Produced by Chris Curnow and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net Transcriber's note: Ten minor typographical errors have been corrected in this text version. Edition d'Elite Historical Tales The Romance of Reality By CHARLES MORRIS _Author of "Half-Hours with the Best American Authors," "Tales from the Dramatists," etc._ IN FIFTEEN VOLUMES Volume IX Scandinavian J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY PHILADELPHIA AND LONDON Copyright, 1908, by J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY. [Illustration: From Stereograph Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, N.Y. OLD BRIDGE AT OEREBRO.] _CONTENTS_ PAGE HOW KING ROLF WON HIS BRIDE 9 RAGNAR LODBROK AND HIS WIVES AND SONS 19 HAROLD FAIR-HAIRED FOUNDS THE KINGDOM OF NORWAY 31 GORM THE OLD, DENMARK'S FIRST KING 42 ERIK BLOOD-AXE AND EGIL THE ICELANDER 49 THE SEA-KINGS AND THEIR DARING FEATS 60 HAAKON THE GOOD AND THE SONS OF GUNHILD 69 EARL HAAKON AND THE JOMSVIKINGS 78 HOW OLAF, THE SLAVE-BOY, WON THE THRONE 89 OLAF DETHRONES ODIN AND DIES A HERO 98 OLAF THE SAINT AND HIS WORK FOR CHRIST 108 CANUTE THE GREAT, KING OF SIX NATIONS 121 MAGNUS THE GOOD AND HAROLD HARDRULER 132 SVERRE, THE COOK'S SON, AND THE BIRCHLEGS 145 THE FRIENDS AND FOES OF A BOY PRINCE 160 KING VALDEMAR I. AND BISHOP ABSOLON 169 THE FORTUNES AND MISFORTUNES OF VALDEMAR II 176 BIRGER JARL AND THE CONQUEST OF FINLAND 186 THE FIRST WAR BETWEEN SWEDEN AND RUSSIA 196 THE CRIME AND PUNISHMENT OF KING BIRGER 202 QUEEN MARGARET AND THE CALMAR UNION 211 HOW SIR TORD FOUGHT FOR CHARLES OF SWEDEN 217 STEN STURE'S GREAT VICTORY OVER THE DANES 226 HOW THE DITMARSHERS KEPT THEIR FREEDOM 236 THE BLOOD-BATH OF STOCKHOLM 241 THE ADVENTURES OF GUSTAVUS VASA 252 THE FALL OF CHRISTIAN II. THE TYRANT 271 THE WEST GOTHLAND INSURRECTION 283 THE LOVE AFFAIRS OF KING ERIK 296 GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS ON THE FIELD OF LEIPSIC 310 CHARLES X. AND THE INVASION OF DENMARK 319