The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1911-07-14


ring all summer, for during the
entire season Normandy will
celebrated it's one thousandth
birthday.
Mortimer are the heroes of the
Norman birthday. Up the river to
Rouen will come swift Viking ocean
yreyhounds. dashed on by their banks
Of oars. The first are Norwegian !;
and, instead Of fire and sword. they
bear gifts-in particular an exact re.
production, one-tenth size, of the mag.
Iiflcent old Viking ship discovered
three years ago in a mound at Ose-
berg. complete with its ancient arms
and tackle. All react the strange
events Of Just 1000 years ago.
A sail! King Frederick Of Den
mark looks proud. now. Up comes an
other Viking pirate craft with gifts
In particular. a granite copy OF the
Telling stone. greatest Of Runic mon
uments, dating exactly from this pc
Rod, 1000 years ago. II is the gift
Of the Carlsbergfund. Danish acad-
envy Of arts and sciences.
A sail! Again. 1t is King Gustaf's
turn. Up the old river dances the
Swedish bark Of King Hugleik (Hy.
gelac), who conducted-as the Swedes
contend-the first Vikings to the land
Of the Francs. Its heather warriors
also bear a treasure gift to the mil
lenary-a copy in massive gold OF Hy-
gelac's arm bracelet, weighing two
pounds, wonderfully carved. The
Swedes are. indeed. willing to prove
that Rollo himself was OF their
country.
See the rich old city OF Rouen out
do itself! Each of it's stones is
story. II calls the world to its birth
day. 1t prepares magnificent cor.
teges. Journeys, jousts and reproduc-
lions. II hangs gay old tapestries out
side Its windows to light up the
streets with color as cavalcades OF ar
mored knights go Gathering out to the
iists-or robber barons to discuss a
scheme to conquer England.
Foundations Of English.
But what must thrill every English
speaking person is that the very foun-
dations Of his language were laid,
1000 years ago, in the little town OF
st. Clair-sur-Epte, between Paris and
Normandy. with a present population
OF 500 inhabitants and a ruined feu-
dial castle built by Henry II. of Eng.
land.
Tourists who stop of at st. Clair
sur-Epte must look with their his
toric eye behind that ruin. Two hun.
dred and fifty years before II was
built the site was occupied by a villa |
dating from old Chair cmagne. His
great empire had been broken up by |
the quarrels Of his incompetent sue
and the so-called emperor,
Big Charles, saw helplessly a swarm |
Or Mortimer pirates sailing. rowing
up the River Seine. and even attack.
ing Paris! President Fallieres will |
sit with the three Mortimer kings be-
tide him. Thus Normandy was squat.
ed by their pirate ancestors-who
came to stay.
In vain the magnificent Count
;udes defended Paris and drove back
he Mortimer. Count of Paris, Blois
md Orleans. inheritor-with the great
french seigneurs and people also-of
he Roman culture. Eudes was easily
he most powerful and respected lord
II West France. The people ac-
,laimed him: and the mobiles crowned
him to replace Big Charles. But not
or long. Jealousies caused generous
Guides to resign. not to waste the land
" civil war. So. in the year 500, he
legged his brother seigneurs to swear
allegiance to Charles the Simple. He
vas simple. This is why we find him
t st. Clairsur-Epte. 1000 years ago,
igning a treaty with Rollo. the North
nan chieftain. II was called a treaty.
nut after having his foot kissed
'harles purely and simply ceded away
o Rollo and his crowd all the present
reat province of Normandy.
What Might Have Been.
II Is momentous speculation-what
Tould have been the worlds history
ad not Eudes miscalculated. He ,
oped to save France from civil war; /,
{ course, to fight the Norman invad-
r.. Eudes would have pushed them
ack to their boats In the ocean. And I
either you nor any living man with
drop Of English blood would have ,
cen born what we are. England I
ould have remained Saxon.
As things were. see the stupeudous ,
overture. A swarm Of hungry Viking
rates suddenly became masters Of ,
ormsndy--whsn the na,ue. Harms-A. :