4] In any case, it is an event worth
noting, the slain Jarl Ulf and his connections being of importance
in the history of Denmark and of England also. Ulf's wife was Astrid,
sister of Knut, and their only child was Svein, styled afterwards "Svein
Estrithson" ("Astrid-son") when he became noted in the world,--at this
time a beardless youth, who, on the back of this tragedy, fled hastily
to Sweden, where were friends of Ulf. After some ten years' eclipse
there, Knut and both his sons being now dead, Svein reappeared in
Denmark under a new and eminent figure, "Jarl of Denmark," highest
Liegeman to the then sovereign there. Broke his oath to said sovereign,
declared himself, Svein Estrithson, to be real King of Denmark; and,
after much preliminary trouble, and many beatings and disastrous flights
to and fro, became in effect such,--to the wonder of mankind; for he had
not had one victory to cheer him on, or any good luck or merit that one
sees, except that of surviving longer than some others. Nevertheless
he came to be the Restorer, so called, of Danish independence; sole
remaining representative of Knut (or Knut's sister), of Fork-beard,
Blue-tooth, and Old Gorm; and ancestor of all the subsequent kings
of Denmark for some 400 years; himself coming, as we see, only by the
Distaff side, all of the Sword or male side having died so soon. Early
death, it has been observed, was the Great Knut's allotment, and all his
posterity's as well;--fatal limit (had there been no others, which
we see there were) to his becoming "Charlemagne of the North" in any
considerable degree! Jarl Ulf, as we have seen, had a sister, Gyda by
name, wife to Earl Godwin ("Gudin Ulfnadsson," as Snorro calls him) a
very memorable Englishman, whose son and hers, King Harald, _Harold_
in English books, is the memorablest of all. These things ought to be
better known to English antiquaries, and will perhaps be alluded to
again.

This pretty little victory or affront, gained over Knut in _Lymfjord_,
was among the last successes of Olaf against that mighty man. Olaf, the
skilful captain he was, need not have despaired to defend his Norway
against Knut and all the world. But he learned henceforth, month by
month ever more tragically, that his own people, seeing softer prospects
under Knut, and in particular the chiefs of them, industriously bribed
by Knut for years past, had fallen away from him; and that his means of
defence were gone. Next summer, Knut's gr