No More Learning

Article X. —Reputed Feast for a Translation of St. Livinus'
Relics, Ghent, Belgium. In his Menologium Scotorum, Thomas Dempster, at the 25th of July, has a Feast for the Translation of St. Livinus' Relics at Ghent. 1 The chief festival for this renowned saint is held on the 1 2 th of November, at which date his Life may be seen.
3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus vi. ,
XIII. ," &c, p. 108. Romse, 1878, fol. 5 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus
xxviii. De Sanctis
Laodi-
cenis in Phrygia, Theophilo, Auxentio, Julii xxvii. De S. Pantaleone Martyre
Julii
Martyribus
vi. ,
Prudentio, Philippo, Alexandra, Zotico, Nicomedise in Bithynia. There is a Previous
Bessia, Secunda e—t Macario, p. 546. Commentary in six sections and in seventy- *-
Article viii. See "Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manu-
four paragraphs. The Acts proper are com prised in three chapters and in thirty para-
script Series, vol. i. , part i.
On the Calen-
graphs. follows.
An Appendix of other documents
dar of
See — 397 to 429. pp.
cxii. 2 See ibid. , p. cxxi.
Oengus, p.
"
3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus vi. , Julii xxviii. Among the pretermitted feasts, p. 500.
x
Articleix. See ActaSanctorum,"
tomus vi. , Julii xxviii. Among the preter- mitted saints, p. 500.
2
See at that date, in the Second Volume of this work, Art. i.
:
4 Thus " Nicomedise passio sancti Pan-
taleonis Medici, qui a Maximiniano Impera-
tore pro fide Christi tentus, et equulei poena
ac lampadarum exustione cruciatus, sed
inter hsec Domino sibi apparente refrigeratus,
tandem ictu gladii martyrium consummavit. " Forbes' —" Martyrologium Romanum Gregorii p. 206.
3 See at that date, the Fifth Volume of this work, Art. ii.
—"— Article x. 'Thus: Gandavi Livini
Archiepiscopi translatio. VV. " Bishop
"
Kalendars of Scottish Saints,"
436 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 29.
CtoentjMttntl) JBap of 3ulg*
ARTICLE I. —ST. OLAVE, OR ST. OLAF, KING OF NORWAY, AND MARTYR.
[TENTH AND ELEVENTH CENTURIES. ] CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—AUTHORITIES FOR THE ACTS OF ST. OLAVE—OTHER DISTINGUISHED KINGS, NAMED OLAVE OR OLAF, HIS CONTEMPORARIES—THE DESCENT OF ST. OLAF —HIS BIRTH—EARLY DISPOSITIONS AND DESIRES FOR ADVENTURE.
the present warrior-saint had been greatly venerated in Ireland—
—
fact ; while his veneration in the Irish-Scandinavian parts goes back to a
and THAT
especially by
his Northman
compatriots
is a well ascertained
period, not far removed from the date assigned for his death. Regarding his early history, we fear there are various mistakes and misrepresentations ; while there can hardly be a doubt, that his after career has been coloured with some fanciful accounts, and with several incorrect traditions of the Norwegian Sagas, which in very many instances are flavoured with inventions and romances, that only remotely approach probability, even when they are most prolix in detail. Among a rude people, imaginative stories have greater charms for their minds, than that real information to be derived from a critical and dry investigation of historical evidence. These observations we fear
closely to the Sagas and Eddas of the North. Like many of our
apply
ownbardiccompositions whichforhardihoodofstatementaresodogmatic and circumstantial—they have served to raise a false mirage over the periods, persons, places and subjects of which they treat. However, there seems to be a fair apology—if not a just reason—for classing the present celebrated king among our Irish Saints. According to the traditions of the Catholic missionaries of Norway and of Lapland, St. Olaf was either born in Ireland, or descended from Irish
ble, nor have we been able to verify them from any of the northern records, which have come under our notice.
