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Review: The Viking Saint: Olaf II of Norway by John Carr

St Olaf (Olav, Olave, Olaus) is commemorated by fourteen churches in England, including St Olave's, Bishopgate, in London, while East London's Tooley Street was originally St Olave's Street. Yet the average Brit knows little about him. This is remarkable, because he led an attack on London, during which London Bridge was broken down, and his enemies included King Constantine II of Scots, and also 'Good King Canute'; Cnut of England and Denmark. Cnut would eventually prove to be Olaf's nemesis.

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Apart from the raid on London, Olaf led many other raids and was a famous Viking. He was clearly very brave and an inspirational leader, but none of the foregoing is a qualification for canonisation. Yet Olaf is today recognised as a saint by the Lutheran, Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. Icons of him can be bought in Greece and Russia. The anniversary of his death is still marked in Norway and the Faroe Islands. He was dubbed Norway's 'Perpetual King' and canonised 134 years after his death. He appears in both pagan Icelandic sagas and in Christian hagiographies.

The explanation is that this Viking became a Christian, and apparently an enthusiastic one. He seems to have seen the new religion as a way of unifying his kingdom of Norway, which he succeeded in doing by 1014. Paganism and local autonomy were ruthlessly crushed, churches and schools built. Naturally there were conservatives who opposed these innovations. Tensions with neighbouring Sweden, whose border with Norway was disputed in some areas, were resolved by diplomacy and a royal marriage. Relations with King Cnut of England and Denmark were more difficult, given that Cnut believed that he was the true King of Norway; Olaf was merely his vassal and a vassal who was showing much too much independence. Cnut's chance came in 1026, when internal enemies defeated Olaf at Helgea and forced him into exile in 1029. Determined to regain his kingdom, Olaf returned and was killed by Cnut's forces. Since his death, he has been credited with many miracles. A fascinating, if gory, read.

4/5 points

Metellus Cimber II

 
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