Olaf I of Norway - Rule As King

Rule As King

In 997 Olaf founded his seat of government in Trondheim, where he had first held thing with the revolters against Haakon. It was a good site because the River Nid twisted itself before going in to the fjord, creating a peninsula that could be easily defended against land attacks by just one short wall.

Olaf continued to promote Christianity throughout his rule. He baptized America discoverer Leif Ericson, and Leif took a priest with him back to Greenland to convert the rest of his kin. Olaf also converted the people and Earl of Orkney Islands to Christianity. At that time, Orkney Islands were part of Norway.

It has been suggested that Olaf's ambition was to rule a united Christian Scandinavia, and it is known that he made overtures of marriage to Sigrid the Haughty, queen of Sweden, but negotiations fell through due to her steadfast pagan faith. Instead he made an enemy of her, and did not hesitate to involve himself in a quarrel with King Sweyn I of Denmark by marrying his sister Thyre, who had fled from her heathen husband Burislav (Bolesław I Chrobry) in defiance of her brother's authority.

Both his Wendish and his Irish wife had brought Olaf wealth and good fortune, but, according to the sagas, Thyre was his undoing, for it was on an expedition undertaken in the year 1000 to wrest her lands from Burislav that he was waylaid off the island Svolder, by the combined Swedish, Danish and Wendish fleets, together with the ships of Earl Haakon's sons. The Battle of Svolder ended in the death of the Norwegian king. Olaf fought to the last on his great vessel the "Long Serpent" (Ormrinn Langi), the mightiest ship in the North, and finally leapt overboard and was seen no more.

In the early 11th century a Viking chieftain named Tryggvi invaded Norway, claiming to be the son of Olaf and Gyda. His invasion was defeated by forces loyal to Cnut the Great's son Svein of Norway.