2 20 Norway and the Norwegians 



Tryggvason, and botli were connected by marriage with 

 the house of Hakon. The former of the two, after 

 St. Ohif's coronation, left the country for a time ; but 

 eventually he made overlvires for a reconciliation, which 

 were accepted by the king. Erling remained from the 

 first in Norway, and nominally submitted to the new 

 dynasty, while in reality he ruled his own district 

 almost as an independent lord. Olaf made several 

 attempts to break down the power of Erling, and in 

 these he partially succeeded. Beneath a show of amity 

 there smouldered a continual ill-will between the king 

 and this haughty subject. Erling and his sons had 

 already made offers to transfer tlieir allegiance to Olaf'a 

 great rival before the latter was in a position to take 

 advantage of their offer. 



This great rival of Olaf Haraldson was Cnut Svends- 

 son, King of Denmark and of England. Cnut and Olaf 

 had always been opposed. Even in his buccaneering 

 days, as we know, the Norseman had offered his sword to 

 the sons of ^thelred against the Danish kingj. Cnut 

 was now established on the English throne, and so had, 

 in addition to the resources of his native country, those 

 of ' the richest country of the north.' He by no 

 means resigned his claims to Norway in asserting those 

 to England ; and he had, some years since, sent an 

 embassy to Olaf, saying that if the latter would do 

 him homage as to an over-lord he would leave him un- 

 disturbed in his dominions. But Olaf refused utterly to 

 hold his crown on such conditions. He told the Danish 

 ambassadors that Cnut might eat all the kail in England 

 ere he, Olaf, would place his head in the Dane's hands, 

 or own to him any sort of vassalage. This answer was 



