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Martyr and King ofNorway (1015-30), b. 995; d. 29 July, 1030. He was a son of King Harald Grenske ofNorway. According to Snorre, he wasbaptized in 998 inNorway, but more probably about 1010 inRouen,France, by Archbishop Robert. In his early youth he went as a viking toEngland, where he partook in many battles and became earnestly interested inChristianity. After many difficulties he was elected King ofNorway, and made it his object to extirpateheathenism and make theChristian religion the basis of his kingdom. He is the greatNorwegian legislator for theChurch, and like his ancestor (Olaf Trygvesson), made frequent severe attacks on the oldfaith and customs, demolishing thetemples and buildingChristian churches in their place. He brought manybishops andpriests fromEngland, as King Saint Cnut later did toDenmark. Some few are known by name (Grimkel, Sigfrid, Rudolf, Bernhard). He seems on the whole to have taken the Anglo-Saxon conditions as a model for theecclesiastical organization of his kingdom. But at last the exasperation against him got so strong that the mighty clans rose in rebellion against him and applied to King Cnut ofDenmark andEngland for help. This was willingly given, whereupon Olaf was expelled and Cnut elected King ofNorway. It must be remembered that the resentment against Olaf was due not alone to hisChristianity, but also in a high degree to his unflinching struggle against the old constitution of shires and for the unity ofNorway. He is thus regarded by theNorwegians of our days as the great champion of national independence, andCatholic andProtestant alike may find in Saint Olaf their greatidea.
After two years' exile he returned toNorway with an army and met his rebellious subjects at Stiklestad, where the celebrated battle took place 29 July, 1030. Neither King Cnut nor the Danes took part at that battle. King Olaf fought with greatcourage, but was mortally wounded and fell on the battlefield,praying "God help me". Manymiraculous occurrences are related in connection with his death and his disinterment a year later, afterbelief in hissanctity had spread widely. His friends, Bishop Grimkel and Earl Einar Tambeskjelver, laid the corpse in a coffin and set it on the high-altar in thechurch of St. Clement in Nidaros (now Trondhjem). Olaf has since been held as asaint, not only by the people ofNorway, but also byRome. His cult spread widely in theMiddle Ages, not only inNorway, but also inDenmark and Sweden; even inLondon, there is on Hart Street a St. Olave's Church, long dedicated to thecanonized King ofNorway. In 1856 a fine St. Olave's Church was erected in Christiania, the capital ofNorway, where a largerelic of St. Olaf (a donation from theDanish Royal Museum) is preserved andvenerated. The arms ofNorway are a lion with the battle-axe of St. Olaf in the forepaws.
STORM, "Snorre Sturlason's Olav den Helliges Saga"; MUNCH, "Det norske Folks Historie"; SARS, "Udsigt over den norske Historie"; DAAE, "Norges Helgener"; OEVERLAND, "Illustreret Norges Historie" (not reliable); VICARY, "Olav the King and Olav King and Martyr" (London, 1887).
APA citation.Hansen, N.(1911).St. Olaf Haraldson. InThe Catholic Encyclopedia.New York: Robert Appleton Company.http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11234a.htm
MLA citation.Hansen, Niels."St. Olaf Haraldson."The Catholic Encyclopedia.Vol. 11.New York: Robert Appleton Company,1911.<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11234a.htm>.
Transcription.This article was transcribed for New Advent by John Looby.
Ecclesiastical approbation.Nihil Obstat. February 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor.Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.
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