In another part of this work, allusion has been made to the authorities on Norwegian and Scandinavian history, that are usually quoted, to give any intelligible account, regarding the early state of society and of life, among
2
those Northern nations.
the tenth century, the Christian religion had been introduced into Norway, bytheirfamousKingOlafI. , sumamedTrygveson,whohadhimselfbecome a convert to Christianity. In the beginning of the eleventh century, the same zeal for religion distinguished King Olaf II. , son to Harald, sometimes owing to his corpulency designated the Stout, or the Fat, but in Church history known as
Article l—Chapter 1. —
to a letter of Rev. Robert Foran, C. C. , the 23rd of April, Art. i. Life of the Blessed Waterford, addressed to the author, and Bryan Boroimha, King of Munster, Monarch dated December 18th, 1872. of Ireland, and Martyr, chap. ii.
very
—
parents.
1 We know not if such traditions are relia-
There, it has been stated, that before the close of
According
2 See the Fourth Volume of this work, at
July 29. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 437
St. Olaf. With his personal career, we are now concerned. Long before
both of the foregoing distinguished potentates lived, their namesake, Olaf I. , a King of Sweden, flourished. He was likewise a convert to Christianity,* and he endeavoured to introduce it among his people there ; but these rebelled against him, and he was sacrificed to the idols of Upsal, so that the Church has commemorated him, also, at this very same day, as a saint and as a martyr. We must therefore be on our guard, not to confound the saint and martyr, King of Norway, Olaf II. , with the saint and martyr, King of Sweden, Olaf I. . The latter was massacred at Birca, the usual residence of the Swedish Kings at that time, and from which Stockholm is said to have taken its rise, although built at a considerable distance from it. * In like manner, and nearly at the same time, the seeds of the Gospel appear to have beensetamongtheDanes,andbythesamemissionary,St. Ansgar. s More than another century elapsed, before the grace of conversion was introduced among the Norwegians ; and, in all of those cases, it was found to be greatly opposed to the idolatrous superstitions and pagan practices of those fierce northern inhabitants, who had already become a terror as sea-rovers to the more southern Christian nations. However, their conquests had the happy result of bringing them into contact with people, directed by a religious and moralcode,thatgraduallyinfluencedtheiropinionsandsentiments; while a higher degree of civilization and of culture was sure to dominate over their rude and ruthless instincts ; so that, the subjugating spirit of conquest became subdued, in the course of time, by the ministers of Christ's Church. They were enabled, at length, to unfold its doctrines and morality to the rapacious and destructive invaders of its homes and shrines. In Ireland, especially, and soon after their settlement as colonists, the Norwegians, Swedes and Danes became amenable to the rule and laws of religion, when their former impious ritesandusageswerecompletelyabandoned. Suchrefluxofsentimentand feeling also brought a knowledge of Christian truth back to the home of their idolatrous ancestors.
Already, at the 30th of March, some account of the celebrated Christian
6
However, it is not so certain, that his feast should be assigned to that date ;?
8 and,itmaybe,thatsomeotherSt. Olave,orAulaf,hadbeenintended. Inthe
Norwegian Chronicles, this present celebrated sairft is frequently called Olaf Haraldson, and Olaf Helge or theHoly. 9 The first intelligible account given of St. Olaf was by Adam of Bremen, 10 who wrote during that age, when his subject
King of Norway, St. Olave, called the Apostle of that country, will be found.
3 He flourished in the earlier part of the ninth century, when St. Ansgar or St. Ans- charius preached the faith with great success among the Swedes ; but, it was found to be a matter of insuperable difficulty to main- tain the fruits of his teaching. That illus-
committed, in confounding King Aulaf Tryggvesson and Aulaf Kyrre, with the pre- sent saint ; as also in a few other passages,
8 Nor can this be St. Olaus, King of Swe- den, converted to the faith by St. Anschanus, and who became a martyr, since his feast has been also assigned to the present date,
of the Northern Nations be- came Bishop of Hamburgh and Bremen, about the year 862. He died at Bremen A. D. 865, in the sixty-seventh year of his age. Soon after his death, his name was inscribed in the Martyrologies and Calen-
(j ars
t According to Puffendorfs History of
Sweden, tome i. , p. 70.
s His festival is 'celebrated on the 3rd of
February.
6 See the Third Volume of this work, at
that date, Art. xvi.
