PART 1 Turku Olav Haraldsson Was a Fierce Viking and a Great King, Who, After His Death, Became Olav the Saint

Y OF OLAV HARALDSS STOR ON

PART 1 Turku Olav Haraldsson was a fierce Viking and a great King, who, after his death, became Olav the Saint. This story tells you almost everything about Olav’s colourful life. While Olav grows, you will travel deeper to the archipelago – to the thousands of islands surrounded by the sea. You are on a pilgrim’s path, St. Olav Waterway, going from Turku to Kaarina, Pargas, Nagu and Korpo. Let the adventure begin!

NORWAY AT THAT TIME At the time of Olav’s birth, Norway was not a single country, but countless small kingdoms. If you wanted to be a king, you had to belong to a great family and be skilful in many different things. Moreover, a king should be strong-willed and possess a certain inner power. Usually the crown ended up for one of the late king’s sons. The king’s job was to keep up a good relationship with the gods, because gods brought people a good yield of crops and luck in warfare – or hailstorms in July and bitter defeats on the battlefield. Now, when we talk about gods, we mean the old Norwegian Gods, that is the short-tempered chief God Odin, the strong but simple thunder God Thor, the beautiful love Goddess Freyja and very many others.

THE BIRTH OF OLAV HARALDSSON Olav Haraldsson was born as a son of Asta and Harald, in the tribe of Fairhair in 995. Harald was a King and the great grandson of Harald Fairhair, the first King and the founder of Norway. The story goes, Harald left Asta all alone, heavy with child, while he travelled to Sweden to propose to the Queen. Alas, the Queen was fed up with all her numerous suitors and had Harald and his men executed. Thus, Harald never returned from his journey and Olav became fatherless before he was even born. When Olav was about to be born, Olav’s uncle Hrani had a peculiar dream. In the dream, the long dead King Olav the Stout came to talk to him. ”Wake up, Hrani”, said this very finely dressed large man. “I am King Olav the Stout and I have a very important, but a bit frightening, mission for you. I want you to break into my burial mound. There you will find a man who is dressed as finely as I am. Take his ring, belt and sword and leave the mound as quickly as you can. Then ride to Asta. She needs help with childbirth. Put my belt around Asta, that should help.” Hrani did as Olav the Stout had told him to, broke into his burial mound and galloped to Asta. Hrani wrapped the belt around Asta’s belly. It helped, and soon Asta gave birth to a boy. When the boy got his first tooth, Hrani gave him the belt and the ring, and named him Olav. Vikings believed that people, who had lived before, could be born again. Hrani’s peculiar dream led them to think, that Olav Haraldsson might be a reborn Olav the Stout. Therefore, he got the name Olav.

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PART 2 Kaarina Well, well, last time you heard that the Norwegian gods could be responsible for the hailstorms in July, and you were there when Olav Haraldsson was born. Next, you will get along with the hustle of Olav’s youth and his Viking trips. You are on a pilgrim’s path, St. Olav Waterway, going from Turku to Kaarina, Pargas, Nagu and Korpo.

THE YOUNG OLAV HARALDSSON It is said, that when Olav was eight years old, he saw a glimpse of something shiny in his mother’s coffin. He instantly asked what her mom was hiding among the clothes. Asta lifted up a fancy sword and told Olav: “This sword is yours! It is a real king’s sword. It used to belong to the great King Olav the Stout.” Eyes brightened by the enthusiasm, Olav studied the sword and instantly took it with him. Olav’s Stepfather, however, scowled at Olav when he dragged the gilded sword along the hall floor. If I would say that Olav got well along with his Stepfather, I would be lying. One day his stepfather came to Olav and said: “Little Olav, give the sword to me. I will take good care of it and give you a lighter sword, which is more suited for a boy your age.” Olav glared at his Stepfather, but answered nothing. His stepfather spoke to him again, but Olav stayed silent. The third time, his stepfather raised his voice. Then, Olav lifted his sword and threatened to stick his stepfather with the pointy end. His stepfather startled, stepped back, and Olav could keep his sword. King Olav the Stout’s old sword was the most important thing Olav owned, for it proved that he indeed was a King’s son. Without the sword, Olav would have been just a fatherless boy. Olav was a very talented young man and everyone liked him. Olav’s arrows always found their target and in a spear fight, he moved as swiftly a snake. He was brave and quick-witted, and as cunning and as strong as grown men. His friends started to call him Olav the Stout. All in all, it looked like Olav was made to be a Viking chieftain.

