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Sverdrup Newsletter Fall 17.Pub September 2017 The Georg Volume 14, Issue 2 Sverdrup Society NEWSLETTER Rev. Robert Lee to Speak at GSS Annual Meeting In this Issue: Rev. Robert Lee, no stranger featured speaker at the Socie- to members of the Georg ty’s Annual Meetings twice Sverdrup Society, will be the before. In 2009, he spoke on Robert Lee to Speak at 1 Annual Meeting featured speaker for the 2017 “Sverdrup’s Plan of Pastoral Annual Meeting of the Georg Training for the Congrega- Haakon the Good, 2 Sverdrup Society. The meet- tion,” and again in 2011 his Reconsidered ing will be held October 14, topic was “Georg Sverdrup A Tale of Two Portraits 3 2017, at the Hans Nielsen vs. Gisle Johnson: Lay Hauge Chapel on the campus Preaching and the Augsburg of AFLC Schools. Since 2017 Confession.” We look for- Aims and Activities of 4 th the Society marks the 500 anniversary of ward to hearing from Pastor the Reformation, the Sverdrup Lee again this year. The Haugean Move- 4 Society has chosen “Sverdrup Because of scheduling ment and Democracy and the Reformation” for this difficulties, this year’s pro- Rev. Robert Lee year’s focus. In keeping with gram will begin at 12:30 in- this theme, Pastor Lee has stead of the usual 1:00. The chosen “From Luther to luncheon will also start a half Sverdrup” as the title of his hour early (11:30) in the base- Georg Sverdrup Society presentation. ment of the chapel. The cost 2017 Annual Meeting Lee served as President for the meal is $12. of the Association of Free The traditional “Sverdrup Saturday, October 14 Lutheran Congregations from Songfest,” led by Mrs. Marian 12:30 p.m. 1992 to 2007. Since then, he Christopherson, gives those Hauge Chapel Georg Sverdrup has been on the faculty of attending a chance to share in Association Free Lutheran Seminary Born to Pastor Harold Association Free Lutheran the singing of hymns sung in Theological Seminary and the days of Sverdrup and Of- 3134 East Medicine Ulrich Sverdrup and Lake Boulevard his wife Caroline Association Free Lutheran tedal. The Seminary Chorus Plymouth, MN 55441 Metella, nee Suur, Bible School where his pri- led by AFLC Schools Music at Balestrand, mary teaching focus has been Director, Mr. Andrew Han- Sogn, Norway, on Church History. During his son, will also perform. Lunch: 11:30 a.m. December 16, 1848. sabbatical this fall, Lee has On the agenda for the (Cost: $12.00) begun writing the history of 2:00 business meeting will be Died on May 3, 1907, the AFLC. elections, discussion regard- in Minneapolis, MN, and buried in the Lee was elected to the ing future topics for the jour- Lakewood Cemetery first board of directors for the nal, and general business. Georg Sverdrup Society in Plan on being there on Satur- 2003 and served as editor of day, October 14, and bring a the first Sverdrup Journal friend. (2004). Always an interesting —Loiell O. Dyrud speaker, Lee has been the NEWSLETTER Volume 14, Issue 2 Page 2 Haakon the Good, Reconsidered By Larry Walker How did Norway become Christian? It’s not entirely clear. The traditional narrative is sim- ple: Norway was a stubbornly hea- then country until two kings named Olaf (Olaf Trygvesson and Saint Olaf Haraldsson) came in with fire and sword, humbling the heathen and forcing the true faith on them. That narrative also mentions an earlier Christian king, Haakon the Good. But he’s dismissed as a failure, possibly an apostate. There are reasons to question that story though. In 1995 a book was published, edited from the posthumous papers of Illustration by Christian Krogh from Haakon the Good’s Saga. Fritdtjov S. Birkeli (1906-1983), bishop of Stavanger and Oslo in Nor- scholarly reasons for this opinion. kill Haakon and take back their way. The book is called Tolv År Had- Haakon was the son of the king father’s kingdom. Haakon was de Kristendommen Vært i Norge traditionally credited with beginning faced with a choice—make peace (Twelve Years Had Christianity Been the unification of Norway as a single with the heathen Norwegian chief- in Norway). Sadly, the book has nev- kingdom, King Harald Fairhair (ca. tains to get their support in resist- er been translated into English, but 850-ca. 932). Harald established dip- ing the invasion, or see those chief- I’d like to share some of its argu- lomatic relations with King Athelstan tains side with Erik’s sons. He ments here. the Great of England and sent his chose to compromise and The book’s title comes from a youngest son, Haakon, to be raised in (according to the sagas), his mis- famous rune stone, the Kuli Stone, his court. He must have been aware sionary work ended there. One found at Kuløy, Sunnmøre, Norway. that