1 Here' we desire to correct errors there
trious
Apostle
"
Fathers, Martyrs and other principal Saints,
vol. vii. , July xxix.
9 See Saxo Grammaticus Histona
Danise," lib. x. , fol. 94 to 90.
I0 He was a native of Upper Saxony, and
he travelled in some countries of the North. He became a canon of Bremen in 1067, and he was director of a school in that city. His best known work is intituled "Historic Ecclesiasticse Ecclesise Hamburgensis et Bremensis, Vicinorumque Locorum Septen- trionalium, ab Anno 788 ad 1076," lib. iv.
.
See Rev. Alban Butlers
Lives of the
>
438
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 29.
lived. Heusedauthorities,however,andstatements,whichweresufficientlycon-
flicting,andthisdivergenceappearstobeexemplifiedinhisHistory. Heseems to have collected much of his materials relating to the northern nations, from missionaries, while he was there, and to have embodied them in his work. Another narrative of our saint is that by Theodricus, a monk of Nidrosia, who flourished in the twelfth century, and who composed a History of the Kings of Norway. On account of his time and place, the authority attaching to his statements should greatly commend it to us. He affirms in the Pro- logue and in his History, that the Icelandic traditions were much respected in Norway, although many of the more ancient monuments had perished, while not a few remained, and among others a Vita S. Olavi. Yet, it is not stated, by whom it had been composed, nor at what time. " In like manner, Saxo Grammaticus, 12 the Danish historian, who flourished towards the close of the twelfth and the commencement of the thirteenth century, has treated about St. Olaf x3 also Eric Olaus, deacon of 1* besides,
} Upsal
Magnus, Archbishop of Upsal, and Olaus Magnus, have written regarding
him. This renowned and saint is recorded king
Snorro x s and Sturleson,
by
by Einar Skulason,16 as also in the Fornmanna-Sogur,^ by Munch,18 and by
x 9as also in Ersch's andGruber's
20 The of "Saga King
Maurer,
poet Longfellow. extant, likewise,
22
Olaf Tryggvason," taken from the Heimskringla, is found versified by the Ameri-
can 21 Thereis the"PassioetMiraculaBeati
at the
Challenor,
Baring-Gould.
of St. Olavus, King and Martyr, so far as they can be evolved from the northern histories and chronicles, while these accounts have been elaborately compiled and edited, by Father Peter Bosch. 29 They comprise a historic commentary in eleven sections, consisting of one hundred and twenty-seven paragraphs, and preceding short Acts,s° by some anonymous writer. These
29th day
2 s Rev.
July, Alban
hagiographical
Cressy, Bishop
and Rev. S.
HelmsUedt, 1762, 4k). 13 "
w See "Dublin Review," Third Series,
No. xii. , April, 1884, Art. iii. , pp. 307to 316.
'3 Published at Oxford, in 1881,
8*See " of under Church-History England
Saxon and Danish Monarchs," part iv. , book xxxiv. , chap, ix. , pp. 942, 943.
*s See "A Memorial of British Piety," p. no.
2<5 See"Livesofthe and Fathers, Martyrs
other principal Saints," vol. vii. , July xxix.
of
In Historia Danica,"lib. x.
MIn"HistoriaGothorum lib. ii.
1
26 Les The Bollandists have
Petits inserted,
2 ? at this same
28
This esteemed work has passed through
various editions. That published by John
Mader at Helstaedt, in 1670, 4to, is held to be the best.
n The Bollandist Boschius remarks of it, vetusto tamen inscripta codici, quern ab insula, ubi dilituit, Occidentalis Islandiaj,
F'lateyensem appellant. "
'- He was born probably in one of the
Danish Islands, and of a noble family; his
father and grandfather serving in the army
ofWaldemarI. Heenteredintoholyorders,
and a of his life in a Swe- passed great part
dish monastery. He died after A. D. 1203.
See Reimer, "De VitaSaxonis Grammatici. "
the Acts
tomes i. ,ii. Copenhagen, 1829. Itwas trans- lated into Latin there, and published, A. D.
1833.
