The Two Brothers: Saint Olaf and Harald Hardrada
Unveiling the True Causes Behind the Decline of the Viking Age
This paper was written by Cooper Carragher-Haim: a high school student from Nyack, New York
Introduction
In 793 AD, the assault on a monastery off the coast of Northumberland signaled the beginning of the famous Viking Age. Those responsible for the invasion nearly obliterated the monastery, profoundly shaking the foundations of the European religious world. Little did we know this event marked the commencement of almost three centuries of unremitting raiding, colonizing, and ferocious battles that reverberated across all of Europe. Vikings, also known as Norsemen, served as the collective term for all native Scandinavian warriors between the 8th and 11th centuries. Before their conversion to Christianity, these warriors were pagans. Born into the harsh environments of Northern Europe, the freezing and violent terrain of the Nordic climate taught this courageous group of fighters to stay resilient through the most challenging circumstances. The unwavering determination and grit of the Vikings played a crucial role in shaping their confidence and fortitude, ultimately allowing them to conquer the world through their fearless explorations of unknown territories.
The story of the Kingdom of Norway was told by a Norseman named Snorri Sturlason. His recollections go into extreme detail about each of the 12 Viking Kings and the unique effects of each on Scandinavia during medieval times. Sturlason’s account of the Viking age spans from the first unifier of the Norse lands, Harald Fairhair, to his great-grandchildren, Saint Olaf, and Harald Hardrada. Through his modifications to the Viking political system and religious landscape, Saint Olaf played a pivotal role in unifying Norway as a powerful European nation. However, his decision to Christianize Norway led to the disappearance of pagan customs and triggered a rebellion. Harald Hardrada's conquest into the more settled portions of Europe prolonged the Viking Age, but his failed attempt to capture England resulted in a civil war that ended Norway's independence. This paper will discuss the two brothers' positive contributions to Norway, and how ultimately their actions led to the downfall of the Viking age and altered the course of European history.
How Saint Olaf’s Reign Positively Transformed Norway
Sigurd the Sower’s introduction of religion to Saint Olaf influenced the outcome of Olaf’s entire life. In 995 AD, Olaf Haraldson, now commonly referred to as Saint Olaf II, was born. Olaf’s father, Harald Grenkse, passed away shortly after Olaf’s birth, so Olaf had to spend most of his life with his stepfather, Sigurd the Sower. Olaf was introduced to religion at a young age when his stepfather converted to Christianity. This had a profound impact on Olaf and the rest of the European world. Olaf would spend the rest of his life determined to become king, trying to fully Christianize Norway.
Despite differing from previous reigns, Olaf is still remembered to this day as one of the most productive Viking rulers ever. Olaf was very focused on integrating Norway into the European World. This meant restructuring the country by creating a strong centralized government, removing tribalism, and promoting national unity. Olaf did this by uniting Norway under one king. Being governed by localities had been Norway’s tradition for as long as anyone could remember, so Olaf’s idea of one king was something never seen before in Nordic culture. Olaf’s complete modification of the Viking’s old political system was revolutionary, and he would be forever remembered in Norway.
Although Olaf changed Norway's political framework, his impact on Norway's religious landscape was even more remarkable. As previously stated, his entire life was dedicated to the Christianization of Norway. First, Olaf believed it was necessary to establish a national church that would hold mass every Sunday and preach pillars of Christianity. By setting up an institutional church, Christianity was embedded into the core of Norway’s state structure. Olaf also organized the building of churches throughout Norway, spreading Christianity throughout the entire country. Saint Olaf's extensive explorations introduced the Vikings to the European world. By embracing Christianity, they sought to defend themselves from potential assaults by the other dominant Christian empires in Europe. Christianity acted as a unifying force, bringing together the Northern Kingdoms and providing them with a shared identity as Christian nations. This strengthened their political and economic ties with other Christian nations in Europe, allowing Norway to peacefully assimilate into settled regions of Europe. Saint Olaf's legacy had a lasting impact on Norwegian society, as his efforts to promote Christianity helped to shape the country's religious identity. However, introducing Christianity to Norway had severe consequences for Olaf, Norway, and the entirety of Europe.
Christianization Gone Wrong: Olaf’s Negative Impact on Norway
The Christianization of Norway led to backlash from the pagan population, resulting in the downfall of King Olaf. Harald constructed a new law code based on Christian values. All other laws had to be changed to fit this Christian law. Unfortunately, this meant significant changes in the everyday life of ordinary people, and it soon became very unpopular amongst chiefs and earls. Adopting Christianity meant getting rid of pagan customs and traditions. The pagan people disliked Olaf and did not resist when Cnut the Great invaded his Norwegian lands in 1028. Olaf would’ve never imagined that his making Norway a Christian Kingdom would ultimately cost him the throne of Norway, and his life.
Again, Cnut the Great’s powerful reign and ambitious conquests led him to conquer Norway, but Olaf desired to regain control of the country, which led to his downfall. Cnut had already conquered all of England, and his territory spanned from Wales to Sweden. He invaded Norway to expand his control deeper into Northern Europe. The pagans already disliked Olaf for eradicating their culture from Norway, so they quickly accepted Cnut as the King before he even won a single battle. In 1024 AD, Cnut’s empire conquered Norway, and Olaf was forced to admit that he had lost the Kingdom. It wasn’t until 5 years later that Olaf would return to Norway, hoping to become king again. Despite being outnumbered, Olaf and his 4000 troops fought fiercely for the Kingdom of Norway. The battle remained even until Olaf was fatally wounded, causing his men to lose morale and ultimately resulting in their defeat.
