In his Heimskringla, Snorri Sturluson (1179-1241), the Icelandic chief traced the royal line of Norway in his writings with some myth and folklore to spice up the tales. One story is of a dog who became king. The dog's name was Saur.
As the story goes, a minor king named Eystein invaded and conquered the region of Trondheim around the early 9th century. He needed someone to govern the land so he let the people of Trondheim choose between his trusted slave or his dog Saur. The people chose the dog, thinking that this would allow them the most freedom to govern themselves. However, when the dog king came into their lives, the locals discovered Saur was no ordinary dog. It is written that Saur was gifted with the wisdom and intelligence of three men, and he could allegedly speak in human tongues after having barked twice.
The people of Trondheim treated Saur like royalty. They would carry him on their shoulders to keep his paws from getting dirty, and they would lavish him with gifts. He was given a jeweled collar of gold and silver, and a dog bed that was fit for a king. Saur lived a pampered life. But despite the royal treatment, Saur still had the dog in him, wanting to protect his domain from danger. One day, he went after a pack of wolves who were threatening a flock of sheep. The magical dog was no match for the pack of wolves, and was sadly torn to pieces.
