| Saint Olaf of Norway | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| King and Martyr | |
| Born | 995 |
| Died | July 29, 1030 |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Lutheran Church |
| Canonized | 1164 by Alexander III |
| Major shrine | Trondheim |
| Feast | July 29; also August 3 (translation) and October 16 (conversion)[1][2] |
| Attributes | crown, axe, dragon |
| Patronage | carvers; difficult marriage; kings; Norway |
 Saints Portal |
|
Olaf II Haraldsson (995 – July 29, 1030), was king of Norway from 1015–1028, (known during his lifetime as the Stout or Thick (Olav Digre) and after his canonization as Saint Olaf), was born in the year in which Olaf Tryggvason came to Norway. Events By Place Europe Erik Segersäll is succeeded by Olof Skötkonung, the first baptized ruler of Sweden (see Events 1014 - Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars: Battle of Kleidion: Byzantine emperor Basil II inflicts a decisive defeat The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther Canonization is the act by which a particular Christian church declares a deceased person to be a Saint and is included in the canon or list of recognized saints Pope Alexander III (c 1100/1105 &ndash August 30, 1181) born Rolando (or Orlando) Bandinelli, was Pope from 1159 A shrine, from the Latin scrinium (‘box’ also used as a desk like the French bureau) was originally a container usually made of precious materials used (Trondhjem is a city and municipality in the county of Sør-Trøndelag, Norway. The Calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a Liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more Saints Events 1014 - Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars: Battle of Kleidion: Byzantine emperor Basil II inflicts a decisive defeat Events 8 - Roman Empire General Tiberius defeats Dalmatians on the river Bathinus. In Christianity, the translation of Relics is the removal of holy objects from one locality (such as a Tomb) to another (usually a Reliquary in Events 456 - Magister militum Ricimer defeats the Emperor Avitus at Piacenza and becomes master of the western Religious conversion is the adoption of a new religious identity or a change from one religious identity to another Christianity has used symbols from its very beginnings Each Saint has a story and a reason why he or she led an exemplary life The patron saint of a particular group of people is a Saint who would protect and 'love' the group and its members Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Events By Place Europe Erik Segersäll is succeeded by Olof Skötkonung, the first baptized ruler of Sweden (see Events 1014 - Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars: Battle of Kleidion: Byzantine emperor Basil II inflicts a decisive defeat Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Canonization is the act by which a particular Christian church declares a deceased person to be a Saint and is included in the canon or list of recognized saints Olaf Tryggvason ( Old Norse: Óláfr Tryggvason, Norwegian: Olav Tryggvason) (960s &ndash September 9 ? 1000 was King of Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional His mother was Åsta Gudbrandsdatter, and his father was Harald Grenske, great-grandchild of Harald I Fairhair. Åsta Gudbrandsdatter (born circa 975/980 died circa 1020/1030 was the mother from her marriage to Harald Grenske (Grenski of Norwegian king Olaf II Harald Grenski (10th century was the son of Gudrød Bjørnsson. Harald Fairhair or Harald Finehair ( Old Norse: Haraldr hárfagri, Norwegian: Harald Hårfagre) (c In modern day Norway he is known as Olav den Hellige ("Olaf the Holy") or Heilag-Olav ("Holy Olaf") as a result of his sainthood.
Contents |
Concerning the king's name
King Olaf II Haraldsson of Norway had the given name Óláfr in Old Norse. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Old Norse is the North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age (Etymology: Anu - "forefather", Leifr - "heir". ) Olav is the modern equivalent in Norwegian, formerly often spelt Olaf. Norwegian ( norsk) is a North Germanic Language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is an official language His name in Icelandic is Ólafur, in Danish Oluf, in Swedish Olof. Icelandic ( is a North Germanic language, the language of Iceland. Danish ( d̥ænsɡ̊ is one of the North Germanic languages (also called Scandinavian languages a sub-group of the Germanic branch of the Swedish ( is a North Germanic language spoken by more than nine million people predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the Other names, such as Oláfr hinn helgi, Olavus rex, and Olaf (as used in English) are used interchangeably (see the Heimskringla of Snorri Sturluson). Heimskringla is the best known of the Old Norse Kings' sagas. Snorri Sturluson (1178 – September 23, 1241) was an Icelandic historian poet and politician He is sometimes referred to as Rex Perpetuus Norvegiae, eternal King of Norway, a designation which goes back to the thirteenth century. Rex Perpetuus Norvegiae (from Latin, " Eternal King of Norway " is an Honorific title that was given to the late King The term Ola Nordmann as ephithet of the archetypal Norwegian may originate in this tradition, as the name Olav for centuries was the most common male name in Norway. Ola Nordmann is a name for to the average Norwegian a representative for the whole population in general Norwegians See also History of Norway and Demography of Norway.
