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Biography of Olaf I Tryggvason, King of NorwayName: Olaf I Tryggvason, King of NorwayBirth Date: 968 Death Date: 1000 Place of Birth: N/A Nationality: Norwegian Gender: Male Occupations: king, warrior Olaf I Tryggvason, King of Norway Olaf I Tryggrason (968-1000) was a Viking warrior, who acquired wealth and fame by his raids in Britain and strove to bring national leadership and Christianity to pagan, politically divided tenth-century Norway.To appreciate King Olaf Tryggvason's role in Norwegian history, it is helpful to provide a brief picture of his time, place, and position. Prior to the tenth century, although most of Western Europe had been Christian for centuries, Norway remained a pagan bastion of politically divided small kingdoms. The warriors of the North, untouched by ecclesiastical and cultural influences, harassed continental Europe from the eighth century on and were considered a major threat to the well-being of their southern neighbors. The ultimate involvement of Norway in the Christian network was due largely to the efforts of an energetic young king, Olaf Tryggvason. His policy of political consolidation and Christianization in Norway--a process which occurred at roughly the same …showed first 150 words…
…showed last 150 words…days. "But however this may have been," writes Snorri, "King Olaf Tryggvason never came back again to his kingdom of Norway."King Olaf Tryggvason was not the first to unite all the districts of Norway, nor was he the first Norwegian ruler to espouse Christianity. His significance stems from the vibrant way he managed to combine both of these accomplishments, firmly turning Norway away from its isolated pagan past and focusing the nation's attention on becoming a settled member of the European Christian community. Further Reading The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Translated by G. N. Garmonsway, J. M. Dent, 1953.Sturluson, Snorri. Heimskringla: The Olaf Sagas. Vol. 1. Translated by Samuel Laing, J. M. Dent, 1914.Foote, P. G., and D. M. Wilson. The Viking Achievement. Praeger, 1970.Jones, Gwyn. A History of the Vikings. Oxford University Press, 1973.Larsen, Karen. A History of Norway. Princeton University Press, 1948.Turville-Petre, G. The Heroic Age of Scandinavia. Greenwood Press, 1951. |