Olaf, Haraldson

the Saint, one of the most revered of the early Norwegian kings, ruled from 1015 to 1030. He was born in 995. When a child he was baptized by Olaf Tryggveson (q.v.), who visited his mother in Ringsric. But how little the Norsemen cared about an involuntary baptism is illustrated by the youthful career of this Olaf. When he was only twelve years old his step- father, Sigurd Syr, had to furnish him with ships for viking expeditions, and for many years he gathered plunder in the Baltic and in England and France. In the Christian countries he and his followers were called heathens; and it is related that Olaf finally was rebaptized in Rouen. Certain it is that he became converted, and henceforth he followed the precepts of the Christian religion according to the views of his time, and worked for the spreading of the Gospel with marvelous zeal and unimpeachable integrity. He was destined to complete the work that had been begun twenty years before him by Olaf Tryggveson. Glowing with enthusiasm for the cause of Christ, and crowned with success as a warrior, Olaf came to Norway in 1015, and soon made himself the undisputed master of the kingdom. Olaf Haraldson employed the same means in converting the heathens that had been employed by his namesake, Olaf Tryggveson; but the period of his reign was longer, and the way had been paved for him partly by the cruelty of his predecessor and partly by the work of patient missionaries, so that he accomplished his great undertaking, although he became its martyr. He not only overthrew heathenism in every one of his provinces, but by the appointment of teachers and the building of churches he also succeeded in establishing the Christian religion as the national faith. His name occurs in many folk-songs, and he is still regarded by the peasantry of Norway as their great benefactor. In addition to his apostolic mission, he completed the work begun in 872 by Harald Fairfax of firmly uniting the several provinces of Norway into one kingdom. By various stratagems king Canute the Great succeeded in alienating the people of Norway from Olaf, and in 1028 Canute was actually elected king of Norway, Olaf having fled to Russia. The latter returned with about 3000 Norse and Swedish warriors, whom he had carefully gathered. All of them were Christians. He put on their helmets and shields the sign of the cross, and gave them as his watchword, "Onward, soldiers of Christ, for the cross and the king." A battle was finally fought near Stikle Stad, where he fell, on Aug. 31, 1030. The date is fixed by an eclipse of the sun occurring during the battle. The body of Olaf was disinterred after it had been buried about a year, and it was found that the face was unchanged, and that his hair and nails had grown; it was also said to possess healing qualities. Olaf was canonized as the guardian saint of Norway, and miraculous powers are attributed to him. Although the elevation of Olaf to saintship at first led to purely political results, it was the means of stamping the country forever with the seal of Christianity. The cathedral of Trondhjem, where his ashes were for a long time preserved, was regarded down to the time of the Reformation as the most sacred sanctuary of Norway, and was the chief resort of pilgrims in the North. See Munch, Det norske Folks Historie, 2:488-813; Keyser, Norges Historic, 1:347-415; Dahlmann, Geschichte von Danemark; Carlyle, Early Kings of Norway; Tordisk Conversationslexikon, s.v. Neander, Church Hist. 3:297 sq.; Piper, Evangel. Jahrbuch, 1852, p. 113 sq.; Maurer, Die Bekehrung des Norweg. Stammes zunm Ch istenthum (Munich, 1855-56, 2 vols.); Munter, Kirchengesch. 'on Ddnemark u. Norwegen, vol. i; Maclear, Hist. of Christian Missions in the Mid. Ages (see Index); Keyser, Den norske Kirkes Hist. under Katholicismen (see Index). (R. B. A.)