View source for Battle of Stiklestad

{{Short description|1030 battle in Trøndelag, Norway}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict          = Battle of Stiklestad
| partof            = 
| image             = Arbo-Olav den helliges fall i slaget på Stiklestad (cropped).jpg
| caption           = ''The Death of Olaf II at the Battle of Stiklestad'' <br /> [[Peter Nicolai Arbo]], {{circa|1859}}
| date              = 29 July 1030 (trad.)
| place             = [[Stiklestad]], Norway
| result            = Farmer Army victory
| combatant1        = Olaf Haraldsson's [[hird]] and allies<br />Swedish [[auxiliaries]]
| combatant2        = The "Farmer Army" composed of Rival jarls, chieftains, villagers and others loyal to [[Cnut the Great]].
| commander1        = [[Olaf II of Norway]]{{KIA}}<br />[[Dagr Hringsson]]<br /> [[Harald Hardrada]]{{WIA}}
| commander2        = [[Þórir hundr]]<br />[[Kálfr Árnason]]<br />[[Hárek of Tjøtta]]
| strength1         = {{circa}} 6,600
| strength2         = {{circa}} 14,400
| casualties1       = {{circa}} 4,200
| casualties2       = {{circa}} 4,600|
}}

The '''Battle of Stiklestad''' ({{langx|no|Slaget på Stiklestad}}; {{langx|non|Stiklarstaðir}}) in 1030 is one of the most famous battles in the history of [[Norway]]. In this battle, King [[Olaf II of Norway]] ({{lang|non|Óláfr Haraldsson}}) was killed. During the pontificate of [[Pope Alexander III]], the [[Roman Catholic Church]] declared Olaf a [[canonization|saint]] in 1164.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stiklestad.no/historie/Slageti1030/slaget.html |title=Slaget 29. juli (Slaget i 1030) |language=no |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090408023410/http://www.stiklestad.no/historie/Slageti1030/slaget.html |archive-date=2009-04-08 }}</ref>

His younger half-brother, [[Harald Hardrada]] ({{lang|non|Haraldr Haraldsson harðráði}}), was also present at the battle. Harald was only fifteen when the battle of Stiklestad took place. He became King of Norway in 1047, until his death in a failed invasion of England at the [[Battle of Stamford Bridge]] in 1066.

==Background==
During the 9th century, Norway was divided between several local kings controlling their own [[fief]]s. By the end of the century, King [[Harald Fairhair]] (Old Norse: {{lang|non|Haraldr Hárfagri}}) managed, mainly due to the military superiority gained by his marriage alliance with [[Hákon Grjótgarðsson]] of [[Nidaros]], to subjugate these mini–kingdoms, and he created a unified Norwegian state.

This alliance came apart after Harald's death. The [[jarls of Lade]] and various descendants of Harald Fairhair would spend the next century interlocked in feuds over power. As well as power politics, religion also played a part in these conflicts, as two of the descendants of Harald Fairhair, [[Haakon the Good]] and [[Olaf Tryggvason]] attempted to convert the then heathen Norwegians to [[Christianity]]. In the year 1000, [[Sveinn Hákonarson]] and [[Eiríkr Hákonarson]] of Lade took control over Norway, being supported by the [[Denmark|Danish]] King [[Sweyn Forkbeard]] (Old Norse: {{lang|non|Sveinn Haraldsson Tjúguskegg}}). In 1015, Olaf Haraldsson, representing the descendants of Harald Fairhair, returned from one of his [[Viking]] trips and was immediately elected as King of Norway. In June 1016, he won the [[Battle of Nesjar]] against the jarls of Lade.

Olav Haraldsson's success in becoming King of Norway was helped by the Danes being kept occupied with the ongoing fighting in [[England]]. In the year 1028, the Danish king [[Cnut the Great]] made an alliance with the Lades, and Olaf [[Cnut's Invasion of Norway|had to go into exile]] in [[Kievan Rus']] (Old Norse: {{lang|non|[[Garðaríki]]}}). In the year of 1029 the last Lade jarl, [[Haakon Sigurdsson]] (Old Norse: {{lang|non|Hákon Sigurðarson}}), drowned, and Olaf prepared a military expedition to reclaim the throne. Olaf was supported by the Swedish king [[Anund Jacob]] who wanted to weaken Cnut's power and provided Olaf with 400 men and guides that could lead Olaf through [[Dalarna]] into Norway. Dagr Hringsson, a Norwegian noble in exile in Sweden and governor for Anund Jacob also joined forces with Olaf on the condition that his old lands would be restored to him. On route, Olaf also recruited several highwaymen before mustering  for forces in [[Jämtland]].

