Saint Olaf II

Also known as

• Heilag-Olav
• Holy Olaf
• Olaf Haraldson
• Olaf Haraldsson
• Olaf of Norway
• Olaf the Fat
• Olaf the Holy
• Olaus
• Olav den Hellige
• Olav II
• Olav of Norway
• Olav the Thick
• Olavs
• Tola
• Óláfr Digre
• Óláfr Haraldsson

Memorial

• 29 July

Profile

Son of Harald Grenske King of Norway and Åsta Gudbrandsdatter. Viking pirate. Convert to Christianity, baptised in 1010. Helped Ethelred of England against pagan Danish invaders. King of Norway from 1015 to 1028. Brought missionaries to Norway to evangelize his people. Olaf tried to force Christianity on them, but they revolted in 1029, and drove him to Russia. There he gathered his forces, and in 1030 tried to re-take his throne. He was killed in battle, and regarded by Norwegians as the great champion of national independence and a martyr.

Born

• 995

Died

• killed in battle at Stiklestadt on 29 July 1030 while trying to recover his throne
• buried at the Trondheim Cathedral
• miracles reported at his tomb, and it became a noted place of pilgrimage for Scandanavians

Canonized

• 1164 by Pope Alexander III

Patronage

• carvers
• difficult marriages
• kings
• Norway

Representation

• king, crowned and in armour with his weapons and a symbol of charity (food basket, etc.)
• the arms of Norway are a lion with the battle-axe of Saint Olaf in the forepaws

Additional Information

• Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate
• Catholic Encyclopedia
• New Catholic Dictionary
• Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
• Wikipedia

MLA Citation

• “Saint Olaf II“. Saints.SQPN.com. 17 May 2013. Web. 26 May 2013. <>