KINGS OF NORWAY. 393 of their dress, having birch-bark bound round their notes. legs instead of stockings or boots. 1176. Swerrer, who was afterwards leader of the Birkebeiners, and by them raised to the throne of Norway, came over from the Feroe Islands. His claim to any affinity with the royal race was very slender. 1177. King Magnus Erlingsson defeated the troop of Birke- beiners which Eystein had assembled, and killed Eystein himself at Re. Swerrer succeeded to the command of the Birkebeiners. This is the last event of Snorro Sturleson's Heimskringla. 1178. Snorro Sturleson was born. 1221. Snorro probably about this time began to write liis work, having then returned from a long residence in Norway. 1241. This was the date of the murder of this very remark- able man of the thirteenth century. His work stands unrivalled in the middle ages. In that class of literary production — the lively representation of historical events by incidents, anecdotes, speeches, touches true to nature, bringing out strongly the character and individuality of each eminent actor in historical events — it may be doubted if, even since the middle ages, any, excepting Shakspeare and Sir Walter Scott in their historical representations, have surpassed Snorro Sturleson. THE END.