Ib In " Det Norke Folks-Historie. "
** In " Die Bekehrung des Norwegis« chen Stammes. "
2°
"
•s In the " edr Ko- Heimskringla Noregs
nunga-Sogor," tomus ii. , llavnia? , 1778, fol.
16 See the " Olafs Saga Helga," in Forn-
manna-Sogur, with Latin translation, in " Scripta Historica Islondorum. "
3? See "Vies des tome Saints,"
ix. ,
*9 See Saga Olafs Konungs bins Helga,
xxixe Jourde Juillet, pp. 120, 121.
28 See "Lives of the Saints," vol. vii. ,
July 29, pp. 636 to 676.
*» See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus vii. ,
Julii xxix. De S. Olavo, Rege et Martyre,
Butler,
Bollandistes,
Suecorumque,'
"Encyklopdie. "
edited from a twelfth-century Manuscript in the Library of Corpus
Olavi,"
Christi College, Oxford, with an Introduction and Notes, by F. Metcalfe, M. A. ,FellowofLincolnCollege. 23 Livesornoticesofthissaintmaybefound,
in the works of Dean 2*
j
Joannes
See Articles, Olafs-Drapa, and Olafs- Saga Helga.
" See "The Tales of a Wayside Inn. "
date,
July 29. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 439
1
are followed by an Appendix of Miracles^ wrought through this holy
monarch's intercession. Those Acts are presented in a very generalized form ; and, in some respects, they differ materially from the accounts left us by the Norwegian writers. Besides those short Acts of our saint which the Bollan- dists published ; another Life of Olave in their possession has been sup- pressed, because it had been filled with fables, and because these conflicted with all the more reliable histories of times and of places to which they refer. This statement regarding that Life appears to be self-evident, from the brief resumegivenofitscontents^atleast,it maywellbeassumed,thatperver- sions of fact abound, and that little care had been devoted to ascertain the truth in relation to particulars. Strange as it may appear, Greven 33 and Molanus followed those Acts, while Joannes Meursius 34 appears to have read such accounts, or others similar, when treating about St. Olaf. The Six Proper Lessons of the old Breviary of Sleswick contain Acts of St. Olave ; and these appear to have been drawn from the Acta Brevia, published by the Bollandists, as also from that Utrecht Manuscript Life, belonging to the church of St. Saviour. However, the Fifth Lesson must be excepted, which appears to have been drawn from some other source. 35 From the foregoing documents, too, a Vita S. Olavi, contained in Legenda Sanctorum^ must
Nidrosiaa in Norvegia, pp. 87 to 120.
30 These were extracted, as we are told,
While rejoicing after a victory obtained, he fell into a trap laid for him by his brother. The latter gave him a choice either to re- nounce Christ or to bear his sufferings and death. When Olave refused to renounce the faith, he was obliged to undergo all that
Christ had suffered in the hall of Pilate and on Mount Calvary. For three hours he hung onthecross. Hethenprayednotalonefor his executioners, but for all merchants and those traversing the sea, who should invoke him in danger. On the ninth hour, he cried
bled, and many houses fell to the ground. The third day after this, his brother wished to burn the body, but it could not be con-
'
ex Passionali pergamento Ms. ccenobii
Bodecensis. " This account is comprised in
two chapters, consisting of sixteen para- graphs, with notes.
31 These are extracted from various sources, and they are recorded in sixteen paragraphs.
32 Thus it is found stated, that Olave had been converted by apostolic men in his own kingdom, where soon he began to
" Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend
preach the faith himself. Whereupon, he out
incurred the hatred of his brother. An my spirit. " Then he expired, the earth trem-
arrangement is said to have been made,
whereby Denmark was to become the prey
of one or other, as it should happen their
ships might first arrive there. At once, his sumed by fire. Out of its ashes, how-
brother began to prepare a fleet. However, Olave would only take a single vessel, which was guided by an Angel over high and pre- cipitous "rocks, while it arrived with such
ever, issued a frightful dragon, which de- stroyed Olave's brother, with many others. The foregoing accounts may well be rela- gated to the domain of fiction.
