History of Norway - Middle Ages

Middle Ages

Christianization and abolishing the rites in Norse mythology was first attempted by Olav Tryggvason, but he was killed in the Battle of Svolder in 1000. Olav Haraldsson, stating in 1015, made the things pass church laws, destroyed hovs, built churches and created an institution of priests. Many chieftains feared that the Christianization would rob them of power in lieu of their roles as heathen priests. The two sides met in the Battle of Stiklestad, where Haraldsson was killed. However, the church elevated him to sainthood, allowing Nidaros (today Trondheim) to become the Christian center of Norway. Within a few years the Danish rule had become sufficiently unpopular that Norway again became united.

From the 1040s to 1130 the country was at peace. In 1130 the civil war era broke out on the basis of unclear succession laws, which allowed all the king's sons to rule jointly. For periods there could be peace, before a lesser sons allied himself with a chieftain and started a new conflict. The Archdiocese of Nidaros was created in 1152 and attempted to control the appointment of kings. The church inevitably had to take sides in the conflicts, with the civil was also becoming an issue regarding the church's influence of the king. The wars ended in 1217 with the appointment of Håkon Håkonsson, who introduced clear law of succession.

From 1000 to 1300 the population increased from 150,000 to 400,000, resulting both in more land being cleared and the division of farms. While in the Viking Age all farmers owned their own land, by 1300 seventy percent of the land was owned by the king, the church or the aristocracy. This was a gradual process which took place because of farmers borrowing money in poor times and not being able to repay. However, tenants would always remain free men and the large distances and often scattered ownership meant that they enjoyed much more freedom than their continental peers. In the 13th century about twenty percent of a farmer's yield went to the king, church and landowners.

The 13th century is described as Norway's Golden Age, with peace and increase in trade, especially with the British Islands, although Germany became increasingly important towards the end of the century. Throughout the High Middle Ages the king established Norway as a state with a central administration with local representatives. In 1349 the Black Death spread to Norway and had within a year killed a third of the population. Later plagues reduced the population to half the starting point by 1400. Many communities were entire wiped out, resulting in an abundance of land, allowing farmers to switch to more animal husbandry. The reduction in taxes weakened the king's position, and many aristocrats lost the basis for their surplus, reducing some to mere farmers. High tithes to church made it increasingly powerful and the archbishop became a member of the Council of State.

The Hanseatic League took control over Norwegian trade during the 14th century and established a trading center in Bergen. In 1380 Olaf Haakonsson inherited both the Norwegian an Danish thrones, creating a union between the two countries. In 1397, under Margaret I, the Kalmar Union was created between the three Scandinavian countries. She waged war against German, resulting in a trade blockade and higher taxation on Norwegians, which resulted in a rebellion. However, the Norwegian Council of State was too weak to pull out of the union.