Itself is erected by contributions from
the whole people. The unwilling OF the monument,
which is situated on the great tomb tGrayhaug,
OF Harald Hearfager at Gard, In ths
parish OF skaare near haugesund. was 9"
take place yesterday, under the auspicBs
OF the hereditary Prince oscar, brother o. the King
Charles xv deputation from the Norwegian Par.
lament one member OF the Ministry, and repre-.
sentatives from every "Fylkl," from the supreme
Court and the University OF Cnristana.
As the results Of the union OF the whole OF Nor-
ence on the other parts OF the world, we shau tell
the story OF Harald Haarager and his time.
Harald Haarfager, who lived IN the ninth cen
fury, found himself at hs fathers death king OF
one Of the above entloned Fylkir. He was all
energetic and strong man. Many circumstances
were brought to bear upon him before he up
his mind to become tho only king OF Norway. His
mother Ragnhild. dreamed once that she saw her
beloved son Harad as king OF the whole country.
n w ha N tla M thar
superstitious people at that time, thought to be
true prophecy from the almighty Odin, given to
hood he fell In love with a princess named Gyda,
and sent on ambassador to ask her to become his
WI, wile But the princess answered when Haraid
has become King OF Norway, and not BEFORE Will
be his queen" 1t also happened that some years
before King CORN the Old had united Denmark
into one Kingdom; Harad thought that he nigh,
do the same thing in Norway which CORN did IN
So at YuletIde, ss2 Harold In the midst OF his
warriors made most solemn vow not to cut his
hair or beard before he alone ruled Norway And
ne Kept MS promise He fought tne t Ssher Small
Hairs1ord, in 49, compelled the whole Of Norway
to obey him as king. When the battle was over
to cut his hair and beard. This was not a very
as so 1.r had 1ssI sGSTps
and when 1t was done he said to the King, "Now
Is your hair fair, my King" And after that time
he was called Haariager-the Fair h haired IRE Now
his queen. As before said, the results OF the UNION
of the whole Of Norway under one mans rule had
very great influence on the outer world The small
Fylki-kngs, who were defeated at Hafrs1ord,
would not bow their heads under the sceptre Of
them-they called themselves .Vikngs''-went to
France, which they pilaged In the most merciless
way They went 50 far up the Seine t1a t. they be-
possession of the capital. The fear OF them was so
great that in all the churches Of France there were
from these barbarians:-"A fttore Norndnno,e!n
rioeru nos, 0 Don,tie Deus.'' (Free US rom the
At last the King Of France, Charles 10 Faineant-
the stupid-did not know any better way than to
give the Normans part OF France to settle In, and
Gangel Roll, was created Duke Of Normandy. and
his descendant was william the Conquerer, who In
Pa.s Q. Hasss snd s
country among his warriors who wu,e asao ears,
counts and barOnets and got their names nScrlDed
in ''The DOOmsday Bo0k.n
From Normandy also other expeditions went Out,
one of which, under the command OF the sons Of
Tancred de Hauteville, succeeded In getting pos
session of Naples and Sicily; and one OF the sons
Roger was created Duke Of Naples ~ the Pope.
Some Of the Eylki.kngs who emlgrated fro4
ways anruly, preferring adventurous voyages ON
the great ocean to quiet, agricultural life, some
and found Greenland and vinelsnd. This vineland
is so clearly described IN the old chronicles OF lee
e there can the be nS doubt
the United States states The Hormans, or Ice
anders, did thus discover and partly Settle In
made his great discovery. The old chronicles Of
Iceland speak about the Esquimaux Of Labrador and
the Indians OF Vineand, and, though they certainly
did not mention the m by these names they describe
them so minutely that We see the small Esqu
mauX and the stately Indian warriors before when
we read the old Saga" 1t Is also proved by the
best scientists that Columbus visited Iceland long
before he went on his travels to discover what he
thought was india and 1t Is more than probable
that he, during his visit to Iceland was told about
"the land found and lost"
It was most solemn act, this celebration OF the
anniversary OF the establishment OF
the kingdom Of Norway. In the midst OF Wild
scenery, with the picturesque mountains In the
breaking Atlantic Ocean, is the place where King
Harald Haariager was buried and where he has
now been Inferred Tor SO many centuries. AZ
OF the nation which he formed were assembled
TO pay their homage to the great man who
gave them united Patherland Yesterday men
AIfheimar, yingulmork, vestfoid.
Hadafylki, Haddingladalr, valdres, Raumaiyiki,
Gudbrandsdaler, Grenafylki, Egdafylki,
RygayIki H0rda sigma fsrda su9 s9r1%S'
Nordmara, Eyna, Skeyna, Vardala, Sparrbyggja,
and MISUNDERSTANDING God for his
mercy In the past Thousand years, and earnestly
praying for the prosperity and glory OF their cOun-
try In the future.
From s72 to 1897 Norway was wholly indepen-
dent kingdom, ruled by the successors or Harad
9aretha-the Norwegian King Akon's widow, who
mad inherited the crown Of Denmark, because she
was the only child OF the Danish King Valdemar At
Iefdag, managed to get union constituted between
Denmark, Norway and Sweden, which last country
had elected her for their queen This union lasted
Till 1923, when Sweden separated. Since that time
The Danish Kings were also Kings OF Norway untll
or his adherence TO Napoleon L. by losing Norway,
which country, since that time has been In union
with Sweden, but as an independent Kingdom.