Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1906-07-06

brought Denmark, Norway and Sweden
under one rule, formed great union
OF all the northern countries. The H..
tie son of the present king and queen
the Norwegians have requested should
be called Olaf, true Viking name.
Haakon VI. and Maragretha had a lit
tie son Olaf, who died when but FIVE
years old, referred to by a certain
writer as 1.-The least and last Of tho
kings Of Norway"
King Haakon and Queen Mara.
gretha! How far away these names
seem from the twentieth century, this
modern machine age. They suggest
old days and deeds, when Morse k!nrs
were giants indeel and royal women
were other than mere fgureheads. Let
us travel back through the centuries
and try to catch some glimpse of that
mysterious romantic past.
First let us speak of Norway as n
great mother country, not big enough
to keep all her sons and daughters at
home, but sending them forth to ha.a
people other lanls, to Iceland, aud
Normandy, and Greenland, to ScotlanJ
and Ireland, Let us pause to conte r.
plate Harald Fairhair, he who united
his country under one head and made
a Kingdom of 1t, which It has sincs
continued. In his youth Harald
asplred to marry the beautiful Gyla,
/ proud princess, who declared shg
would not stoop to mere Jarl; II hs
would have h. let him do as Corn OF
Denmark, Eric Of Sweden, Egbert oi
England, subdue the contentious Jarls
/ about him and become great king.
Then Harald swore mighty oath that
he would not cut his hair till he had
/ accomplished the subsection OF the
other kings, until Gyda was his own.
/ Twelve years passed ere Haraidl
name was shorn, Gyda came TO his
home; IL years It took to subdue the
Jarls and conquer the Vikings of the.
as Carlyle calls them, out-lslands.
/ Then Harald spent about GO years in
organizing a government for his con.
/ quests-Harald FairhGir had a reign
long as his renowned name. After him
came his son Eric Blood Axe, who was
unpopular In Norway and was sue
ceeded by the first haakon, Haakon
the Good.
Haakon the Good had been brought
up at an English court, and when no
began his rule over Norway tried To
teach the people something Of Chris
/ tianity, and practiced MS well as
preached; did not, like his father. force
the boys to go to sea, did not take
from them In greed King Haakon
spoke to the people assembled AT
Thing Ia sort OF parllament) of the
Great White Christ, and at the next
meeting at Yule refused to drink to the
god Thor. This mede a great hubbuh
but the people had faith In Haakon tho
Good and began to believe n little IN
the Christ, though they forced some Of
their heather observances on the king |
The laws OF Haakon made at a Thlnr |
at Gula were good laws, and ever Lowell |
dearly by the Morse folk. When HaaI
kon died he was lamented by roth
friends and enemies; they said thai
never again would Norway see such a
king. 1t is told that the year Haakon
was chosen king the birds built their
nests twice, and the trees had two
crops Of apples! |
There follow after Haakon the Good
Harald Fray Fell; Haakon Jarl: Olaf
Tryggyeson; Jarls Eric and syeIn
(quasi soverelgns); Olaf the Thickset
true Viking, In later years becoms
Olaf the Saint; Magnus the Good, Olaf
the Tranquil; Magnus Barefoot; SIgurd
the Crusader; Magnus the Blind; Har.
aid Gyllie, and now the "Fairhairs"
rage among themselves and become ex4
tinct. We have the rise OF Swerri. who
led the wretched Blrchlegs in muny
victories and became king OF Norway;
founded a new dynasty which was 10
last as long as Norway kept her in.
dependence,
Is It not Of interest that the new king
OF newly independent Norway Is a
Danish prince and OF close kin to the
royal family Of sweden3 May the
Observation-Disclosures king bins
in peace and fraternal feeling the PEG
pie Of Scandinavia.