176 Norway and the Norwegians 



as high-handed as Charlemagne's in the conversion of 

 the heathen Germans. 



At the present moment Norway had a ruler who was 

 more genuinely attached to Odin-worsliip than any 

 which the country had possessed for some time. Earl 

 Hakon, as we saw, had got his rule (his kingdom as it 

 really was) by bringing about the slaughter of Harold 

 Greyfell at the hands of the brother of the King of 

 Denmark, and then, by previous connivance with 

 that king, falling upon and slaying the victor. From 

 this time Hakon was the virtual ruler of all Norway. 

 But he was at the same time the nominal tributary of 

 the king of Denmark, Harald Blatand. In the year 

 965 Otto the First, the German Emperor, made an 

 attack upon Denmark, and, having defeated Harald, 

 the king compelled him to accept baptism. Oddly 

 enouoh King Harald seems to have become at once 

 a zealous convert to the new faith. Or else lie felt 

 like the fox in the fable who had lost his tail, and 

 could not bear, since he had been compelled to undergo 

 baptism, that his vassal, Hakon, should escape the 

 same indignity. For he summoned Hakon to him, 

 while he held his court in Zealand, and tried all he 

 could to make the earl change his creed. The Norse- 

 man absolutely refused to do this, and went the length 

 of shaking off all allegiance to Harald. He carried 

 his fleet away, and set to work to plunder the do- 

 minions of his former lord. King Harald of Denmark 

 retaliated by bringing a fleet to tlie Sulen Isles, at the 

 mouth of Sogne Fjord. Thence he went right into 

 the fjord. Only five houses, says the Saga, were left 

 standing in Lccrdal. The people fled far inland up that 