OLAV AS A VIKING CHIEFTAIN The Vikings were raiders and traders, who did not lack gold, silver or slaves. Olav left for Viking voyages already at the age of 12. Despite of his young age, he commanded a large force. According to a legend, young Olav even plundered the Finnish coastline, in Nagu, through which the pilgrimage route St. Olav Waterway goes. The story goes, the people of Nagu outwitted the young Viking chieftain that time. When they spotted the Viking ship approaching, they fled to the midst of the forest with all their valuables. Olav and his men followed, but could not find anyone. Returning to their ship empty handed, there was an ambush waiting! Olav and his men managed to run to the ship, but falling back was not easy whilst the furious locals were shooting arrows at them. Olav spent many long years on his travels. In a port far, far away from home, Olav had a dream, where a large finely dressed man came to talk to him. “Go back home, Olav. You will become the King of Norway”, said the man. Olav recognized the man as the late King Olav the Stout, believed the dream to be a sign and changed his course for Norway.

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PART 3 Pargas You have now travelled with Olav Haraldsson from his birth to his Viking voyages around Europe. Next, you get to dwell into the fascinating world of religion, and keep your thumbs up for Olav, who is in pursuit of the crown. You are on a pilgrim’s path, St. Olav Waterway, going from Turku to Kaarina, Pargas, Nagu and Korpo.

THE NEW, POWERFUL GOD In Europe, many people had started to believe in the Christian god, whereas most Vikings still worshipped the old Viking gods. On his long Viking voyages, Olav visited beautiful churches and heard exciting stories about Christianity. The new religion was intriguing. Its God was almighty and lived forever, whereas the Viking gods made mistakes and died like mortals. Olav abandoned his old gods and became a Christian. Kings were spreading Christianity by destroying the statues of the old gods and the old places of worship. The folk, naturally, became angry, but the old gods did not revenge these deeds. The thunder God Thor did not send a lightning to strike down those who did him wrong. The new God actually seemed to be mightier than the old ones, and bit by bit, people abandoned their old faith. For many years, Christianity and the old belief lived peacefully side by side.

KING OLAV At the time of Olav’s birth, Norway was not a single country, but countless small kingdoms. Olav wanted to unite the country and become the king of all Norwegians. With the help of his friends and family, Olav raised an army. His numbers increased with the help of glittering gemstones and heavy gold pouches. Luck and cunning were on Olav’s side, while he won battle after battle. Finally, in 1015, Olav Haraldsson was crowned as the King of Norway. After a festive coronation ceremony, Olav’s kingdom had years of peace. The King built churches and fetched Astrid, the daughter of the King of Sweden, to become his Queen. Now that people no longer believed in tens of different gods, but only one God, they had more in common – and it was easier for the King to rule over his people. As King, Olav wanted to change some of the old habits that were not in line with Christian values. Rich Viking chieftains kept slaves, whereas Christianity thought all people were equal. The King ordered that the slaves should be set free. He also forbid the abandoning of children. The next command was, that all the deceased should be buried on holy ground beside a church. It was a big change, because the ancestor’s grave mounds near the houses were like landmarks, telling everyone who was the landowner. Rich farmers build churches to their lands. This way, one could still bury relatives on family land, beside a church. The chieftains thought the King was undermining their power and the folk resisted the changes of old habits. King Olav treated his enemies severely, which brought even more enemies upon him. The peaceful years of King Olav’s reign turned to times of tension.

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PART 4 Nagu Wow, you have travelled such a long way with Olav Haraldsson, to the King’s court! After his Viking voyages, Olav is now the King of Norway. However, the folk resist some of the King’s new laws. What will happen to Olav next? You are on a pilgrim’s path, St. Olav Waterway, going from Turku to Kaarina, Pargas, Nagu and Korpo.

