The Saint Olav Drama

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The Saint Olav Drama, 2003 Stiklestadspelet.jpg
The Saint Olav Drama, 2003
Pal Christian Eggen acting as king Olaf II of Norway in The Saint Olav Drama at Stiklestad 2014. Pal Christian Eggen som konge i spelet 2014.jpg
Pål Christian Eggen acting as king Olaf II of Norway in The Saint Olav Drama at Stiklestad 2014.

Saint Olav Drama (Norwegian : Spelet om Heilag Olav) is an outdoor theatre performance played every end of July in Stiklestad in Verdal, Norway. [1]

Norwegian language North Germanic language spoken in Norway

Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken mainly in Norway, where it is the official language. Along with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a dialect continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional varieties; some Norwegian and Swedish dialects, in particular, are very close. These Scandinavian languages, together with Faroese and Icelandic as well as some extinct languages, constitute the North Germanic languages. Faroese and Icelandic are not mutually intelligible with Norwegian in their spoken form because continental Scandinavian has diverged from them. While the two Germanic languages with the greatest numbers of speakers, English and German, have close similarities with Norwegian, neither is mutually intelligible with it. Norwegian is a descendant of Old Norse, the common language of the Germanic peoples living in Scandinavia during the Viking Era.

Stiklestad Village in Central Norway, Norway

Stiklestad is a village and parish in the municipality of Verdal in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) east of the town of Verdalsøra and about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) southeast of the village of Forbregd/Lein. The village is mainly known as the site of the Battle of Stiklestad on 29 July 1030. Stiklestad Church is located in the village and it is assumed to have been erected on the exact spot where King Olaf II Haraldsson fell in the battle. The king was buried in Nidaros (Trondheim), canonised there on 3 August 1031, and later enshrined in Nidaros Cathedral. Following the Lutheran reformation of 1537 the saint's remains were removed and their precise resting-place has been unknown since 1568.

Verdal Municipality in Trøndelag, Norway

Verdal is a municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Innherad region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Verdalsøra. Some villages in the municipality include Forbregd/Lein, Lysthaugen, Stiklestad, Trones, Vera, Vinne, and Vuku.

Contents

The play commemorates the Battle of Stiklestad that took place in the year 1030, and which resulted in death of King Olaf II of Norway. In the aftermath of his death, King Olaf would later be canonized as Saint Olaf (Heilag Olav), patron saint of Norway. The play explores the transition process between traditional pagan customs and the introduction of Christianity into Norway. [2] [3]

Battle of Stiklestad battle in Trøndelag, Norway

The Battle of Stiklestad in 1030 is one of the most famous battles in the history of Norway. In this battle, King Olaf II of Norway was killed. During the pontificate of Pope Alexander III, the Roman Catholic Church declared Olaf a saint in 1164.

Olaf II of Norway King of Norway

Olaf II Haraldsson, later known as St. Olaf, was King of Norway from 1015 to 1028. He was posthumously given the title Rex Perpetuus Norvegiae and canonised at Nidaros (Trondheim) by Bishop Grimkell, 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 the Christian religion among the Vikings / Norsemen in Scandinavia.

Patron saint saint regarded as the tutelary spirit or heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person

A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Roman Catholicism, Anglicanism or Eastern Orthodoxy, is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family or person.

The play draws on historic events mentioned in Heimskringla written by Snorri Sturlson. The play features other historical Norwegian figures, including Rögnvald Brusason and Thorir Hund. [4]

<i>Heimskringla</i> Old Norse kings sagas

Heimskringla is the best known of the Old Norse kings' sagas. It was written in Old Norse in Iceland by the poet and historian Snorri Sturluson (1178/79–1241) c. 1230. The name Heimskringla was first used in the 17th century, derived from the first two words of one of the manuscripts.

Rognvald Brusason , son of Brusi Sigurdsson, was Earl of Orkney jointly with Thorfinn Sigurdsson from about 1037 onwards. His life is recorded in the Orkneyinga Saga.

Thorir Hund Norwegian chieftain

Thorir Hund was one of the greatest chiefs in Hålogaland. Tore Hund was one of the leaders of the Stiklestad peasant faction opposing Norwegian King Olaf II of Norway, later named St. Olaf. He was reported to have been among the chieftains who killed the king in the Battle of Stiklestad in 1030. He also served in the forces of King Canute the Great on several occasions.

Saint Olav Drama was written by Olav Gullvåg, with music composed by Paul Okkenhaug (1908-1975). It has been staged every year since 1954. [5] Among featured directors have been Norwegian stage producer Stein Winge. [6]

Olav Gullvåg was a Norwegian playwright, novelist, poet and editor.

Stein Winge is a Norwegian stage producer, theatre director and International Emmy Nominated actor.

See also

Olsok

Olsok is a national day of celebration in the Nordic countries of Norway and the Faroe Islands, and also in the provinces of Härjedalen in Sweden and Savonlinna in Finland.

Óláfs saga helga Wikipedia disambiguation page

Óláfs saga helga or the Saga of St. Olaf, written in several versions, is one of kings' sagas on the subject of King Olaf Haraldsson the Saint.

The Oldest Saga of St. Olaf or the First Saga of St. Olaf is one of the kings' sagas. It is the earliest Norse biography of King Óláfr Haraldsson. Early scholars judged it to be among the very first sagas written, perhaps around 1160, but later scholarship has moved the date up to the end of the 12th century. One fragment with a hagiographic flavour was once thought to belong to the saga but more recent research indicates that it is from another text. Like other kings' sagas the Oldest Saga cites old skaldic poetry to decorate and verify the narrative.

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References

  1. ↑ Spelet om Heilag Olav (Store norske leksikon)
  2. ↑ "Gullvåg, Olav". Aschehoug og Gyldendals Store norske leksikon. Kunnskapsforlaget. 2007.
  3. ↑ Harald 1 Hårfagre (Aschehoug og Gyldendals Store norske leksikon)
  4. ↑ "Composer, musician and farmer". The Sibelius Academy. 2009. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
  5. ↑ "Stiklestad - The Saint Olav Drama". stiklestad.no. 2011. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
  6. ↑ Stiklestad blir kristnet igjen (aftenposten)

Other sources

International Standard Book Number Unique numeric book identifier

The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a numeric commercial book identifier which is intended to be unique. Publishers purchase ISBNs from an affiliate of the International ISBN Agency.

In Norwegian


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