==Battle==
According to saga sources, Olaf traveled with his 3,600 man army through [[Sweden]] and crossed the mountains into the valley of [[Verdal Municipality|Verdalen]] (Old Norse: {{lang|non|Veradalr}}), about {{convert|80|km}} north of the city of [[Trondheim (city)|Trondheim]]. Olaf and his men arrived at [[Stiklestad]], a farm in the lower part of the valley. This was where the Battle of Stiklestad took place, as described by [[Snorri Sturluson]] in his famous work {{lang|non|[[Heimskringla]]}}, written about 200 years later.

At Stiklestad, Olaf met an army led by [[Hárek of Tjøtta]] (Old Norse: {{lang|non|Hárekr ór Þjóttu}}), [[Thorir Hund]] from Bjarkøy and [[Kálfr Árnason]], a man who previously served Olaf. The farmer army consisted of one hundred hundred according to Snorri, which in [[Great hundred|long hundred]]s means 14,400, and not 10,000. He states that the battle cry of Olaf's men was {{lang|no|Fram, fram, kristsmenn, krossmenn, konungsmenn!}} (Forward! Forward! Men of Christ, men of the cross, men of the king!), while that of the opposing army was {{lang|non|Fram, fram, búandmenn!}} (Forward! Forward! Farmers!). Olaf's brother Harald was according to some sources instructed to remain in the camp, but convinced his older brother to let him fight. 

[[File:Olav der Heilige06.jpg|thumb|left|[[Olaf II of Norway|King Olaf's]] fall]]
According to Snorri, Olaf received three severe wounds{{snd}}in the knee, in the neck, and while leaning against a large stone the final mortal spear thrust up under his [[mail (armour)|mail]] shirt and into his belly. According to saga sources, Thorir was among those who gave Olaf his lethal wounds, together with Kálfr Árnason and [[Torstein Knarresmed]] from [[Rovdane|Rovde]] in [[Sunnmøre]].<ref>[http://www.snl.no/.nbl_biografi/Kalv_Arnesson/utdypning "Kalv Arnesson"], ''Norsk biografisk leksikon'' {{in lang|no}}</ref> While earlier sources do not specify who dealt the king his blows, Snorri makes Thorir Hund responsible for the latter, using the spear that had killed his nephew and set the fallout between the king and Thorir in motion. [[Bjørn Stallare]], the king's marshall, almost killed Thorir with a "axe-hammer" (a type of early warhammer). However, Torstein Knarresmed managed to get between them and gave Olaf a wound right above his left knee. Thorir Hund stabbed Bjørn to death with his spear and shortly later thrust his spear into the king's stomach. Kálfr Árnason then struck the king in the throat with his sword. Torstein Knarresmed was subsequently killed by a blow in the back but was revenged later that same day by one of Thorir's men. Dagr Hringsson continued to fight after the king's death but as the king's flank was scattered Kalv and Thorir set their attention to Dagr, forming a wedge formation which forced Dagr and the remainder of Olaf's army retreat. Harald was wounded in the battle and fled after the king's death, being taken in and hidden by locals on account of his youth and not knowing that he was Olaf's brother. <ref>''[[Snorre Sturluson]] [http://lind.no/nor/index.asp?lang=&emne=&vis=s_b_olav_haraldsson8 Heimskringla Kongesagaer] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130615090115/http://lind.no/nor/index.asp?lang=&emne=&vis=s_b_olav_haraldsson8 |date=2013-06-15 }}'' (Norrøn Mytologi / Norrøn Tid © Idar Lind)</ref> The king's body was carried away and buried secretly in the sandy banks of the [[Nidelva|Nidelva River]] south of the city of [[Trondheim]].<ref name="snl">{{cite web|url=http://snl.no/Stiklestad|title=Stiklestad|author=Store norske leksikon|author-link=Store norske leksikon|language=no|access-date=2011-07-03}}</ref>

