Chapter I: Denmark

1014–1387.

CANUTE THE GREAT.—HARDA-CANUTE.—MAGNUS.—ROMANTIC ADVENTURES OF HARALD
HARDRADE.—SWEYN II.—HARALD III.—CANUTE IV.—OLAF II.—ERIC
III.—NICHOLAS.—ERIC IV.—ERIC V.—CANUTE V. AND SWEYN III.—VALDEMAR
I.—HIS ABLE REIGN.—ARCHBISHOPS ESKIL AND ABSALOM.—CANUTE VI.—VALDEMAR
II.—DECLINE OF THE DANISH POWER AND THE CAUSES WHICH LED TO IT.—ERIC
VI.—ABEL.—CHRISTOPHER I.—ERIC VII.—ERIC VIII.—CHRISTOPHER
II.—INTERREGNUM.—VALDEMAR III.—MEMORABLE TRANSACTIONS WITH NORWAY AND
SWEDEN.—OLAF III.—UNION OF DENMARK AND NORWAY.

CANUTE THE GREAT.

1015–1035.

Page

1014. _Canute the Great_ succeeds his Father 165
Sweyn in both Denmark and England

1016–1028. He conquers Norway 167

1028–1035. Character of his Administration 167

His personal Character 167

He divides his Dominions among his Sons 168

HARDA-CANUTE.

1035–1042.

Page

1035–1040. Loses Denmark by the Usurpation of his 171
Brother Harald, but recovers it on
that Prince’s Death

1040–1042. His Administration of England 171

1035–1042. And of Denmark 171

His Compact with Magnus, King of Norway 172

MAGNUS I.

1042–1047.

Page

1042–1044. Succeeds in virtue of his Compact with 172
Harda-Canute, and is well received in
Denmark

His Impolicy in regard to Sweyn, the 173
Nephew of Canute the Great, whom he
makes Viceroy of Denmark

The Viceroy rebels, and is vanquished 173

1044, 1045. Magnus triumphs over the Pirates 173

1045. A new Enemy appears in Harald Hardrade; 174
his romantic Adventures

1045, 1046. Harald allies with Sweyn, but Magnus 177
dissolves the Alliance by his Policy

1047. Magnus leaves the Danish Crown to Sweyn 178

SWEYN II.

1047–1076.

Page

1048–1070. Transactions with Norway, England, &c. 178

1066–1070. And with the Church, which his 179
Incontinence provokes

1070. He commits Murder also, and does Penance 180
for it

1070–1076. Character of this Monarch, and 181
Description of Denmark, by Adam, Canon
of Bremen

HARALD III.

SURNAMED HEIN, OR THE GENTLE.

1076–1080.

Page

1076. Harald, a Bastard Son of Sweyn II, is 183
elected by the States

1076–1080. His Reign affords no Materials for 183
History

CANUTE IV.

SURNAMED THE SAINT.

1080–1086.

Page
1080–1085. His foreign Preparations 184
1080–1086. His vigorous Administration 184
His impolitic Indulgence to the Church 185
His Enforcement of the Tithe 186
1086. His tragical End 186
His Semi-deification 187
He is succeeded by Olaf, Duke of Sleswic 187

OLAF II.

SURNAMED FAMELICUS, OR THE HUNGRY.

1087–1095.

Page

1087–1095. During his Reign, the Realm wasted by 187
Famine

ERIC III.

SURNAMED THE GOOD.

1095–1103.

Page

1095, 1096. His vigorous Administration 188

1097–1103. Lund erected into a Metropolis 189
independent of Bremen

His Pilgrimage to the Holy Land 189

1103. His Death and Character 190

NICHOLAS.

1105–1134.

Page

1103–1105. Interregnum of two Years, when Nicholas 190
is elected

1105–1126. His Jealousy of his Nephew Canute 191

1126–1132. Civil Wars 192

1132–1134. Civil Wars continued; Murder of Nicholas 193

ERIC IV.

SURNAMED EMUND.

1134–1137.

Page
1131–1137. His Reign has no Materials for History 193

ERIC V.

SURNAMED THE LAME.

1137–1147.

Page

1137–1147. Vanquishes a Competitor for the Throne, 194
and retires to the Cloister

Double Election 195

CANUTE V.
1147–1156.

SWEYN III.
1147–1157.

Page

1147–1152. Civil Wars 195

1152–1156. Continued; Actions of Prince Valdemar 196

1156, 1157. After the Death of Canute, Sweyn 197
contends with Valdemar

VALDEMAR I.

SURNAMED THE GREAT.

1157–1182.