33 In the additions to Usuard.
at the Danish
the brother's fleet by a whole month. The
same prodigy was repeated not far from
Nidrosia, when Olave returned to
which his brother invaded. Having obtained
by conquest the kingdom of Denmark, Olave
spread there the Christian religion by words
and by miracles. This displeased his
brother, and Olave was obliged to fly into
Russia, as he had been admonished to do in
a vision, when Christ with his cross ap-
peared to him. After a sojourn there of fol. no, et seq. Almost from the beginning
that it
three years, he had another vision, in which Christ was loaded with his cross, crowned with thorns, and bleeding from every pore
speed
port,
anticipated
Norway,
34 In " Historise Danicse," lib. hi. , when
of his body, while he said
:
" You shall re-
it recounts almost in the same words, what is found in the Acta Brevia from num. 2, to the middle of num. 7. Thence, however, to the end, it follows those accounts in the Utrecht Manuscript, almost to the end, only that it omits a few particulars, adding some
others. Some it transposes, especially in the account of St. Olave's miracles.
turn to Denmark, O my dear Olave, where you must suffer at the hands of your impious brother on my account, what I have suffered on your account. " This mandate he obeyed.
:
recording the murder of St. Olaf, he states :
" Norvagique adeo ipsi non proditione eum a suis csesum, sed a fratre Haraldo, volunt ; cum quo de limitibus controversia illi esset. " Seep. 55. Amstelodami, 1638, foJ.
35 It narrates what happened to our saint, after his staff had been broken on our Lord's
day.
36 Printed at Louvain, A. D. 1485. See
44° LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 29. have been compiled. This is not less faulty, than that Life in the Utrecht
—
as its
Manuscript—nay, it
even more so
additions, however limited, pre-
is
sent mere absurdities of statements
The old Sagas and scald compositions have frequent allusion to an Olaf
and to his romantic adventures in Ireland. 38 With our Island, he seems,
while young, to have had family and friendly relations ;39 but, he generally
goesbythenameofKingAulafTryggvesson. * Accordingtoacustomusual among the Northmen, this king took his father's name, which was Trygve,
"
to which the term "son
was a grandson of the celebrated Harald Haarfager. As related for us, his adventures were strange and romantic. His father had governed a part of Norway under King Haquin the Good. However, he had been betrayed by his own relations and massacred, before the birth of Olave, whose mother was obliged to fly for refuge into Sweden. Her brother Sigurd was one of the chiefministers to the Prince of Russia, and she hoped to place herself there under his protection. On the route, she was pursued by a pirate, who made her a prisoner. She was then separated from her young son, who was sold to a native of Esthonia. After some time, Olaf was restored to his uncle Sigurd, but being still pursued by his enemies, he resolved on betaking him- self to the pursuits of a sea-rover. The life he led was a very adventurous one. He ravaged with his fleet the coasts of England and of France. After an interview he had with a hermit, who lived on one of the Scilly Islands, Olaus embraced Christianity, In 996, he arrived in Dublin. There, he was
induced to sail for Norway, where Haquin the Tyrant then reigned. With
» Thus it is related at fol. 102 " Veniens
:
ergo S. Olavus, ut regnum Dacioe, sibi divi- nitus promissum, acceptaret, omnes cam-
panae totius regni per se pulsare inceperunt. Hoc idem factum est, eo revertente de Rus-
forces could be collected, retiring to Stam-
ford bridge on the Derwent, a desperate battle was fought there on the 27th of that month. Both Harald Hardraade and Tos- tig fell, with many celebrated Norwegian chiefs and brave warriors. After this great victory, the English King sent for Olaf, son of Hardraade, when accompanied by the Earl of Orkney and his bishop, Olaf waited on the conqueror, by whom he was most
was added. This king was born in 956, and he
cia abexilio in Daciam. "
38 See Rev. James Johnstone's
Olaf swore to live in amity with England, and when Harald took possession of the Norwegian fleet, he bestowed twelve ships on Olaf to enable him to sail for his native country. Thenhereceivedfromhisbrother Magnus the south-eastern parts of Norway, and two years later when he died, Olaf III. reigned over the whole of that kingdom. He married Ingigard, the daughter of Svend Estrithson,KingofDenmark. Hisprinci-
Antiqui- tates Celto-Scandicse," p. 68, et seq.