==Aftermath==
[[File:Skivholme.10.jpg|thumb|right|[[Saint Olaf]]]]
The year after the battle, his grave and coffin were opened and according to Snorri the body was [[incorrupt]] and the hair and nails had grown since he was buried. The coffin was then moved to St. Clement's Church in [[Trondheim]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://niku.no/en/2016/11/archaeologists-in-norway-find-the-church-and-altar-of-viking-king-olaf-haraldsson/ |title= Archaeologists in Norway find the church and altar of Viking king Olaf Haraldsson|date= 11 November 2016|publisher= Norsk institutt for kulturminneforskning|access-date= September 1, 2017}}</ref>
Among the bishops that Olaf had brought with him from England, was [[Grimketel]] and it was he that initiated the beatification of Olaf on 3 August. [[Stiklestad Church]] ({{lang|nn|Stiklestad kyrkje}}) was erected on top of the stone against which St Olaf died. The stone is supposedly still inside the altar of the church.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://kulturminnesok.no/minne/?queryString=https://data.kulturminne.no/askeladden/lokalitet/85569 |title= Stiklestad kirkested|publisher= Kulturminnesøk|access-date= September 1, 2017}}</ref>

One hundred years later, [[Nidaros Cathedral]] was built in Trondheim on the site of his original burial place. Olaf's body was moved to this church and enshrined in a silver [[reliquary]] behind the high altar. This reliquary took the form of a miniature church, common to medieval reliquaries containing the entire body of a saint, but was unique in that it is said to have had dragon heads at the apex of the gables similar to those still seen on Norwegian [[stave church]]es. In the 16th century, during the [[Protestant Reformation]] period, Olaf's body was removed from this reliquary, which was melted down for coinage by order of the Dano-Norwegian king. His remains were reburied somewhere in Nidaros Cathedral{{snd}}exactly where is still today an unsolved mystery. Queen [[Josephine of Leuchtenberg]] of Norway and Sweden, the consort of [[Oscar I of Sweden|Oscar I]], asked for the one known remaining relic of St. Olaf, an [[ulna]] or [[Radius (bone)|radius]] in a medieval reliquary in the [[Danish National Museum]], from King [[Frederick VII of Denmark|Frederik VII]] of Denmark, which he gave to her and which she in turn gave to [[Oslo Cathedral|St. Olaf's Cathedral]] in [[Oslo]] in August 1862.
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==Evaluation==
{{More citations needed section|date=October 2024}}
While Snorri's description of the battles in the {{lang|non|[[Heimskringla]]}} makes for epic reading, its grandeur most likely must be put down to the writer's taste for the grand.

In [[Gardarike]], Olaf was only surrounded by his most loyal followers. Neither can one expect that recruitment was especially ample in Sweden or through the sparsely populated valleys through which Olaf travelled. Thus, Olaf's army was probably of a rather rag-tag character, an impression accentuated by tales of how local robber groups would join it as Olaf made his way down the [[Verdal Municipality|Verdalen valley]]. The recruitment of robber gangs and other scofflaws was likely no surprise to the polytheistic heathens that opposed Olaf's attempts to forcibly convert them by murdering and torturing regional Jarls and Kings to terrorize them into accepting Christianity. {{lang|non|Heimskringla}} reports that Anund Jacob could not raise support of an invasion of Norway among the Swedes and could only provide Olaf with a smaller force made out of his personal soldiers.

In fact, why Olaf chose to travel through the politically-hostile [[Trøndelag]], rather than to try to rally his relatives and political allies of [[Eastern Norway]], is to this day an unsolved mystery. Perhaps he was making a last-ditch attempt for [[Nidaros]], hoping to win acceptance for his claim to the throne amongst the farmers of Trøndelag.

On the other hand, the opposition{{snd}}basically lower nobles and grand farmers under the influence of King [[Cnut]]{{snd}}could not have had much time to assemble a large force. When alerted to Olaf's presence, they must have responded swiftly, considering that they met Olaf relatively far up the valley. Therefore, their action points more toward a small, hastily arranged rally of men rather than the elaborate logistics that would have been needed to assemble a 10,000-man-strong army.

Those who could have mobilized a large-scale army, the local nobles of Trøndelag (of which [[Einar Thambarskelfir]] was a prime example) were notable largely by their absence on either side. Also, the battlefield of a hotly contested battle between nearly 20,000 men should have produced rich archeological findings to that effect; at Stiklestad however, these are sparse, though this is common in Norway. The rocky soil is not as well-suited to battlefield archaeology as continental or English soil. It makes [[georadar]] readings all but unusable, and the location of the battle site highly uncertain. On Stiklestad, the soil is deep soil with some clay, and georadar was used in 2008, showing traces of large buildings, but not much to indicate a battlefield. As is the case with most battles mentioned in the sagas, the sizes of the battling armies are probably impossible to determine.

