242 Norway and the Norwegians 



Kalf Arnason, who had been the Monk of this restora- 

 tion, fell into such disfavour that he thought it prudent 

 to go into exile, and his estates were forfeited. These 

 unjust proceedings caused an insurrection among the 

 bonders, and Magnus, profiting by the timely warning, 

 grew more just and pacific. The latter part of his 

 reign redeemed the outset, and earned him the name 

 of Magnus the Good. 



Outside of Norway nothing of great importance was 

 achieved in this reign. At the beginning of it, that is 

 to say, almost directly after the death of Cnut in 1036, 

 the King of Norway collected a fleet and prepared to 

 attack Hardacnut, the new King of Denmark. Harda- 

 cnut, on his side, brought his fleet to the mouth of the 

 Gota Pliver, not less ready for battle. In the event, 

 peace was made between the two sovereigns on the 

 condition — the tontine condition, as it really was — 

 that each should reign unmolested by the other, and 

 that the survivor of the two should succeed to both 

 kingdoms. Hardacnut, after succeeding his brother 

 Harold on the English throne, died in a.d. 1039 ; 

 whereupon Magnus Olafsson collected a large fleet, and 

 prepared, if necessary, to assert by arms his claim to 

 the Danish succession, and for a period he was undis- 

 puted ruler of Denmark as well as of Norway. 



He appointed as his regent of the latter country — 

 against the advice of some of his wisest statesmen — 

 the cousin of Hardacnut, the son, namely, of that Earl 

 Ulf who had married Cnut's sister Estrid, and whom 

 Cnut, in a fit of jealousy, had caused to be assassinated. 

 We mentioned a few pages above this son of Ulf's and 

 of Estrid's whose name was Svend. ' He is known in 



