Norway Fete To Celebrate St. Olav’s Day

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1021, 11 July 1930, Page 11

Norway Fete To Celebrate St. Olav’s Day

Casting Out of Gods 900 Years Ago KING'S LAST BATTLE Norway is preparing to celebrate on July 29, St. Olav’s Day, the nine hundredth anniversary of the time when Thor and Odin were cast aside for the “White Christ of the South.” The Cathedral of Trondlijem will be reconsecrated as part of the observances. The restored cathedral is one of the most beautiful highI’.othlc churches in Northern Europe. A national exposition of literature tad relics; connected with the life ind works of St. Olav will mark the celebrations. There will be church festivals under the direction of -the Government with Protestant leaders from other countries and the Royal family present. The Roman Catholics will have their special festivals on the battle ground at Stiklestad. where King Olav gave up his life and where there is a small chapel consecrated to him as a saint. The old Viking King, Olav Tryg'asson, between the years 995 and 1000, tried in vain to Christianise Norway. It was up to one of his successors, King Olav Haraldsson, to make the old Norsemen give up worshipping Odin and Thor and turn toward "The White Christ.” His methods were different from those adopted by other missionaries. He used little persuasive preaching and hymn-singing and instead employed violence and torture against leading chiefs of the land who refused to .submit to the new religion. The chiefs not only did not take

kindly to the religion, but also refused to give up their secular powers. They went against King Olav on the Plains of Stiklestad right outside of Trondhjem and King Olav was killed >n battle, July 29, 1030. Years later be was canonised and became Saint Olav.