Yesterday we celebrated Olsok in Norway, St.Olav's Day. King Olav died in the battle at Stiklestad anno 1030.
I spent the whole day at Stiklestad yesterday, starting with mass in the medieval church in the morning. During the day I took part in seminars at Stiklestad museum, and at 6pm it was time for the outdoor play telling the story about how king Olav died at Stiklestad July 30, 1030.
King Olav wanted to reign all Norway, but many of the local earls didn't want to become men of the king. The king had been abroad and met christianity, and one of his main goals was to christianize Norway, but the people still belived in Odin, Thor and the other Viking gods. King Olav lost the battle of Stiklestad and was killed in the fights. But after his death miracles started to happend and word of moth made the king a saint. After his death a local farmer at Stiklestad and his son took the body to Nidaros (Trondheim) and buried it on the river bank. And it is there you now find the Nidaros Cathedral, the St.Olav Church of Trondheim.
The Battle of Stiklestad is called the mother of all outdoor, historical plays in Norway. The first one was performed in 1954, and it has been performed at Olsok-time every year since then.
Stiklestad is only 90 minutes north of Trondheim, still it was only my third visit to the play. I saw it early in the eighties, then last year, and then again yesterday. Now I regret all the years in between that I haven't been there. Alot of it is due to vacation time and travelling abroad which we often do at this time of the summer. But this is not the whole explanation. So now it is already marked in my calendar for next year. As long as I can help it I am not going to miss it again.