Olaf's role in Norwegian history had only just begun at his death. While nobles and rich farmers had expected their position to improve with the removal of the aggressive Olaf, the opposite happened. The rule of Cnut's wife [[Ælfgifu of Northampton]] and their son [[Svein Knutsson|Svein]] was exceedingly harsh on the people. The church especially{{snd}}a traditional ally of Olaf{{snd}}came under greater pressure.

Thus, the late King's martyr status was accentuated, helping to incite common folk into revolting against the hardships enforced by the succeeding Danish rule. Propaganda proclaiming the heroic nature of Olaf's last stand made for great nation-building material in the immature Norwegian state, where the warrior ethic of the Vikings and their gods and goddesses were still highly revered. According to Snorri, even nature lent a hand, as the day of the battle coincided with a nearly-full [[solar eclipse]], as reflected in the description of an ill-fated 'blooded red sun', which was interpreted as a certain omen of bad things to come. However, the solar eclipse took place at about 2:00&nbsp;p.m. on August 31 that year contrary to the traditional date of the battle on July 29.<ref>[http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEsearch/SEsearchmap.php?Ecl=10300831 ''Hybrid Solar Eclipse of 1030 August 31'' (Heliophysics Science Division) ]</ref>

Olaf was a rather stubborn and rash ruler. Modern historians generally agree that Olaf was inclined to violence and brutality.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bagge |first=Sverre |title=From Viking stronghold to Christian kingdom: state formation in Norway, c. 900–1350 |date=2010 |publisher=Museum Tusculanum Press, Univ. of Copenhagen |isbn=978-87-635-0791-2 |location=Copenhagen}}</ref> Ironically, he became Norway's patron saint. His canonization was performed only a year after his death by the bishop of Nidaros. The cult of Olaf not only unified the country, it also fulfilled the conversion of the nation, something for which the king had fought so hard.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dead Man Converting {{!}} Christian History Magazine |url=https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/dead-man-converting |access-date=2023-07-26 |website=Christian History Institute |language=en}}</ref>

While divisive in life, in death Olaf became{{snd}}{{lang|la|[[Rex Perpetuus Norvegiae]]}}{{snd}}the eternal king of Norway, wielded a unifying power no foreign monarch could hope to undo. Cnut, most distracted by the task of administering England, managed to rule Norway for five years after the battle through his viceroy son [[Svein Knutsson|Svein]]. However, when Olaf's illegitimate son [[Magnus I of Norway|Magnus]] (dubbed 'the Good') laid claim to the Norwegian throne, Cnut had to yield. Thus, a century of prosperity and expansion followed, lasting until the kingdom again descended into the [[Civil war era in Norway]] over the issue of succession.'<ref>[[Theodoricus Monachus]] ''Historia de antiquitate regum Norwagiensium'' {{JSTOR|27712037}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=October 2024}}

==Legacy==
[[File:Sivlesteinen-Stalheim.JPG|upright|thumb|left|Memorial in Stalheim]]
[[File:Olavsstøtta.jpg|thumb|Olavsstøtta at Olavhaugen]]
Stiklestad National Cultural Center ({{lang|no|Stiklestad Nasjonale Kultursenter}}) at Verdal was established by a parliamentary resolution in 1995. {{lang|no|Olavsstøtta}} is a monument in the Stiklestad National Cultural Center. It was erected in 1807 in memory of the Battle of Stiklestad. The memorial is one of the oldest preserved public monuments in Norway.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.destinationviking.com/attraction/stiklestad-nasjonale-kultursenter|title= Stiklestad Nasjonale Kultursenter|publisher= Destination Viking|access-date= September 1, 2017|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170905093154/http://www.destinationviking.com/attraction/stiklestad-nasjonale-kultursenter|archive-date= September 5, 2017|url-status= dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://stiklestad.no/historie/omradet/olavsstotta/ |title= Olavshaugen |publisher= stiklestad.no |access-date= September 1, 2017 |archive-date= September 5, 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170905015042/https://stiklestad.no/historie/omradet/olavsstotta/ |url-status= dead }}</ref>

