The rise of Norway
Yeah it's my first
Here's a short continiue that i just wrote, did not have time for more...
"So you have not heard the stories of the feared lion banner of Norway young Karl? The armies that swept across Europe and Vinland, fearless warriors of the glorious empire. When I look back to those days I can feel nothing but pride at first, but I also feel anger and remorse."
Charles was waiting in anticipation for the story to begin, he finally sat down in the other chear, waiting for a reaction from the old man. He just looked at him with his light-blue eyes, scratched his dirty white beard and continiued telling the story:
~And so the story begins~
1431 was truly a great year for Norway. Not only did our usual fish trade prosper, but it was a year of freedom and opportunities. In april independance was declared after 50 years of foreign rule, the Danes were fast to try putting us back in their chains of opression and invaded Bergenshus the next month. Our army was little, but we still prevailed, the Danes were swift to retreat and never return. At the end of the summer the war was over and they recognized our independance.
It was time to take the path towards greatness. King Sigurd III the Liberator was a good king, he patched up the wounds that the great plague and Denmark had inflicted our great nation. His main goals was to restore Norway to its former glory, leaving it to his successors to make it even greater. It was not done in days, the economy had to be fixed seriously and so had the army, 5,000 man is not enough in conflict with the greater powers. In 1435, Kola was annexed, followed by Karelia, soon we were bordering the Russians. Our Swedish allies whom had fought with us against the Danish tyrrants were in need of a friend, the Russian menace had provoced them to declare war upon them in 1441. It was a short war, though we did not have so much of engagement with Russian troops, the Swedes did most of the fighting, we got to prove ourselves in a smaller battle and we got two new provinces, Onlets and Arkhangelsk.
King Sigurd had married off his oldest daughter to a young man named Håvard Olavsson of Nesheim, it was decided that Håvard would succeed Sigurd Jonsson for the Norwegian throne.
When King Sigurd was about to die in the christmas 1452, Håvard came over to his deathbed. And he was to be the one who heard the last words of the king,
"lead... us...." he had problems saying the words at first, almost caughing them up, finally he got to his sences and spoke out with a clear voice
"Lead Norway to greatness!". And the same sentance came in use afterwards when the old king tells the new some last words...
Håvard Olavsson was no bad ruler, he continiued the stabilizing progress that his father in law had started, but there was something more that had to be done he felt. In 1472, exactly hundred years ago, he decided to invade Denmark, finally getting a true revenge. The army had been heavily built up since Håvard came to reign, there were over 25,000 men now ready to fight for the glory of Norway. War was declared on the 20th of june, 1472, if I remember correctly. You see Karl, I have never been good with exact dates when the year already has been mentioned. Our brave warriors defeated the Danes in two large battles, one on Jylland and one in Sjælland, the Swedes took Skåne. The fighting continiued a little more until we were finally victorious in the beginning of the next year, Denmark accepted annexation. The whole country was conquered in less than a year.
There were a few rebellions during the following decade in Denmark, those stubborn sousage eaters did obviously not know what was best for them. My great admire for Håvard was his restriction of power to anyone but himself, any complaints were met with a no, and if anyone opposed him they would not live to see many days. Of course it cost some discontents and some rebellions here and there but in order to make a strong nation one must keep the subjects under dicipline, strenght at all time.
The words of a dying king was repeated on a winter night in 1482 in Akershus Castle. As Håvard was dying, he spoke his last words to his son Sjur,
"Lead Norway to greatness, strenght and honor at all times!".
We had one strong king after another, great leaders they were, o' great leaders they were. Håvard had spoken of a land far to the west, still not re-unified with Norway to Sjur. Sjur of course asked him if he ment Greenland, the king sighed
"that... too..." before he finally passed away.
The young king was barely twenty years, the youngest child and the only son of Håvard Olavsson and Gunnhild Sigurdsdottir. He was determined to find out what lands in the west his father ment besides Greenland, it was time to go over there and ask the Greenlanders, if there was anyone left of them...
~End for today~
"Sire, that is a great tale, new and interresting to hear for someone who posess no knowledge in history. But you have yet to tell your part in all this."
Charles could see a small smile behind the beard of the old man as he said:
"Have patienth my friend, it time for dinner now and I am very ready to get another portion of that poison they serve me... Well at least they let me drink Norwegian."
He said with a smile, flenching his yellow teeths in the sun.
Charles just stood there, but slowly he started moving towards the door.
"See you tomorrow, Sire"
Yngvar had a pleased look upon his face knowing that after a few more days of telling his story to this young man, he would not just be referred to as sire...