Discontent m Norway 239 



he had been dead more than a century ? Cnut had to 

 humble himself at St. Edmund's shrine. What power 

 had such a king to resist the growing reputation for 

 sanctity which was clinging to the name of the dead 

 Olaf, the continued report of miracles which had accom- 

 panied his steps, especially in his latter days of distress 

 and desertion ? Popular superstition, like popular fancy, 

 which is illustrated in the folk-tales, always, if it has 

 any excuse for so doing, clings to the losing side. 



Kalf Arnason, too, was discontented. Cnut's promises 

 had been fair enough, but he showed no signs of ful- 

 filling them. He had spoken of Kalf becoming the 

 virtual sovereign of Norway in the same way that the 

 Earls of Lade had been virtual sovereigns under Cnut's 

 predecessors on the Danish throne. Hakon, the last 

 representative of that house, was, as Cnut acknowledged, 

 too gentle and too honourable to be intrusted with 

 such power. But it appeared now that the Dane 

 rather thought of keeping the government in his own 

 hands, and Kalf was a no better man than formerly. 



Cnut had difficulties in his own kingdom. As he 

 spent most of his time in England his Danish subjects 

 began to long for a king of their own ; and it went so 

 far that Ulf, one of the most powerful of the Danish 

 earls, and brother-in-law to Cnut,^ and Cnut's wife 

 together set up the son of Cnut, Hardacnut, as King of 

 Denmark in the absence of his father. When Cnut 

 came over from England they excused their conduct, 

 and did not venture to oppose the force which the elder 

 king brought with him ; but Cnut took an opportunity 



1 He was, through his sister, brother-in-law also to our English Earl 

 Godwin, 