"
3' See Charles Haliday's "Scandinavian
Kingdom of Dublin," edited with some No-
tice of the Author's Life, by John P. Pren- humanely and graciously received. Then
dergast, pp. lxiii. , lxiv.
40 Another well known personage Olaf
III. , surnamed Kyrre or the Pacific—the
son of Harald III. , surnamed I lard - younger —
raada or the Cruel was a nephew to the
present St. Olaf. During the lifetime of his
father Harald III. , whom he had accom-
panied on an expedition to England, his
valuur was signalized, although war was ab-
horrent to his feelings. His father had fre-
quent contests with the Danes, who obtained
a naval victory over him in 1062. Another
Harald, King of England, he opposed, in
conjunction with Tostig the exiled Earl of courage improvements and industry, he Northumberland. With a fleet of three founded the city of Bergen in 1076. He in- hundred sail, and a gallant army, leaving the vited strangers, skilled in mechanical arts, to regency of Norway to his son Magnus, settle in Norway, while he took measures to
Harald Hardraade, in August, 1066, em- enfranchise slaves, who had became captives barked and landed at the mouth of the Tyne, in war. He organized religious societies,
where Tostig joined him with a few ships. Entering the Humber and ascending the Ouse, they became masters of the province
of York in September. However, Harold,
while he provided settled incomes for the clergy, whose efforts for the advancement of morality and religion he zealously seconded. See "Formanna-Sdgur," tomus vii. Olafs
King of England, immediately marched Sagakyrra, Kaupmannahoin, 1831.
against them,
and before their scattered 41 See Munter's "
Kirchen-geschichte
von
ples of policy were to keep in peace with all his neighbours, and to foster trade and commerce among his own subjects. To en-
July 29. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 441
some vessels and having only a small armament, he landed. The people received him as a liberator, and they proclaimed him king. Afterwards, his greatexertionsweretomakeChristianconvertsamonghispeople. Inthese attempts, his measures as taken were very arbitrary, but his zeal was in a great degree successful. It is stated, that he introduced Christianity into Iceland, into the Feroe Islands, and even into Greenland. *1 He was also the found—er
—
of Drontheim 4 2 or Trondheim 43 Nidarosia44 or Nidrosia
called in Latin
because it had been built at the mouth of the River Nid. 4S A magnificent
fiord extends northwards from the town while the Island of Munkholm 46 ;
rises majestically in front of it above the bay. This romantic view is termi- natedbymountainscoveredwithsnow. Onaccountofthegreatnumberof rocks at the mouth of its harbour, only small vessels can now frequent its waters ; so that we may infer, the ships of the vikings of former times did notrequireverydeepwaters,toaffordthemaplaceforanchorage. Thisdis- trict of Drontheim 47 now comprises two bishoprics \ the one taking in the baili- wick of North Drontheim, of South Drontheim and of Romsdal, while the other comprehends the amts or divisions of Nordland and the Finmarken. The Drontheim-fiorden nearly divided the kingdom of Norway into two parts. The town of Drontheim is said to have been formerly a magnificent capital, and at present it has greatly fallen from its ancient splendour.
There was also a King of Sweden, Olaf III. , and surnamed Scot-Konung,
8
from the time he was a child/ because his father Eric the Victorius wished
him to be recognised as his successor. His father had ruled over Denmark,49 as well as over Sweden, before his death, which happened in 994. His son Olaf-Scot-Konungwasonlyfourteenyearsofage,atthattime; andafterthe death of Eric, his widow Sigbrit married Sven or Sweyn I,, King of Denmark. s° Olaf embraced Christianity, in 1008, having been baptized by St. Sigfrid,51 who had come from England for that purpose. All his family and many of the nobles followed his example. Afterwards, on the condition of Sweyn propagating the Christian religion in Denmark, he relinquished the latter kingdom. Nevertheless,Olafdesiringtoextendhisprerogativegavegreat offence to the chiefs, and he was obliged to yield such a pretension. Hereto- fore, his predecessors were called Kings of Upsal, a town where their residence usually had been, and which was their seat for government. How
DanemarkundNorwegen.
