Ch. 08-Jarls Eric and Svein; Ch. 09-King Olaf the Thick-Set's Viking Days

War & Military

Early Kings of Norway

by Thomas CARLYLE (1795 - 1881)

"The Icelanders, in their long winter, had a great habit of writing; and were, and still are, excellent in penmanship. It is to this fact, that any little history there is of the Norse Kings and their old tragedies, crimes and heroisms, is almost all due. The Icelanders, it seems, not only made beautiful letters on their paper or parchment, but were laudably observant and desirous of accuracy; and have left us such a collection of narratives (Sagas, literally "Says") as, for quantity and quality, is unexampled among rude nations. Snorro Sturleson's History of the Norse Kings is built out of these old Sagas; and has in it a great deal of poetic fire, . . . and deserves to be reckoned among the great history-books of the world. It is from these sources that the following rough notes of the early Norway Kings are hastily thrown together." (Excerpted from Thomas Carlyle's preface by Karen Merline)

Listen next episodes of Early Kings of Norway:
Ch. 10-Reign of King Olaf the Saint part 2 , Ch. 10-Reign of King Olaf the Saint part 1 , Ch. 11-Magnus the Good and Others , Ch. 12-Olaf the Tranquil, Magnus Barefoot, and Sigurd the Crusader; Ch. 13-Magnus the Blind, Harald Gylle, and Mutual Extinction of the Haarfagrs , Ch. 14-Sverrir and Descendants, to Hakon the Old; Ch. 15-Hakon the Old at Largs; Ch. 16-Epilogue