The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-06-20
CHAPTER OF
NORWAY'S HISTORY
Why the Twin Kingdoms Of scandi.
navia Have Been Unable to Live
Together In Harmony, .4isi
by YeEold.rlmr,e,r.

By Ye Old.Tlmer.
The dispute between, Norway and
Sweden which has Just come to a
crisis has been more or less acute for
a number Of years. It should be borne
in mind that the union was not a
union OF Norway and Sweden: that
Oscar II. was not King OF Sweden.
Norway, nor Of Sweden and Norway,
but virtually King Of Norway and
King OF Sweden; that the only BOND
of union between the two countries
was the King: That they we're both
sovereign States. with equal rights
and privileges. according to. their con.
situations and "rlgsakt" or contract,
and that they had their separate Ian
guages and institutions.
From the beginning Of her history,
more than 1000 years ago, Norway
has been a hereditary monarchy. Dur.
ing the rst>5O0 years OF her existence
as a kingdom, from the ninth to tho
fourteenth century, the house OF Hlaar.
fagre sat on tho throne. That was
Norways golden age. during which
size grew to be one Of the great king.
fdoms OF Europe, known and respected
all over Chrlstendom. Her Kings
alone OF all the, crowned heads Of
Western Europe remained independ.
ent and did not allow themselves to
become vassals Of the Pope. II was
during that period that Norway's
grand old literature was written, a,
literature superior not only 10 that OF
any single country, but superior to
those OF all the countries OF Europe
combined during those centuries.
T In 1919 Haaken ", the last King OF
THE house Of Aaarfagre; died. He had
mo sons, but two daughters. The cid.
lest Of these, lngeborg, was married
to Swedish Duke, Erik Magnusson
Their son, Magnus Elrikson, became
King Of Sweden inE1319. According to
the Norwegian law Of succession he
Twas the nearest heir also to the
crown Of that country So when his
grandfather, Haakon ", died, he also
became King Of Norway. and thus the
crowns Of Norway and Sweden be.
came united for the first time. Two
or three times subsequently the union
was broken from one cause or an.
other and then restored.
In the latter half Of the fourteenth
century another. union was formed,
this time with Denmark, and 1t lasted
434 years, part Of which time Sweden
also was in the compact. Norway was
neglected, was the Cinderella OF the
three sister Kingdoms, and that de.
pressing period is called in Norwegian
history the night OF four centuries
4 Through it all the Norweglans retain.
ed their. democratic spirit and love Of
liberty. The feudal system which has
dominated all the rest of Europe ney.
Ter found foothold in Norway. 5;5
During one of the arrangements
| OF the mp Of Europe which marked the
i Napoleonlc wars, in January Of 1914,
King Fredrik VI. Of Denmark and Nor.
way was compelled by the Powers to
/; renounce for himself and for his heirs
4 the crown of Norway in favor OF the
4 King Of Sweden as reward to the
latter for his services in behalf Of the
lallies. The Norweglans rebelled and
1 elected Krlstian Fredrik their King.
4 War with Sweden followed. The
4 Swedes were unable to conquer Nor.
way, but the struggle ended in a com,
promise by the terms OF which Kris.
l tian Frederick abdlcated and Karl
XIII. Of Sweden was elected King
A Of the sister nation, with the under!
standing that the Norwegian constI
\ luton should be observed. ss
The next year the '.rigsakt Y 81
common contract was subscribe Il
II III ~