Page

1157–1169. Valdemar, Monarch of Denmark, destroys 198
the Pirates of Rugen

1169–1175. Other Transactions with the Pagans of 200
Vandalia

Archbishop Eskil, Primate 202

1175–1179. Archbishop Absalom, the Successor of 203
Eskil

1176–1179. Valdemar exacts the Tithe; Disturbances 205
in consequence

1180. His Transactions with the Empire 206

1182. His Character and Administration 207

CANUTE VI.

1182–1202.

Page

1182–1189. Prosperity of this Monarch 208

1183–1188. He quarrels with the Emperor 209

1191–1202. His Troubles through Bishop Valdemar 209

Flourishing State of Denmark in his 211
Reign

VALDEMAR II.

SURNAMED THE VICTORIOUS.

1202–1241.

Page

1202–1204. His early Transactions with Holstein 212

1204–1210. His Expedition against the Livonians 212

1205–1218. His Disputes with the Empire 213

1219–1223. His Transactions with Esthonia 214

1223. He is made Prisoner by one of his 215
Vassals

1223–1226. Negotiations for his Ransom, which is at 216
length effected

1226–1238. His unfortunate Projects 216

1238–1241. His internal Administration 217

1240. His Character as a Legislator 217

ERIC VI.

SURNAMED PLOGPENNING, OR PLOUGHPENNY.

1241–1250.

Page

1241. Eric, prior to his Accession, had been 218
Duke of Sleswic

1241–1248. His unfortunate Dispute with his Brother 218
Abel, and its Results

1249. His Expedition into Livonia 219

1250. His War with the Count of Holstein led 220
to his Murder by his Brother Abel

ABEL.

1250–1252.

Page

1250–1252. The royal Fratricide undertakes an 221
Expedition against the Frisians, and
is slain in a Morass

1252. In the popular Creed he becomes a 222
Vampire

CHRISTOPHER I.

1252–1259.

Page

1252–1258. Troubled Reign of this Prince 223

1256–1257. His Disputes with the Church, especially 224
with Jacob Erlandsen, Bishop of
Roskild

1257. Violent Measures of the King 225

1258, 1259. To sustain the Vengeance of the Church, 226
he allies himself with his royal
Neighbours, but dies

1259. Was his Death natural? 227

ERIC VII.

SURNAMED GLIPPING.

1259–1286.

Page

1259–1263. Troubles during the Minority of this 227
King

1261–1264. He and his Mother Prisoners, but both 229
eventually released

1272–1275. He is reconciled with the Church 230

1280–1286. But he is embroiled with other Enemies, 231
who deprive him of Life

His Reign disastrous 231

ERIC VIII.

SURNAMED MOENVED.

1286–1319.

Page

1286–1308. Troubles of the Minority; Efforts to 232
recal the Murderers of the late King

1292–1299. The King embroiled with the Church 233

1299–1319. Other Troubles; Eric a Legislator; 234
before his Death (without Issue) he
advises the States not to elect his
turbulent Brother

1310. But that Brother procures the Crown 235

CHRISTOPHER II.

1320–1334.

Page

1320–1323. Prodigality of the new King to secure 236
himself on the Throne

1324, 1325. He violates his Pledges 236

1325. Dissatisfaction of his People, who expel 237
him

1326–1328. Rapacity of the Nobles during his Exile; 238
he returns

1329–1331. His ruinous Promises 239

1331, 1332. Proceedings in regard to Scania, which 240
becomes the Prize of Sweden

1332, 1333. Last Days of Christopher 241

INTERREGNUM.

Page

1333, 1334. State of the Country 241

1334–1340. Rapacity of the Regents, especially 242
Count Gerard, who is murdered

1340. Election of a new King 243

VALDEMAR IV.

SURNAMED ATTERDAG.

1340–1375.

Page

1340. State of the Kingdom on the Accession of 244
Valdemar

His vigilant Administration 244

1344. He sells Scania, but redeems many other 245
Places

1345–1348. He sells Esthenia, and makes good Use of 245
the Money

1348–1350. He obtains Money from another Quarter 246

1351–1357. His Rigour occasions Rebellion, which, 247
however, he suppresses

1357–1360. He recovers Scania 247

1360–1363. By helping Magnus of Sweden, he offends 248
the Hanse Towns

1362, 1363. His artful Policy in regard to the Union 250
of his Daughter with Hako of Norway

1363. Important Consequences of this Union 250

1364, 1365. Valdemar abroad 251

1367–1370. Again. Why? 251

1370–1375. Closing Years of his Reign 252

OLAF III.

1376–1387.

Page

1375, 1376. Olaf, Son of Hako, elected; his Mother 253
Regent

1373. Lavish Promises of Margaret 254

Opinion respecting them 255

1376–1380. She triumphs over all Competitors 255

1380–1386. Olaf becomes King of Norway; ambitious 256
Policy of the Queen-Mother

1386. Transactions with the House of Holstein 257

1387. Sudden Death of Olaf 258

CHAP. II.

