o wonder, then, that the self-governing and warlike Norsemen could not
bring themselves tamely to submit to the tyranny of Harald Haarfager, or
Fairhair, King of Norway by hereditary right, when he cast aside all the
restraints of ancient custom, and, in his effort to obtain more power,
commenced those bloody wars with his subjects, which had the effect of
causing many of his chief men to expatriate themselves and seek new
homes in the islands of the great western sea, and which ultimately
resulted in the subjugation (at least during that reign) of all the
petty kings of Norway. These small kings, be it observed, were not at
that time exercising any illegal power, or in the occupation of any
unwarrantable position, which could be pleaded by King Harald in
justification of his violent proceedings against them. The title of
king did not imply independent sovereignty. They were merely the
hereditary lords of the soil, who exercised independent and rightful
authority over their own estates and households, and modified authority
over their respective districts, subject, however, to the laws of the
land--laws which were recognised and perfectly understood by the people
and the king, and which were admitted by people and king alike to have
more authority than the royal will itself. By law the small kings were
bound to attend the meetings of the Stor Things or Parliaments, at the
summons of the sovereign, and to abide by the decisions of those
assemblies, where all men met on an equal footing, but where, of course,
intellectual power and eloquence led the multitude, for good or for
evil, then just as they do now, and will continue to do as long as, and
wherever, free discussion shall obtain. To say that the possession of
power, wealth, or influence was frequently abused to the overawing and
coercing of those assemblies, is simply to state that they were composed
of human beings possessed of fallen natures.

So thoroughly did the Northmen appreciate the importance of having a
right to raise their voices and to vote in the national parliaments, and
so jealously did they assert and maintain their privileges, that the
King himself--before he could, on his accession, assume the crown--was
obliged to appear at the "Thing", where a freeborn landholder proposed
him, and where his title to the crown was investigated and proved in due
form. No war expedition on a large scale could be undertaken until a
Thing had been converged, and