The loss at the Battle of Stiklestad was not only a devastating battle for Norwegians but also a turning point in European history. The aftermath of Olaf's death at the Battle of Stiklestad had a significant impact on his brother Harald Hardrada, inspiring him to expand Norway's reign and establish it as a prominent European state. Harald served as a continuation of Olaf’s legacy to finish what his brother started. Olaf had started the beginning of the Fall of Norway, the end of the mighty Vikings.
Olaf's heroic death paved the way for the spread of Christianity in Norway and thus facilitated the disappearance of paganism. After Olaf died, he was made a saint. Everything that Olaf could not achieve during his lifetime had become a reality. Olaf’s death boosted the spread of Christianity, eventually solidifying Christianity as Norway’s national religion. All soon accepted not only Christianity but also Christian law. And by extension, the laws of the country gradually came to include Christian values. For the next 500 years, the laws of the country were called St. Olaf’s Law. This solidified Olaf as the bridge between the Norse world and Christendom. This shows how Olaf contributed to the end of the Viking Age. Because of Olaf, pagan customs gradually lost their relevance and disappeared.
How Harald Hardrada’s Reign Positively Transformed Norway
Harald’s journey to Kingship shaped his characteristics as Norway’s king. Harald Hardrada, the half-brother of King Olaf II, was born in 1015 AD and showed signs of his future leadership from a young age. After the Norwegian people betrayed Olaf and allowed Cnut to take over as King, Harald helped his brother fight to regain the throne at the Battle of Stiklestad in 1030. After losing the battle, Harald was forced to flee and spent the next 15 years wandering Europe, eventually becoming a mercenary for the Eastern Roman Empire. However, once Harald heard about Magnus the Good's rise to the Norwegian throne, Harald immediately returned and negotiated a shared leadership. Following Magnus' death in 1047, Harald became the sole ruler of Norway. Harald’s journey taught him the importance of having the full support of the Norwegian people and never allowing a rebellion to happen. Harald did this by ruling strictly and orderly. Despite his strict rule, Harald proved to be an exceptionally effective ruler. His positive contributions to Norway were instrumental in the success of the mighty Vikings.
Harald's influence on the political system and territorial expansion of Norway were key factors in his contributions to the country's prosperity. Harald’s development of Norway’s first currency allowed Norwegian merchants to trade internationally. This expanded Norwegian trade and boosted the economy, making it easier for Norway to interact with other European countries. Harald built churches and imported priests in his effort to spread Christianity throughout all of Norway. By instituting Norway’s capital and replacing earls with his nobles, Harald centralized the country. All these factors were part of Harald’s modification of the Viking political system. However, it was his impressive military capabilities that helped him expand Norway into the European World. Capturing Denmark and many other European countries contributed to the longevity and dominance of the Viking reign. As the Viking reign continued to extend throughout all of Europe, it seemed as if nothing could stop the Vikings from conquering the world. But there was one more country that Harald couldn’t resist conquering, and that was England. However, his invasion of England would have consequences for both Norway and the rest of the world.
The Collapse of Norway
Harald’s greed, and thus his idea to expand Norway’s reign and capture England, caused the downfall of the Viking Age. Norway, under the rule of Harald, had become the most powerful military kingdom in Northern Europe. Therefore, Harald was confident that he could take over England. Harald already had a convincing claim to the English throne, through a treaty he made with Magnus the Good. Despite this, Harold Godwinson was crowned King after the death of Edward the Confessor. Harald was enraged, so he went to war with Harold, but he was overconfident and outnumbered, and eventually died in battle. Harald’s defeat brought about the end of an era in world history. This loss meant that the Vikings would never again be a threat to British shores. The defeat of Harald’s army in England marked the end of Norway’s ambition to expand its influence and territory beyond its borders. After Harald’s death, Norway was left without a clear ruler, which led to a period of instability and conflict. This eventually led to the Norwegian Civil War, and Norway was eventually taken over. This marked the end of Norway’s status as an independent kingdom and the end of the Viking age. Harald’s failed designs on England not only impacted Norway, but the entirety of Europe. Harald’s invasion indirectly helped William the Conqueror. Historians believe that If King Harold Godwinson’s forces hadn’t been so fatigued by the desperate dash northwards and the battle against the Vikings, they may have been able to defeat William at the Battle of Hastings weeks later. The significance of Harald Hardrada's defeat at the Battle of Stamford Bridge is clear in its impact on world history. It is widely regarded as one of the most consequential events in European history, and it will be remembered forever.
Conclusion
Saint Olaf and Harald Hardrada are two historical figures, and their impact on the Viking Age is still remembered in Norway today. Despite their dominance and longevity, the once formidable Vikings were not invulnerable to the changing tides of history. The Viking Empire declined in the late 11th century, and by the mid-12th century, their power had weakened significantly. This decline was because of a combination of factors, including external pressures from neighboring kingdoms and internal power struggles. This shows that even the most powerful empires are not immune to eventual collapse. Despite this collapse, the legends of Harald Hardrada and Saint Olaf have endured for over a millennium. Today, Norway takes pride in its Viking heritage, and the legacies of Saint Olaf and Harald Hardrada remain an important part of Norwegian literature, art, and overall cultural identity. The tale of the two brothers, Harald Hardrada and Saint Olaf, shows no signs of disappearing.
Thank you!
It is very interesting and the way of narrating the historical events is clever and helps readers to keep enjoying to reading it without stopping. I never felt it is boring despite its tough academic way in which was written. It is amazing, again thanks 🙏.