Reign
After some years' absence in England, fighting the Danes, he returned to Norway in 1015 and declared himself king, obtaining the support of the five petty kings of the Uplands. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The term Dane may refer to People with a Danish ancestral or ethnic identity whether living in Denmark, emigrants or the descendants of emigrants Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional A petty kingdom is an independent realm recognizing no suzerain and controlling only a portion of the territory held by a particular ethnic group or nation In 1016 he defeated Earl Sweyn, hitherto the virtual ruler of Norway, at the Battle of Nesjar. Sveinn Hákonarson (d ca 1016 was an earl of the house of Hlaðir and co-ruler of Norway from 1000 to ca The Battle of Nesjar was a sea battle off the coast of Norway in 1015 or 1016 in Oslofjord. He founded the town Borg by the waterfall Sarpr and made it his new capital, later to be known as Sarpsborg. is a city and municipality in the county of Østfold Norway. The city was founded as Borg by the famous Viking King Olav Haraldsson (Saint Olav in Within a few years he had won more power than had been enjoyed by any of his predecessors on the throne.
He had annihilated the petty kings of the South, had crushed the aristocracy, enforced the acceptance of Christianity throughout the kingdom, asserted his suzerainty in the Orkney Islands, conducted a successful raid on Denmark, achieved peace with king Olof Skötkonung of Sweden through Þorgnýr the Lawspeaker, and was for some time, engaged to his daughter, the Princess of Sweden, Ingegerd Olofsdotter without his approval. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Orkney (also known as the Orkney Islands or incorrectly the Orkneys) is an Archipelago in northern Scotland, situated 10 miles (16 km north The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Þorgnýr the Lawspeaker ( Old Icelandic: Þorgnýr lögmaðr, Swedish: Torgny Lagman) is the name of one of at least three generations of After the end of her engagement to Olaf, Ingegerd married the Great Prince Yaroslav I of Kiev. Yaroslav I the Wise (c 978 in Kiev - February 20, 1054 in Kiev) ( East Slavic: Ярослав Мудрый Christian name
In 1019 Olaf married the illegitimate daughter of King Olof of Sweden and half-sister of his former bride, Astrid Olavsdttr. Astrid Olavsdttr was the daughter of Olaf Skautkonung, King of Sweden They had only a daughter, Wulfhild, who married in 1042 to the Duke Ordulf of Saxony. Ordulf (sometimes Otto) (c 1022&ndash 28 March 1072) was the Duke of Saxony from 1059 when he succeeded his father Bernard II
But Olaf's success was short-lived, for in 1026, he lost the Battle of the Helgeå and in 1029 the Norwegian nobles, seething with discontent, rallied round the invading Knut the Great, and Olaf had to flee to Kievan Rus. The naval Battle of the Helgeå took place in 1026, between Denmark and the other Scandinavians at the estuary of a river called Helgeå } Canute the Great, also known as Cnut in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, or Knut ( Old Norse: Knútr inn ríki, Norwegian Kievan Rus′ (Ки́евская Русь romanised: Kievskaya Rus', rusʲ also written as Kyivan Rus′ (Ки́ївська Русь or Kievan During the voyage he stayed some time in Sweden in the province of Nerike where, according to local legend, he baptized many locals. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Närke, is a province in Central Sweden, which historically formed part of Svealand. On his return a year later, seizing an opportunity to win back the kingdom after Knut the Great's vassal and governor of Norway, Håkon Jarl, was lost at sea, he fell at the Battle of Stiklestad, where some of his own subjects from middle Norway were arrayed against him. Håkon Eiriksson (died c1030 was earl of Lade ( Trøndelag) He was son of Eirik Håkonson. The Battle of Stiklestad ( Old Norse Stiklarstaðir) in 1030 is one of the most famous battles in the history of Norway.