OLAV GETS EXILED Olav was a king, but a king of a displeased folk. Finally, people were so vengeful that Olav had to flee for his life. With his son Magnus, he sailed to Novgorod in Russia, to stay at his wife’s relatives. Olav was now a king without a kingdom, and did not know what to do with his life. Olav pondered and pondered about his next move. One night, tired by all the pondering, he fell into a light sleep. Someone stood at the end of his bed – a tall and finely dressed man, a former king. Are“ you worried about the future?”, asked the man. “I do not understand how you can consider giving up the crown. A real king will defeat his enemies or die trying. Return to your kingdom and rule it well.” When Olav woke up, he thought he saw a glimpse of the man as he disappeared. After two years of exile, gave the dream Olav a clear goal: he was the King of Norway!

THE BATTLE OF STIKLESATD Olav returned to Norway with his faithful men. They rode towards Nidaros, the most important city in the country. The word from king Olav’s return travelled far and wide, and men from all over Norway came to join the King’s forces. Olav was now kinder and more considerate than when he ruled over Norway. Earlier in life, he had let his troops plunder and burn farms. Now he felt compassion for his opponents, and forbid this kind of barbaric behaviour. Marvelous events followed Olav on his way to the battle. The day before the battle, his troops tramped over a field and destroyed all the crops. Olav felt very sorry for what his men had done, rode once around the field and told the farmer: “I believe that God will fix it in a few weeks.” It is said, that in two weeks’ time, the field was as good as new. When the battle came, the opponents had twice as many men as King Olav. However, Olav made it first to the battleground and chose his position wisely. His troops stood uphill, and the opponent had to come there through a narrow pass. That meant the opponent could not benefit from its superior numbers! The flags were flapping, arrows were flying and the fighting axes were rattling against each other when the two armies met. King Olav’s men fought bravely and they were winning, until they made a severe mistake. The opponents lured Olav’s men down to the plateau, where the larger force was able to surround Olav’s army. Olav was wounded and dropped his sword. Olav Haraldsson fell in the battle of Stiklestad 29th of July year 1030.

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PART 5 Korpo Your journey with Olav Haraldsson is coming to the end. You have followed Olav from birth to Viking voyages and coronation. Last time, you witnessed Olav’s exile and grieved for his fall in the battle. But Olav’s story did not end in his death. What happened after that? You are on a pilgrim’s path, St. Olav Waterway, going from Turku to Kaarina, Pargas, Nagu and Korpo.

OLAV THE SAINT It is told, that when Olav died, the skies darkened, wounds healed magically and the blind could see again. People thought, that all these miracles, and the bad harvests the country suffered from for several years, were linked to Olav’s royal power. For it was believed, that great kings remained great even after their death. One year after his death, Olav was dug out of his grave. The story goes, the wooden coffin looked brand new, the King had a rosy blush on his cheeks, and his hair and nails had grown. The bishop cut some of Olav’s hair and placed them in a burning censer. When the fire died out, Olav’s hair was still there. Olav was declared a saint, Saint Olav.

WHERE OLAV HARALDSSON FELL, OLAV THE SAINT CONQUERED After Olav Haraldsson, Norway was under the rule of the King of Denmark. When the taxes rose and the harvest was bad, the people missed their King Olav. The chieftains who had fought against Olav had a long meeting together, and they decided to fetch Olav’s son Magnus from Novgorod as their king. This way, Norwegians chose their own king. After his death, Olav was the helper of people. People thought of Olav as a lucky man, who they asked for help when they needed comforting or healing for sickness. He was a very important saint also outside Norway. Even in Finland, there are tens of churches, shrines and statues dedicated to Saint Olav. Nagu has its own Saint Olav’s church, there is a Saint Olav’s statue in the church of Korpo and the Cathedral of Turku has a chapel for Saint Olav. Pargas church has such a fine statue of Saint Olav, it is now in the National Museum of History in Helsinki. Saint Olav lies buried in the Cathedral of Nidaros, in the city of Trondheim. People made pilgrimages there already during the Middle Ages. There were many reasons for a pilgrimage: for some, pilgrimage was the punishment for a crime, others traveled to Saint Olav’s grave to be healed miraculously, while some wanted to save their souls. Even Finns made pilgrimages to Nidaros. Saint Olav Waterway follows in the footsteps and boat wakes of these medieval pilgrims. The journey from Turku to Trondheim is over a thousand kilometers long, and travelling it on foot takes over two months – that is a heck of a long time! Saint Olav is the patron saint of Norway still today. He is very important for Norwegians, because they think of him as the bringer of independence and a national spirit. On July 29th they have a festive celebration in the honor of Olav the Saint.

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