Historical Tales, Vol. 9

Tales, Vol. 9 (of 15), by Charles Morris

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Title: Historical Tales, Vol. 9 (of 15) The Romance of Reality. Scandinavian.
Author: Charles Morris
Release Date: February 9, 2007 [EBook #20549]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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Transcriber's note: Ten minor typographical errors have been corrected in this text version.

��dition d'��lite
Historical Tales The Romance of Reality
By CHARLES MORRIS
Author of "Half-Hours with the Best American Authors," "Tales from the Dramatists," etc.
IN FIFTEEN VOLUMES
Volume IX
Scandinavian
J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY
PHILADELPHIA AND LONDON

Copyright, 1908, by J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY.

[Illustration: From Stereograph Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, N.Y. OLD BRIDGE AT OEREBRO.]

CONTENTS PAGE
HOW KING ROLF WON HIS BRIDE 9
RAGNAR LODBROK AND HIS WIVES AND SONS 19
HAROLD FAIR-HAIRED FOUNDS THE KINGDOM OF NORWAY 31
GORM THE OLD, DENMARK'S FIRST KING 42
ERIK BLOOD-AXE AND EGIL THE ICELANDER 49
THE SEA-KINGS AND THEIR DARING FEATS 60
HAAKON THE GOOD AND THE SONS OF GUNHILD 69
EARL HAAKON AND THE JOMSVIKINGS 78
HOW OLAF, THE SLAVE-BOY, WON THE THRONE 89
OLAF DETHRONES ODIN AND DIES A HERO 98
OLAF THE SAINT AND HIS WORK FOR CHRIST 108
CANUTE THE GREAT, KING OF SIX NATIONS 121
MAGNUS THE GOOD AND HAROLD HARDRULER 132
SVERRE, THE COOK'S SON, AND THE BIRCHLEGS 145
THE FRIENDS AND FOES OF A BOY PRINCE 160
KING VALDEMAR I. AND BISHOP ABSOLON 169
THE FORTUNES AND MISFORTUNES OF VALDEMAR II 176
BIRGER JARL AND THE CONQUEST OF FINLAND 186
THE FIRST WAR BETWEEN SWEDEN AND RUSSIA 196
THE CRIME AND PUNISHMENT OF KING BIRGER 202
QUEEN MARGARET AND THE CALMAR UNION 211
HOW SIR TORD FOUGHT FOR CHARLES OF SWEDEN 217
STEN STURE'S GREAT VICTORY OVER THE DANES 226
HOW THE DITMARSHERS KEPT THEIR FREEDOM 236
THE BLOOD-BATH OF STOCKHOLM 241
THE ADVENTURES OF GUSTAVUS VASA 252
THE FALL OF CHRISTIAN II. THE TYRANT 271
THE WEST GOTHLAND INSURRECTION 283
THE LOVE AFFAIRS OF KING ERIK 296
GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS ON THE FIELD OF LEIPSIC 310
CHARLES X. AND THE INVASION OF DENMARK 319
CHARLES XII. THE FIREBRAND OF SWEDEN 326
THE ENGLISH INVADERS AND THE DANISH FLEET 343
A FRENCH SOLDIER BECOMES KING OF SWEDEN AND NORWAY 349
THE DISMEMBERMENT OF DENMARK 358
BREAKING THE BOND BETWEEN NORWAY AND SWEDEN 362

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
SCANDINAVIAN.
PAGE
THE OLD BRIDGE AT OEREBRO, ONE OF THE MOST ANCIENT TOWNS OF SWEDEN. Frontispiece.
HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT, NORWAY 35
HOME OF PEASANTS, NORWAY 50
BUSY FARMERS IN A HILLSIDE FIELD ABOVE ARE, SWEDEN 80
A NORDFJORD BRIDE AND GROOM WITH GUESTS AND PARENTS. BRIGSDAL, NORWAY 95
NORWEGIAN PEASANTS 115
NORWEGIAN FARM BUILDINGS 135
LINKOPING FROM TANNEFORS 165
VILLAGE LIFE AND HOMES IN SWEDEN 190
MORNING GREETINGS OF NEIGHBORS, SWEDEN 210
GRIPSHOLM CASTLE, MARI 220
SKURUSUND, STOCKHOLM 230
SKANSEN RIVER 242
THE FAMOUS XVI. CENTURY CASTLE AT UPSALA, SWEDEN 256
NORWEGIAN CARRIAGE CALLED STOLKJAEM 285
ARMORY AND COSTUME HALL OF THE ROYAL MUSEUM, SWEDEN 300
STATUE OF GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS 312
THE RETURN OF CHARLES XII. OF SWEDEN 340
KRONBERG CASTLE ON THE SOUND, DENMARK 348
THE BOURSE, COPENHAGEN, DENMARK 360

HOW KING ROLF WON HIS BRIDE.
At one time very many centuries ago, we cannot say just when, for this was in the days of the early legends, there reigned over Upsala in Sweden a king named Erik. He had no son and only one daughter, but this girl was worth a dozen sons and daughters of some kings. Torborg she was named, and there were few women so wise and beautiful and few men so strong and valiant. She cared nothing for women's work, but was the equal of any man of the court in riding, fighting with sword and shield, and other athletic sports. This troubled King Erik very much, for he thought that the princess should sit in her maiden chamber like other kings' daughters; but she told him that when she came to succeed him on the throne she would need to know how to defend her kingdom, and now was the time for her to learn.
That she might become the better fitted to rule, she asked him to give her some province to govern, and this he did, making her queen of a third of his kingdom, and giving her an army of stout and bold warriors. Her court was held at Ulleraker in Upland, and here she would not let any one treat her as a woman, dressing always in men's clothing and bidding her men to call her King Torborg. To fail in this would be at risk of their heads. As her fame spread abroad, there were many who came to court her, for she was at once very beautiful and the heiress of a great kingdom. But she treated all such with laughter and contempt. It is even said