NORWAY.

1030–1387.

CANUTE THE GREAT.—SWEYN.—MAGNUS I.—HARALD HARDRADE.—OLAF III.—MAGNUS
II.—MAGNUS BAREFOOT.—EVILS OF A DIVIDED SOVEREIGNTY.—ROMANTIC
ADVENTURES OF SIGURD I.—MAGNUS IV.—CIVIL WARS.—EXTRAORDINARY
ADVENTURES OF SWERRO.—HAKO IV.—MAGNUS VI.—ERIC II.—HAKO V.—OTHER
SOVEREIGNS.—UNION OF NORWAY WITH DENMARK.

Page

1030–1035. CANUTE THE GREAT.—SWEYN 260

1035. The Norwegians look to Magnus, a bastard 261
Son of St. Olaf

1035, 1036. MAGNUS I. enters into a Treaty with the 262
King of Denmark

1038–1040. His Mother and Stepmother 262

1042–1046. He becomes King of Denmark 262

1047. Last Days of this Monarch 263

1047–1064. HARALD HARDRADE 263

1066. He falls in England 264

1066–1069. Two Kings in Norway 264

1069–1093. Olaf alone 264

1093–1095. MAGNUS BAREFOOT 265

1096–1099. His Expedition to the British Isles 265

1099–1101. His War with Sweden 266

1102–1103. His second Expedition to these Islands, 266
and his Death in Ireland

1103. Partition of the Sovereignty between his 267
three Sons

1103–1122. Fate of two of them 268

1107–1111. Romantic Adventures of the third Son, 268
Sigurd I.

1111–1123. His Severity against Idolaters 269

1124–1130. His strange Conduct 270

1130. MAGNUS IV. compelled to share the 271
Kingdom with an Adventurer

1130–1152. HARALD IV.—SIGURD II., &c. 272

1152. Arrival of a Papal Legate 273

1153–1161. Internal Troubles 274

1161–1164. Continued 275

1164–1170. Transactions with Denmark 276

1166–1169. Troubles; Rival for the Throne 276

1173–1177. A second Rival 277

1174–1178. A third, the celebrated Swerro 277

1178–1186. His romantic Adventures 278

1186–1194. Swerro’s vigorous Rule 280

1194–1200. His unscrupulous Conduct 282

1194–1202. Internal Troubles 283

1202. His Death and Character 283

1202–1204. HAKO III. 284

1204–1207. GUTHRUM 284

1207. Ordeal to prove the Descent of Hako from 284
King Swerro

1208–1241. HAKO IV.; his troubled Minority 285

1242–1260. Internal Events of his Reign 286

1263. His Transactions with the Scots 287

His famous Expedition 288

1263–1266. MAGNUS VI. 289

1263–1280. Internal Changes during this Reign 290

1280–1289. ERIC II. 291

1289–1299. Transactions with Scotland 292

1299–1319. HAKO V. 292

1319. Under this Prince, Norway declines 293

1319–1387. Succeeding Kings 294

CHAP. III.

SWEDEN.

1001–1389.

OLAF.—EMUND I.—EMUND II.—STENKILL.—INGE I.—PHILIP.—INGE II.—SWERKER
I.—CHARLES.—ST. ERIC.—INTERNAL TROUBLES.—BIRGER JARL.—VALDEMAR
I.—MAGNUS I.—BIRGER.—MAGNUS II.—ERIC IV.—ALBERT OF MECKLENBURG.—UNION
OF SWEDEN WITH DENMARK.

Page

Chronological Difficulties 295

1001–1026. OLAF Skatkonung 295

1026–1051. EMUND I. 296

1051–1148. EMUND II., and succeeding Kings 296

1148–1154. SWERKER I.; double Election 298

1155–1167. ST. ERIC and CHARLES 299

1161–1167. Charles the sole King 300

1167–1192. CANUTE 301

1192–1210. SWERKER II. 301

1210–1250. Other Rulers 302

1250. VALDEMAR I. 303

1251–1266. Regency of Birger 303

1266–1276. Troubled Reign of Valdemar 304

1276–1279. He is compelled to resign the Throne of 305
Sweden

1279, 1280. MAGNUS I. 305

1281–1290. His internal Administration 306

1290–1305. BIRGER; his guilty Impudence 307

1305–1319. He is exiled 308

1319–1320. And his Son Beheaded 309

1319–1354. MAGNUS II.; his Minority, and subsequent 310
Actions

1354–1357. His Weakness 311

1357–1363. His Unpopularity 312

1363. Election of ALBERT 313

1364–1371. Actions of this Prince 313

1371–1376. He too is unpopular 314

1377–1387. He quarrels with his Diet 314

1388, 1389. He is defeated and captured by Margaret 315
of Denmark