Thomas Carlyle 
Early Kings of Norway 

According to Dahlmann, the Icelanders were and still are skilled writers and had strong writing habits during their long winters. Any history that does exist of the Norse Kings and their past tragedies, crimes, and acts of valor is virtually entirely owing to this circumstance. The Icelanders, it seems, not only created beautiful writing on their paper or parchment but were also admirably perceptive and eager for accuracy. As a result, they have left us with a collection of narratives known as the Sagas (literally, "Says") that is unmatched among barbarous peoples in terms of both quantity and quality.These ancient Sagas served as the foundation for Snorro Sturluson's History of the Norse Kings, which contains a great deal of poetic fire and faithful sagacity that was used to sort through and adjust the old Sagas. In short, the book deserves to be listed among the greatest histories of all time if it were ever properly edited and provided with accurate maps, chronological summaries, and other supporting materials.The following rough notes of the early Norway Kings are hastily put together based on these sources, with a great deal of assistance from accurate, knowledgeable, and unwearied Dahlmann, 1 the German Professor.