"
thechiefmagistrate,andit overtopsallthe other buildings. Its style of architecture is simple and noble ; but being built of wood, its ornaments have been distorted through
it is almost wholly surrounded by that river and the sea. With the exception of a few houses, the town is wholly built of wood, according to the usage very generally pre- vailing in Norway, and it has two suburbs, Back-kelandet and Ladegaard, in each of which there is a church. The principal street of Drontheim is called theMunkegade, and this extends through the whole breadth of the town to the shores of the fiord. The buildings on both sides of it have a very re-
spectable appearance.
43 Sometimes written Trondhjem. It is in
the district of Strinden, and it is the capital of the Province of Drontheim, situated in north latitude 63 25' 50". The town-house, now in the Munkegade, is the residence of
"
44 This town received its name Nideroos,
outlet of the Nid," owing to its position,
„
42 It is pronounced Tronyem, by the Nor-
wegians, and it is now the seat of anadminis-
trative division of Norway, the most north-
em in the kingdom. It is situated on a small
gulf,onthesouthsideoftheRiverNid,and See GazetteeroftheWorld,"vol. v. ,p. 79.
the opposite influences of heat and moisture, "
Nidar is the genitive case of Nid in the
Norwegian language.
4S According to Petrus Claudius Undalin,
as cited by Torfgeus in his " Historia Rerum
Norvegicarum," tomus i. , lib. ii. , cap. 21,
pp. 88, 89.
46 This is now crowned with a castle,
47 In Latin it is designated Thrandia, Throndemonis, Throndemnis, andThronde- mis.
48 He was born some time after 980.
49 This kingdom he obtained in 987.
s° Son to Haquin the Bad.
si His feast occurs on the 15th of Feb-
ruary.
442
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS, [July 29.
ever, he is distinguished as King Olaf I. , of Sweden. A league was formed between himself and Sweyn, to wrest Norway from the rule of Olaf I. , sur- named Trygvason ; and, the latter, being defeated in a great naval battle, jumped overboard when on the point of being made a prisoner. Thus, he perished in the waves. Afterwards, Olaf received a part of Norway as a reward, but this he held in suzerainty from Sweyn.
For the better understanding of historic events, in connexion with the
subject here treated, we deemed it important to present some notion respect-
ing the foregoing distinguished personages, who were contemporaries, and who had relations with the present holy king. Besides, whatever may have been related about his private life and virtues j his public actions and career have made him prominent in the Northern Chronicles, while it is only by comparison, with those who figured as his friends or opponents, that we can gain a proper estimate of the motives and necessities or policy that controlled his impulses and fortunes. How varied these were may have been chiefly owing to the turbulent and semi-barbarous ideas and customs of his country- men and of the age ; as also to the restless spirit of adventure and of con- questthatdestroyedallstabilityofgovernmentoroforder; becauseambition was strongly excited among the bold and aspiring, who little respected rulers—themselves often usurpers—or rights, however recognized or trans- mitted.
Before entering on the biography of St. Olaf himself, it is necessary to investigate the contradictory accounts contained in the Northern Chronicles, regarding his parents and ancestors. Some writers have incorrectly called our saint the son of Olaf Tryggvasson ; whereas, in reality, he was the son of Harald. The latter is said to have had for his father Gudriod,52 the son of Biorn,53 and the grandson of Harald Haarfager, or of the beautiful Hair, who was the first King of all Norway, towards the close of the ninth century. Wherefore, it seems, that not only was our saint of noble birth, but his family moreover descended from the renowned hero King of Norway. The father of Olaus is named Harald Grcenske,5* or the Greenlander. This was the province of Norway in which he had been educated. 55 He is also called Harold Grensdius, prince of Vingulmarch s6 and Westfold, in the southern part of Norway. This included three divisions, viz. : Listerleen or Listensen, MandalsteenorMandalense,NedenesteenorNidnesense. Tothese,other writersaddafourthdistrictcalled or — Hismother
Abigdelag Raabygdelag. "
—dsometimes
is called Asta, an Aasta, daughter
ofGudbrand sometimescalled
Gulbrand Kuta governor of Gulbmnd's Dale.