Haakon would be baptized and saga even reports that he died a The scholar who deciphered it origi- raised as a Christian in that cultured heathen. nally dated it to the tenth century, environment. However, a survey of the evi- based on the forms of its runic letters Shortly after the death of his fa- dence led Bishop Birkeli to a dif- (the runes changed over time, and ther, Haakon sailed to Norway with ferent conclusion. from place to place). But when he English blessing, and with English First of all, Birkeli noted that translated the text, he revised his date priests. According to the Icelandic all the scenes of Haakon’s failures to the eleventh century. He did this sagas, he was determined to convert take place in one region—the because the inscription (as he read it, Norway to Christianity. He quickly Trondheim region, which remained some scholars dispute this) said, drove out his older brother, Erik heathen a long time. What about “Tore and Hallvard raised this stone Bloodaxe, and was accepted as the other parts of the country, especial- in memory of Ulv(ljot) . Twelve new king. ly the southwest? years had Christianity been in Nor- However, according to the sagas, He noted that in Vestland, the way.” Since everyone knew that his Christian faith provoked strong southwest of Norway, a number of Christianity came with Saint Olaf in opposition. The chieftains expected Viking Age stone crosses are 1015 AD, he reasoned, it must have their king to preside at heathen sacri- found. These crosses resemble been carved twelve years after that fices. Finally, they forced Haakon to crosses found in Britain. Such date. participate in a limited way, and he crosses do not exist elsewhere in Bishop Birkeli wasn’t convinced. went away furious, vowing to come Scandinavia. That’s one clear sign He thought the inscription might well back and destroy the heathens. of the early influence of the Eng- refer to the work of the much- But at that moment, a threat ap- lish church In Norway. maligned Haakon the Good (ca. 920- peared. Erik Bloodaxe’s sons ap- He points to the “Gula-Thing 961). He had archaeological and proached with a fleet, intending to (cont. on page 3) NEWSLETTER Volume 14, Issue 2 Page 3 Haakon the Good, Reconsidered (cont.) Law,” the ancient law that built churches in Norway and the story of Haakon’s peace- governed Vestland. There’s installed learned men in ful successes. He must be some dispute as to the age of them” (p.79). painted as a weak Christian many of its laws, but he cites According to Birkeli’s whose mission failed entirely. scholars who believe that “the scenario, Haakon the Good Today, historians are observance of Sunday was had considerable success as a questioning that view. The enacted in the 900s, possibly missionary in Norway—and Swedish historian Anders along with the great holidays, by peaceful means. The An- Winroth, in his 2014 book, Christmas and Easter.” He glo-Saxon church of that time The Conversion of Scandina- also quotes a scholar who (he argues) believed in gentle via, argues (for different rea- suggested that an ordinance in persuasion, and Haakon sons than Birkeli’s) that the the Gula-Thing Law would have followed that conversion was in fact a pret- “concerning the annual eman- model (p.71). Norway became ty peaceful affair. cipation of slaves, shows the a “pluralistic” society, with P. H. Sawyer in Kings influence of Anglo-Saxon Christians and heathens living and Vikings (1982) writes, missionaries” and may be side by side in relative “Olaf owed his sanctity to his attributed to Haakon’s influ- peace—but Christianity was death, not to his life, and had ence (p.82). making steady gains. Christianity not been so deep- He also cites archaeologi- After Saint Olaf’s martyr- ly rooted, his merits as a saint cal evidence that burial prac- dom and canonization in the would not have been so Athelstan the Great, tices began to change in the eleventh century, saga writers quickly or so widely recog- tenth century, with Norwe- were motivated to enhance his nized” (p.140). Haakon’s godfather. gians abandoning heathen reputation as a successful It’s comforting and en- customs and adopting Chris- missionary king. They por- couraging for evangelical tian ones (p.87). trayed Norway as more hea- Christians to consider the He quotes Ågrip, an old then than it really was—so idea that peaceful persuasion Icelandic book of sagas, stubbornly heathen that Olaf and virtuous living had as which says that “in had no alternative but to force much (or more) to do with [Haakon’s] day many turned it to convert through torture Norway’s conversion than to the Christian faith because and warfare.
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