Narwa, where Charles XII, in November, 1700, was victorious over
the Russians under Peter the Great.
Note 23.
OUR FOREFATHERS. A festival, memorial poem, written just before the
outbreak of the Danish-German war. Danish troops were stationed
along the river Eider, which the Germans crossed on February 1,
1864. The last lines of the poem refer to what is told in the saga
of Magnus the Good about the battle of Lyrskog Heath (see Note 11):
"The night before the battle Magnus was wakeful and prayed to God
for victory. Towards morning he fell asleep and dreamed that his
father, King Olaf the Saint, came to him and said: 'You are now very
sick at heart and full of fear, because the Wends are coming against
you with a great army; but you must not be afraid of the heathen
host, though they be many together. I shall follow you into this
battle and join in the fight, when you hear my horn.' At dawn the
King wakened, and then all heard up in the air the ringing of
a bell, and those of the King's men who had been in Nidaros
[Trondhjem] recognized by its sound the bell which King Olaf had
given to the church of St. Clement. Then Magnus had the signal for
battle blown, and his men made such a furious onset on the Wends,
that fifteen thousand fell and the rest fled."
Note 24.
WHEN NORWAY WOULD NOT HELP. Written upon the adjournment of
the extraordinary meeting of the Norwegian Storting, called in
March, 1864.
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