Olaf, a rather stubborn and rash ruler, prone to rough treatment of his enemies, ironically became Norway's patron saint. His canonization was performed only a year after his death by the bishop of Nidaros. The cult of Olaf not only unified the country, it also fulfilled the conversion of the nation, something for which the king had fought so hard.
While divisive in life, in death Olav wielded a unifying power no foreign monarch could hope to undo.
Canute, most distracted by the task of administrating England, managed to rule Norway for 5 years after the Battle of Stiklestad, through the viceroyship of his son Svein. The Battle of Stiklestad ( Old Norse Stiklarstaðir) in 1030 is one of the most famous battles in the history of Norway. However, when Olaf's illegitimate son Magnus (dubbed 'the Good') lay claim to the Norwegian throne, Canute had to yield. Thus, a century of prosperity and expansion followed, lasting until the kingdom again descended into a civil war over succession.
Sainthood
Owing to Olaf's later status as the patron saint of Norway, and to his importance in later medieval historiography and in Norwegian folklore, it is difficult to assess the character of the historical Olaf. Judging from the bare outlines of known historical facts, he appears, more than anything else, as a fairly unsuccessful ruler, who had his power based on some sort of alliance with the much more powerful king Knut the Great; who was driven into exile when he claimed a power of his own; and whose attempt at a reconquest was swiftly crushed. } Canute the Great, also known as Cnut in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, or Knut ( Old Norse: Knútr inn ríki, Norwegian
This calls for an explanation of the status he gained after his death. A stave church is a Medieval wooden church with a Post and beam construction related to Timber framing. is a traditional Swedish province or landskap in middle Sweden. Three factors are important: his role in the Christianization of Norway, the various dynastic relationships among the ruling families, and the needs for legitimization in a later period.
Christianisation
Olaf is generally held to be the driving force behind Norway's final conversion to Christianity. However, large stone crosses and other Christian symbols suggest that at least the coastal areas of Norway were deeply influenced by Christianity long before Olav's time; with one exception, all the rulers of Norway back to Håkon the Good (c. Haakon I ( Old Norse: Hákon Aðalsteinsfóstri, Norwegian: Håkon Adalsteinsfostre) (c 920–961) had been Christians; and Olav's main opponent, Knut the Great, was a Christian ruler. 920 AD was a year in the 10th century Events By Place Africa The golden age of the Ghana Empire begins in Africa. Events By Place Asia Ani (present-day Turkey) becomes the capital of Armenia under the Bagratuni Dynasty } Canute the Great, also known as Cnut in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, or Knut ( Old Norse: Knútr inn ríki, Norwegian What seems clear is that Olav made efforts to establish a church organization on a broader scale than before, among other things by importing bishops from England and Germany, and that he tried to enforce Christianity also in the inland areas, which had the least communication with the rest of Europe, and which economically were more strongly based on agriculture, so that the inclination to hold on to the former fertility cult would have been stronger than in the more diversified and expansive western parts of the country.
Although Olav was certainly not the first to introduce Christianity to Norway, his status as saint may have aided the transition from paganism to Christianity.
Olaf's dynasty
For various reasons, most importantly the death of king Knut the Great in 1035, but perhaps even a certain discontent among Norwegian nobles with the Danish rule in the years after Olaf's death in 1030, his illegitimate son with the concubine Alvhild, Magnus the Good, assumed power in Norway, and eventually also in Denmark. Magnus I (1024 - October 25, 1047) was the King of Norway from 1035 to 1047 and the King of Denmark from 1042 to 1047 Numerous churches in Denmark were dedicated to Olaf during his reign, and the sagas give glimpses of similar efforts to promote the cult of his deceased father on the part of the young king.
