The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1914-01-10
Important Events in Sweden,
Norway and Denmark.
BRIEFS FROM OLD COUNTRY
Interesting Items From the Three
Great Kingdoms Of the North Sc
Iected for scandInavIans and
Their Descendants.
BY MARTIN w. oDLAND.
Norway.

Are the sagas of Snorre Sturlason
Inaccurate and unreliable? 1t seems
almost sacreligious to raise such
question with respect to these immor-
tai and revered historical works, but
some of Norway's most distinguished
historians are doing 1t, and the
"Snorre" debate is one OF the principal
topics in Norwegian literary circles to-
day. The discussion or controversy
started at a recent meeting OF the
Christiania Historical society, when
Prof. Halvdan Koht made vigorous
attack on the credibility Of the Morse
and Icelandic sagas and was sustained
by Prof. Yngvar Nielsen. These men
rank among Norway's foremost his
torians and their criticisms cannot be
ignored. Professor Taranger and Mr..
Paasche came to the defense OF the
sagas, upholding their authenticity,
but admitting inaccuracies In details.
+ According to press reports the chief
speaker on the sagas was Professor
Koht, who asserted that they had been
colored strongly by the perspective OF
the times in which they wrote, and
that many of the main events OF Nor
wegian history had been misplaced as
to time and misinterpreted as to
causes. He pointed out that the re-
tended to establish the date OF the
battle of Hafrsfjord ten to fifteen
years later than that given by Snorre
and Munich. namely 872. If this error
of date could be satisfactorily estab-
lished, history would have to seek
other causes for the emigration to Ice
land than the accepted theory that the
overbearance Of the head kings OF
United Norway drove out the inde-
pendent and high-spirited chieftains.
Professor Koht was supported In his
argument by Professor Nielsen, who
lnstanced the fact that Snorre's ac-
count Of the battle OF Svolder was al
most word for word the same as
much earlier account Of one OF the
/ battles fought by Charles the Great.
Mr.. Paasche vigorously espoused
the credibility Of the sagas. He assert
ed that the general agreement be-
tween the accounts contained In the
sagas and in the poetry Of the ancient
Morse bards, or skalds, forms very
positive proof OF the truthfulness OF
the sagas.
All prospects Of Norway's participa-
ton in the Panama exposition at San
Francisco in 1915 seems to have van
ished entirely. Last spring the starth-
Ing gave the first serious blow to the
hopes of those who favored such par
ticipation by voting down an appro-
priation for 10000 crowns, and now
committee appointed by "Nord-
mandsforbundet" and commercial
houses Of Norway have notified the so
cial department that a proper exhibit
ton at San Francisco Is an impossi-
bility and advises that the project be
abandoned. This will be a keen dis
appointment not only to Norway's
commercial interests, but also to the
thousands of Observation-Disclosures
who will miss good Morse exhibit at
the exposition. Two reasons are re-
sponsible for the committees decision
with reference to the exposition: The
impossibility of raising the necessary
funds-from 100000 to 100000 crowns
land tho refusal of the exposition
management to grant space for q
single collective exhibit from Norway
the only sort OF exhibit worth while
In the opinion Of the committee.
A Christiania report says that the
municipal election held there recently
makes the Socialists the strongest
party in Norway's capital city They
polled popular vote of 30.S63 as COM
pared with the Rights 30,079, the
LET'S 1887 and the Liberal Let's A.
$50. The complexion OF the city coun-
Gil will be substantially as follows:
Socialists, SO or 81; Right, "a; Left,
s or 8; Liberal Left, s. The old coun-
Gil has 38 Right men, 6 Liberal Left.
8 Left, 81 Socialists and one Temper
ance.
This gives the radical parties, the
Socialists and the Left. a secure ma
jority of the council.
The hurricane which swept the
coast of Norway during the last days
OF November and the first days OF
December was the most disastrous
for many years. The total number OF
lives lost on Norwegian and foreign
vessels exceeds nifty. and the imam
cial lost runs up into hundreds of
thousands of dollars.
/
/ Gran Prandhu I1unnar and IAYna-