medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Those of us who have read that justly renowned Anglo-Saxon epic The Battle
of Maldon - the A-S = of Thermopyle - may not have appreciated that the
leader of the Vikings on that memorable day in 991 AD was one Anlaf
Tryggvason. He continued raiding England until manoeuvred into diplomacy in
994 by King Ethelred the Unready who sent Bishop AElfheath to convert him to
Christianity. The English king then stood sponsor to him (= godfather) when
he was Confirmed at Andover. Then - and this is a brilliant bit of diplomacy
which made me totally revise my view of Ethelred who has had a bad press up
to date - he suggested that Anlaf should cease harrying the English who were
now his fellow-Christians, but return to Norway and use his military gifts
to claim the pagan Vikings for the Faith. Which Anlaf (aka St Olaf) duly
did.
My Norwegian friends tell me that such an impression did Olaf make on Norway
as both Saint and King, that after his death he was held to be the Eternal
King of Norway. All subsequent monarchs of Norway up to the Reformation were
deemed to be the vassal of St Olaf and to swear allegiance to him at their
coronation ceremony.
Brenda M. C.
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