In 1901, poet [[Per Sivle]] wrote a poem {{lang|nn|Tord Foleson}}, about King Olaf's standard-bearer at the battle. Foleson was able to plant the banner before he died, and it remained standing throughout the battle, even after the king fell. It was kept erect and replaced by the local populace for centuries, and a memorial stands at the site today. The most famous line of the poem, {{lang|nn|Merket det stend, um mannen han stupa}} ('The symbol stands, even when the man falls'), is inscribed on the memorial in [[Stalheim]], [[Norway]]. It is also on the inscription wall in the [[Bergen-Belsen concentration camp]] memorial site.<ref>[https://nbl.snl.no/Per_Sivle ''Per Sivle'' (Store norske leksikon)]</ref>

[[File:Pål Christian Eggen som konge i spelet 2014.jpg|thumbnail|Pål Christian Eggen (above) played [[Olaf II of Norway|King Olaf II of Norway]] in ''[[The Saint Olav Drama]]'' in 2014.]]
''[[The Saint Olav Drama]]'' ({{lang|nn|Spelet om Heilag Olav}}) is an outdoor theatre performance played every end of July in Stiklestad. In July 1954, the owner of the farm at Stiklestad gave permission for the performance of a play based on the battle on his property. The play was written by [[Olav Gullvåg]] and has been staged every year since 1954. Annually, people travel to Stiklestad to watch ''The Saint Olaf Drama'' at what is now the largest outdoor theatre in [[Scandinavia]].<ref>[https://snl.no/Spelet_om_Heilag_Olav ''Spelet om Heilag Olav'' (Store norske leksikon)]</ref>
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==See also==
* [[Olavsfestival]]
* [[Olavinlinna]]
* [[Ólavsøka]]
* [[Olsok]]
* [[Legendary Saga of St. Olaf]]
* [[Separate Saga of St. Olaf]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Other sources==
* [[Sverre Bagge|Bagge, Sverre]] ''Cross and Scepter'' (Princeton University Press. 2014) {{ISBN|978-0691161501}}
* [[Sverre Bagge|Bagge, Sverre]] ''From Viking Stronghold to Christian Kingdom'' (Museum Tusculanum Press. 2010) {{ISBN|978-8763507912}}
* Henriksen, Vera ''St Olav of Norway: King, saint and enigma'' (TANO. 1985) {{ISBN|978-8251820554}}
* Myklebus, Morten ''Olaf Viking & Saint'' (Norwegian Council for Cultural Affairs, 1997) {{ISBN|978-82-7876-004-8}}
* Winroth, Anders ''The Conversion of Scandinavia'' (Yale University Press. 2012) {{ISBN|978-0300205534}}

==Further reading==
'''In Norwegian'''
* Ekrem, Inger; et al. ''Olavslegenden og den Latinske Historieskrivning i 1100-tallets Norge'' (Museum Tusculanum Press, 2000) {{ISBN|978-87-7289-616-8}}
* Moseng, Ole Georg, et al. ''Norsk historie: 750–1537'' (Aschehoug. 1999) {{ISBN|978-82-518-3739-2}}
* Hjardar, Kim and Vike, Vegard ''Vikinger i krig'' (Spartacus. 2011) {{ISBN|978-82-430-0475-7}}
* Langslet, Lars Roar (1995) ''Olav den hellige'' (Oslo: Gyldendal) {{ISBN|8205230390}}
* Morten, Øystein (2013) ''Jakten på Olav den hellige'' (Spartacus forlag, Oslo) {{ISBN|978-82-430-0565-5}}
* Hoftun, Oddgeir (2008) ''Kristningsprosessens og herskermaktens ikonografi i nordisk middelalder'' (Oslo: Solum Forlag) {{ISBN|978-82-560-1619-8}}
* Le Clerk, JM (2024) ''Path of Ravens: The Last Varangian'' (Printed in France by Amazon)  {{ISBN|9798307122136}}

==External links==
* [https://stiklestad.no/english/ Stiklestad National Cultural Center Official Website]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070309034257/http://www.stiklestad.no/english.shtml Stiklestad, the history, the play and the museum]
* [https://stiklestad.no/english/the-saint-olav-festival/ The Saint Olav Festival] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170905150032/https://stiklestad.no/english/the-saint-olav-festival/ |date=2017-09-05 }}

{{Germanic peoples}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle Of Stiklestad}}
[[Category:Battles involving Norway|Stiklestad]]
[[Category:Battles involving the Vikings|Stiklestad]]
[[Category:Stiklestad]]
[[Category:History of Trøndelag]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 1030]]
[[Category:11th century in Norway]]
[[Category:1030 in Europe]]
[[Category:Harald Hardrada]]