Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/387

 KINGS OF NORWAY. 379 highest of the chiefs of the country were bound by oath SAGA vin. to King Magnus, and were desirous of keeping their word and oath, they endeavoured zealously to promote the cause with the people. It contributed also that King Canute the Great, and all his descendants, were dead ; and a third assistance was, that his father King Olaf 's sanctity and miracles were become cele- brated in all countries. King Magnus afterwards ordered the people to be Chapter summoned to Yiburg* to a Thing. Both in older King and later times, the Danes elected their kings at the Magnus Yiburg Thing. At this Thing the Danes chose Mag- of Den- nus Olafsson to be king of all the Danish dominions. ™ r ' King Magnus remained long in Denmark during the summer ; and wherever he came the people received him joyfully, and obeyed him willingly. He divided the country into baronies and districts, and gave fiefs to men of power in the land. Late in autumn he returned with his fleet to Norway, but lay for some time at the river Gotha. There was a man, bv name Swend, a son of Earl Chapter Ulf, and grandson of Thorgils Sprakaleg. Swend's ofSwcnd mother was Astricl, a daughter of King Swein of ulf:son - England. She was a sister of Canute the Great by the father's side, and of the Swedish King Olaf Erics- son by the mother's side ; for her mother was Queen Sigrid the Haughty, a daughter of Skoglar-Toste. Swend Ulfsson had been a long time living with his relation the Swedish king, ever since King Canute had ordered his father Ulf to be killed, as is related in the saga of old King Canute, — that he had his bro- ther-in-law, Earl Ulf, murdered in Koskilda ; and on which account Swend had not since been in Den- mark. Swend Ulfsson was one of the handsomest men that could be seen ; he was very stout and strong,
 * Vibjurger, now Viburg, is an ancient little town in North Jutland.