Saint Olaf
Among the bishops that Olaf brought with him from England, was Grimkell (Grimkillus). He was probably the only one of the missionary bishops who was left in the country at the time of Olaf's death, and he stood behind the translation and beatification of Olaf on August 3, 1031. In Christianity, the translation of Relics is the removal of holy objects from one locality (such as a Tomb) to another (usually a Reliquary in Beatification (from Latin beatus, blessed via Greek μακάριος makarios) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic church
At this time, local bishops and their people recognized and proclaimed a person a saint, and a formal canonization procedure through the papal curia was not customary; in Olaf's case, this did not happen until 1888. Canonization is the act by which a particular Christian church declares a deceased person to be a Saint and is included in the canon or list of recognized saints A Curia in early Roman times was a subdivision of the people i
Grimkell was later appointed bishop in the diocese of Selsey in the south-east of England. Selsey is a seaside town and Civil parish, about 7 miles (11 kilometres south of Chichester, in the Chichester District of West Sussex, England This is probably the reason why the earliest traces of a liturgical cult of St Olaf are found in England. An office, or prayer service, for St Olaf is found in the so-called Leofric collectar (c. 1050), which was bequeathed in his last will and testament by bishop Leofric of Exeter to the church of Exeter, the neighbouring diocese of Selsey. Exeter ( (IPA ˈeksɪtər is a city, district and County town of Devon, England. This English cult seems to have been short-lived.
Adam of Bremen, writing around 1070, mentions pilgrimage to the saint's shrine in Nidaros, but this is the only firm trace we have of a cult of St Olaf in Norway before the middle of the twelfth century. Adam of Bremen (also Adam Bremensis) was one of the most important German Medieval Chroniclers He lived and worked in the second half of the Nidaros was the old name of Trondheim (Trond(hjem sometimes Drontheim a city of Norway, in the Middle Ages. By this time he was also being referred to as "The Eternal King of Norway". In 1152/3, Nidaros was separated from Lund as an archbishopric of its own. It is likely that whatever formal or informal — which, we do not know — veneration of Olav as a saint there may have been in Nidaros prior to this, was emphasised and formalized on this occasion.
During the visit of the papal legate, Nicholas Brekespear (later Pope Adrian IV), the poem Geisli ("the ray of sun") was recited. Pope Adrian IV (or Hadrian IV – c 1100&ndash 1 September, 1159) born Nicholas Breakspear or Breakspeare, was Pope In this poem, we hear for the first time of miracles performed by St Olaf. One of these took place on the day of his death, when a blind man got his eye-sight back again after having rubbed his eyes with hands that were stained with the blood from the saint.
The texts which were used for the liturgical celebration of St Olaf during most of the Middle Ages, were probably compiled or written by Eystein Erlendsson, the second archbishop of Norway (1161–1189). The nine miracles reported in Geisli form the core of the catalogue of miracles in this office.
The celebration of St Olaf was widespread in the Nordic countries. Apart from the early traces of a cult in England, there are only scattered references to him outside of the Nordic area. Several churches in England were dedicated to him (often as St Olave). St Olave Hart Street in the City of London is the burial place of Samuel Pepys and his wife. St Olave Hart Street is an Anglican church in the City of London, located on Hart Street near Fenchurch Street railway station. For London as a whole see the main article London. The City of London is a geographically Samuel Pepys, FRS (23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703 was an English naval administrator and Member of Parliament, who is now most famous for Another south of London Bridge gave its name to Tooley Street and to the St Olave's Poor Law Union, later to become the Metropolitan Borough of Bermondsey: its workhouse in Rotherhithe became the St Olave's Hospital, now an old-people's home a few hundred metres from St Olaf's Church, which is the Norwegian Church in London. This article deals chiefly with the English Poor Laws covering England and Wales The Metropolitan Borough of Bermondsey was a Metropolitan borough in the County of London, created in 1900 by the London Government Act 1899. Rotherhithe is a district of central south-east London in the London Borough of Southwark. St Olave's Hospital as a general hospital serving the Rotherhithe area of London until its closure in 1985 There are several long-established Nordic churches in London. It also led to the naming of St Olave's Grammar School, which was established in 1571 and up until 1968 was situated in Tooley Street. St Olave's and St Saviour's Grammar School for Boys (also known as St Olave's, St Olave's Grammar School, or simply Olaves) is a selective In 1968 the school was moved to Orpington, Bromley.
