1 7 2 Norway and the Norwegians 



spse-woman, perceived the very first time she saw Ohif 

 that the boy was destined to the highest fortunes, and 

 that he would be a glory to that country. This was 

 the reason why the boy was held in such high esteem 

 by both the king and queen.' 



The Saga here goes on, quite opposed to historic 

 truth, to represent Olaf as already a Christian, and 

 refusing to accompany the king into the heathen 

 temples. ' I pray you,' says King Valdemar, ' to do all 

 in your power to show honour to the gods and to 

 pacify them ; otherwise I fear they will make you feel 

 their might.' ' I shall never fear the gods whom you 

 serve,' said Olaf. ' For there is no saying that they 

 have either sight or hearing, understanding, or anything 

 else. And of what nature they are, I can best judge by 

 this, that you, my king and foster-father, at all other 

 times have been in my eyes a mild and beaming (super- 

 naturally shining) countenance, save only when you 

 have been to sacrifice in the temples. Then, when you 

 come out, you have ever a dark and forbidding aspect.' 

 Such are some of the myths which gathered about 

 this famous name. 



The era upon which we have now entered is the 

 most heroic age in the history of Norway; nay, in 

 many respects, the most heroic in the history of the 

 whole Scandinavian world. For Norway it includes the 

 reigns of Olaf Tryggvason and of Olaf the Saint ; but, 

 unfortunately, likewise a humiliating interval during 

 which this country was only a fief of Denmark. For 

 Denmark it includes the great reigns of Svend (Sweyn) 

 and Cnut (Canute), and, as the reader does not need to 

 be reminded, the complete subjugation of our country 



