"St. Olaf" redirects here. For other uses, see St. Olaf (disambiguation).
"Olaf the Stout" redirects here. For the video game character, see The Lost Vikings.
Olaf II Haraldsson
Coin of Olaf dated 1023–28
King of Norway
Reign
1015–1028
Predecessor
Sweyn Forkbeard
Successor
Cnut the Great
Born
c. 995 Ringerike, Norway
Died
1030 (aged around 35) Battle of Stiklestad Stiklestad, Norway
Spouse
Astrid Olofsdotter of Sweden
Issue
Wulfhild, Duchess of Saxony Magnus I of Norway (ill.)
Names
Olaf "Leif" Haraldsson
House
St. Olaf
Father
Harald Grenske
Mother
Åsta Gudbrandsdatter
Religion
Chalcedonian Christianity
Olaf II Haraldsson (c. 995 – 29 July 1030), also Olav Haraldsson, later known as Saint Olaf and Olaf the Holy, was King of Norway from 1015 to 1028. Son of Harald Grenske, a petty king in Vestfold, Norway,[1] he was posthumously given the title Rex Perpetuus Norvegiae (English: Eternal/Perpetual King of Norway) and canonised at Nidaros (Trondheim) by Bishop Grimketel, one year after his death in the Battle of Stiklestad on 29 July 1030. His remains were enshrined in Nidaros Cathedral, built over his burial site. His sainthood encouraged the widespread adoption of Christianity by Scandinavia's Vikings/Norsemen.
Pope Alexander III confirmed Olaf's local canonisation in 1164, making him a recognised saint of the Catholic Church, and Olaf started to be known as Rex Perpetuus Norvegiae – eternal king of Norway. Following the Reformation, he was a commemorated historical figure among some members of the Lutheran and Anglican Communions.[2]
The saga of Olav Haraldsson and the legend of Olaf the Saint became central to a national identity. Especially during the period of romantic nationalism, Olaf was a symbol of Norwegian independence and pride. Saint Olaf is symbolised by the axe in Norway's coat of arms and Olsok (29 July) is still his day of celebration. Many Christian institutions with Scandinavian links as well as Norway's Order of St. Olav are named after him.[3]
^"Harald Grenske (Family Links)". Archived from the original on 31 October 2010. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
^"The Calendar". The Prayer Book Society of Canada. 16 October 2013. Archived from the original on 22 October 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
^Fredrik Paasche (29 July 1930). "Olav Haraldsson". Den norske kirkes 900-årsjubileum. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
OlafII Haraldsson (c. 995 – 29 July 1030), also Olav Haraldsson, later known as Saint Olaf and Olaf the Holy, was King ofNorway from 1015 to 1028. Son...
Olaf III or Olaf Haraldsson (Old Norse: Óláfr Haraldsson, Norwegian: Olav Haraldsson; c. 1050 – 22 September 1093), known as Olaf the Peaceful (Old Norse:...
from 1139 NorwayOlaf Haraldsson Geirstadalf, petty king Olaf I ofNorway Tryggvason, 969 – 9 September 1000 OlafIIofNorway, or Saint Olaf, ruled 1015–1030...
1069) was King ofNorway from 1066 to 1069, jointly with his brother Olaf Kyrre from 1067. He was not included in official Norwegian regnal lists until...
Olaf Tryggvason (960s – 9 September 1000) was King ofNorway from 995 to 1000. He was the son of Tryggvi Olafsson, king of Viken (Vingulmark, and Rånrike)...
(points of broken genealogy) in the medieval royal lineage in the so-called Fairhair dynasty are: whether either Olaf I ofNorway or OlafIIofNorway descended...
battle, King OlafIIofNorway (Óláfr Haraldsson) was killed. During the pontificate of Pope Alexander III, the Roman Catholic Church declared Olaf a saint...
after Olaf Haakonsson, king ofNorway and Denmark. Olav was thus the first heir to the throne since the Middle Ages to have been raised in Norway. Unlike...
Ordulf, Duke of Saxony. Wulfhild was born in 1020 as the only legitimate child of King OlafIIofNorway and his wife Astrid Olofsdotter of Sweden. Her...
OlafIIofNorway. By his marriage with Åsta Gudbrandsdatter after her first husband Harald Grenske had died, Sigurd Syr was stepfather of King Olaf II...
Perpetuus Norvegiæ (Latin, i.e. Norway's Eternal King) is a term for King OlafIIofNorway, also known as Saint Olaf (Olav den hellige). In written sources...
opposing Norwegian King OlafIIofNorway, later named St. Olaf. He was reported to have been among the chieftains who killed the king in the Battle of Stiklestad...
Battle of Stiklestad that took place in the year 1030, and which resulted in death of King OlafIIofNorway. In the aftermath of his death, King Olaf would...
and asked OlafIIofNorway to lend him his hamingja. It usually appears during sleep in the form of an animal, but it can also be the spirit of a sleeping...
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