Recently the pilgrimage route to Nidaros Cathedral, the site of Saint Olav's tomb, has been reinstated. In Religion and Spirituality, a pilgrimage is a long journey or Search of great Moral significance Following the Norwegian spelling the route is known as Saint Olav's Way. The main route, which is approximately 640 km long, starts in the ancient part of Oslo and heads North, along Lake Mjosa, up the Gudbrandsdal Valley, over Dovrefjell and down the Oppdal Valley to end at Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim. (called Christiania from 1624 to 1878 and Kristiania from 1878 to 1924 is the Capital and largest city of Norway. Mjøsa is Norway 's largest lake as well as the one of the deepest lakes in Norway and in Europe as a whole after Hornindalsvatnet. Gudbrandsdalen is a Valley and traditional district in the Norwegian Fylke (county of Oppland. Dovrefjell is a mountain range in central Norway that forms a natural barrier between the southern regions of Norway and the area around Trondheim. is a municipality in the county of Sør-Trøndelag, Norway Oppdal was established as a municipality January 1 1838 (see Formannskapsdistrikt) Nidaros was the old name of Trondheim (Trond(hjem sometimes Drontheim a city of Norway, in the Middle Ages. (Trondhjem is a city and municipality in the county of Sør-Trøndelag, Norway. There is a Pilgrim's Office in Oslo which gives advice to Pilgrims, and a Pilgrim Centre in Trondheim, under the aegis of the Cathedral, which awards certificates to successful Pilgrims upon the completion of their journey.
Other instances of St Olaf
The oldest picture of St. Olav is painted on a column in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Church_of_the_nativity_bethjpg|thumb|200px|View of The Church of the Nativity from Manger Square]]The Church of the Nativity ( كنيسة المهد) in Bethlehem
St Olav's Church is the tallest church in Tallinn, Estonia and between 1549 and 1625 was the tallest building in the world. St Olaf’s church or St Olav's church ( Estonian: Oleviste kirik) in Tallinn, Estonia, is believed to have been built in the 12th Tallinn (historically known by the German, Swedish and Danish name Reval or the Polish name Rewal, among other names Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region While determining the world's tallest structure has generally been straightforward the definition of the world's tallest building or the
The Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav was founded in 1847 by Oscar I, king of Norway and Sweden, in memory of this king. The Royal Norwegian Order of St Olav ( Norwegian: Den Kongelige Norske St Year 1847 ( MDCCCXLVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Oscar I, born Joseph François Oscar Bernadotte ( July 4, 1799, Paris &ndash July 8, 1859, Stockholm
St. Olaf College was founded by Norwegian immigrant Bernt Julius Muus in Northfield, Minnesota, in 1874. St Olaf College is a Coeducational residential four-year private liberal arts college in Northfield Minnesota. Bernt Julius Muus (1832-1900 led a group of Norwegian-American immigrant pastors and farmers to found St Northfield is a city in Dakota and Rice counties in the US state of Minnesota.
The only country which keeps July 29 as a holiday are the Faroe Islands, see Ólavsøka. Events 1014 - Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars: Battle of Kleidion: Byzantine emperor Basil II inflicts a decisive defeat The Faroe Islands or Faeroe Islands or simply Faroe(s or Faeroes (Føroyar meaning " Sheep Islands" Færøerne Old Norse Ólavsøka is a national holiday of the Faroe Islands, celebrated on July 29.
The coat of arms of the Church of Norway contains two axes, the instruments of Saint Olav's martyrdom. The Church of Norway ( Den norske kirke in Bokmål or Den norske kyrkja in Nynorsk) is the state church of Norway
See also
|
Olaf the Saint
Cadet branch of the Fairhair dynasty
Born: 995 Died: July 29, 1030 |
||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sveinn Hákonarson & Hákon Eiríksson as Regents of Norway |
King of Norway 1015-1028 |
Succeeded by Hákon Eiríksson as Regent of Norway |
| Preceded by Sweyn Forkbeard |
Succeeded by Canute the Great |
|
External links
- Den Kongelige Norske St. Olavs Orden ( Norwegian)
- The Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav
- Account of pilgrimage to Nidaros (Trondheim) in Norway on Olav's Way. With useful page about kit.
References
Sources
- Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America Before 1700 by Frederick Lewis Weis; Line 243A-21
- 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica
- Catholic Encyclopedia article
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Olaf II of Norway |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | the Stout |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | King of Norway |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 995 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Norway |
| DATE OF DEATH | July 29, 1030 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Norway |
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic