The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-05-16

Norwegians on both sides of the At Iantic will celebrate tomorrow the ninety-ninth anniversary of Norway's declaration of independence, when the sons of Olaf threw off the Swedish yoke. Saturdays festivities will be but 8 preliminary to the great cele- brat1on a year hence that will mark the rounding out of a century of free dom. It Is expected that thousands of Norwegians from the United States and Canada will gos to Christfana next May for the homecoming festival. Those not able to visit the mother country, will have a central celebra- ton in Minneapolis, and minor festiv- ities will be held in nearly all centers of Scandinavian population through out the continent. The NorWeg1ans have played an important part In the development of the Northwestern States and the Western Canadian Provinces, and no small portion of the worlds wheat supply now comes from the farms of these sturdy irnnni- grants.
 Norway's history may be said to have commenced with the establish ment of a colony in VermeIand by Olaf Trete1ia, in the seventh century. This colony was the nucleus of the monarch founded by O1af's descen- dant, Halfdan III, the Black. a great warrior and legislator who lived in the ninth century. He was accidentally drowned, and, during the youth of his son, Harold Harfager, the petty chiefs who had ruled in Norwalk regained their power. Harold. the Fair-Hair- ed, upon attaining to manhood, vow ed neither to cut nor comb his hair until he had recovered his kingdom, which he accomplished in SIP. His son. Eric the Bloody Axe, was a ty- rant, and was expelled. and was sl1c- ceeded by Hako the Good, who sought 1S-I.k I-a@r dorninions. Olaf T., in the tenth cen tury, succeeded where Hako failed, but only by force and ferocious cruel ty was he able to substitute Christ for the old gods of the North1and.
 Tn the year 1000 Norway was divid- ed between the kings of Denmark and Sweden, but speedily was restor- ed by the military prowess of Olaf the Saint, who was also herce1y zeal ous in his propagation of Christianity. He was expelled by Canute, who be- came king, but the 1atters son was in turn expelled in favor of Magnus I, il1egitimate son of Olaf tthe Saint" Harold Hardrada, the .next king, led an invasion of England, and was de- feated and slain. The next monarch of importance was Magnus. III, the Barefoot. who invaded Scotland, but was killed while attempting to con quer Ireland. Civil war ragged in the twelfth century, and Magnus ", was dethroned and Harold " assassfnat- ed. Toward the close of the century Swerro, a brilliant adventurer, made himself king, and founded a new dy- nasty In the thirteenth century Eric II, the Priest-Hater, married Margaret of Scotland. In the latter | part of the fourteenth century Nor l way declined in importance and was 1 united with Denmark and Sweden 1 The three countries were separated in l 1448, reunited shortly afterward, and | again became independent in 1523. Christians, the modern capital, was founded in 1924, during the reign of Christian ".
 The event to be celebrated next year l resulted from the treaty of Hels by | which Norway was given to Sweden. | The latter country was then under the | domination of Marshal Bernadotte. l who. although he had not yet ascend ed the throne, was crown prince in | name and ruler in fact. On May IT, 1 1914, the Norwegians issued their dec l laration of independence, and shortly | afterward a Swedish army was dis patched by Bernadotte to que11 the l rebels Toward the latter part of | the year a. compromise was reached, | whereby the Swedish monarch was to | be also king of NorwaI, although the | latter country was to remain "a, free, independent, indivisib1e, and inal1en- able state.'' This arrangement con- tinued until 1905, when. after a period | countries the union was dissolved, | King of Norway.