The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1906-06-01

king accepted the proffered response
bilities, solemnly swore to support tho
constitution of Norway, and as King
Haakon VII. became head of the ma
ton. His formal coronation takes
place June %.
| Haakon is a name that has honored
place in Norwegian history, and that
this title should have been chosen is
significant of Norway's national pride
The wife of Haakon VII will be known
| as Queen Maragretha, another mama
highly honored in Norwegian history.
1t was Maragrctha (1353-1412) who
brought Denmark, Norway and Sweden
under one rule, formed great UNION
of all the northern countries. The lit
tie son of the present king and queen
! the Norwegians have requested should
be called Olaf, a 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 ''the least and last of the
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 kings
were giants indeed and royal women
were other than mere figureheads. 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 help
people other lands, to Iceland, and
Normandy, and Greenland, to Scotland
and Ireland. Let us pause to contem-
plate Harald Fairhair, he who united
his country under one head and made
a kingdom of it, which it has since
continued. In his youth Harald
aspired to marry the beautiful Gyda,
proud princess, who declared she
would not stoop to a mere Jarl; if he
would have her let him do as CORN of
Denmark, Eric of Sweden, Egbert of
England, subdue the contentious Jarls
about him and become a 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 Harald's
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-islands.
Then Harald spent about 60 years in
organizing a government for his con-
quests-Harald Fairhair 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 he
began his rule over Norway tried to
teach the people something of Chris
tianity, and practiced as we'll 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
ling Va ooAS VI VI LILO
Great White Christ, and at the next
meeting at Yule refused to drink to the
god Thor. This made great hubbut,
but the people had faith in Haakon the
Good and began to believe a little in
the Christ, though they forced some of
their heather observances on the king.
The laws of Haakon made at a Thing
OF G,,1 Ior
dearly by the Morse folk. When Haa-
kon died he was lamented by both
friends and enemies; they said that
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
Tryggveson; Jarls Eric and Syein
(quasi sovereignty; Olaf the Thickset,
true Viking, in later years become
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 ex-
tinct. We have the rise of Swerri, who
led the wretched Birchlegs in many
victories and became king of Norway;
founded new dynasty which was to
last rs. long as Norway kept ner 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 Sweden? May the
Danish Swedish-Norwegian king clnd
in peace and fraternal feeling the PEG
pie of Scandinavia.
CHRISTOPHER WEBSTER