Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 3.djvu/397

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KINGS OF NORWAY. 385 1014. King Olaf went to Norway from the coast of North- notes. umberland this year, took Earl Hakon prisoner, and was received as king. 1016. Harald Haardrade born. 1017. Canute married Emma, widow of King Ethelred, and daughter of Richard duke of Normandy. During this year the negotiations relative to a marriage be- tween King Olaf of Norway and Ingegird, the daughter of Olaf king of Sweden, appear to have taken place. 1018. Sigurd Syr, King Olaf's step-father, died. 1019. The marriage of Astrid with King Olaf ; and peace was concluded between King Olaf of Sweden and King Olaf of Norway. 1022. King Olaf of Sweden died, and his son Onund suc- ceeded. 1024. King Magnus the Good born. 1025. A treaty between King Olaf and King Onund. King Canute the Great came to Denmark, and wintered there. 1026. Canute returned to England. 1027. The kings Olaf and Onund joined their forces, and laid waste Sealand. The battle of Helge-a was fought. This battle is also mentioned in the Saxon Chronicle, but under the year 1025. The next year, however, under which any event is dated being 1028, it may be presumed that the battle, being a foreign event not connected with English history, is merely stated in the Saxon Chronicle as something that took place between 1025 and 1028. It states also that Ulf and Eglaf, viz. Olaf, were joined against King Canute ; which may be accounted for by Earl Ulf 's attempt to set up Hardacanute as king of Denmark against Canute his father, and Ulf's assassination by Canute's order in the church of St. Lucius, at Roskilde, after the battle of Helge-a. Snorro's account of this transaction, which is taken from the Knytlinga Saga, is much more distinct and probable ; as the Danish levy which Ulf and Hardacanute had raised was evidently in Canute's fleet, not with King Olaf and King Onund. As the Saxon Chronicle is evidently wrong about an event which had not taken place on its own shores, the Sagas are evidently wrong VOL. III. C C