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Stiklastadir - a farm from Olav's
time
We are currently building the farm Stiklastadir on the site. The building
process itself gives valuable insight into the building practices of the
Middle Ages. The farm is constructed f with, amongst other things, a
longhouse and is meant to as much as possible resemble a medieval farm. The
goal is to create a farming environment where knowledge of everyday life and
practical tasks is imparted in a lifelike and interactive manner. Visitors
become familiar with the era before the battle through role-playing. They
learn how people reacted to Olav being in Trondelag and how it affected
their daily lives. Building activity is at full pelt in the summer, and come
winter schoolchildren can partake in history by performing everyday tasks.
In the grand guildhall the table can be set for traditional medieval
festivities. The Culture Centre has a model of the longhouse at Stiklastadir.
The medieval market - experiences
for all senses and all ages.
The colourful market place will get us in the proper medieval mood, and we
can learn more about the society in the Middle Ages. We meet entertainers
and craftsmen in historical outfits. We learn of old culinary and clothing
traditions. Enterprising craftsmen from home and abroad come here year after
year, bring their quality products and create a special atmosphere. While
the adults are impressed by the medieval crafts traditions, the young ones
can play various games from when Olav was young. A wide range of crafts
products are sold from the sales booths. This is a place for shopping,
tasting, laughing and listening. Everyone can participate in the activities,
of which there are plenty and if you get hungry or thirsty you can buy tasty
medieval food and thirst quenching drinks
Olav's childhood and adolescence
According to Snorre Sturlasson,
Olav was a descendant of Harald Fairhair through his father, Harald Grenske,
who died before Olav was born. Olav was raised by his mother Asta and his
stepfather Sigurd Syr on a grand farm in Ringerike. The saga suggests a
lukewarm relationship between Olav and his stepfather. He got on much better
with his mother, who would spoil him and yield to most of his demands. Yet
there is nothing in his childhood and adolescence that suggests he would
become canonised after his death. On the contrary, as a fresh faced 12 year
old, Olav left on a Viking voyage. As a Viking he became acquainted with
Christianity, and he was probably baptised in France at the age of 18.
The saga depicts Olav as big and strong, of medium height, and already as a
child he was monikered Olav the Stout. He was a good athlete and always
wanted to be the first and the best. As a young sea-king he was victorious
in
several battles and emerged as an outstanding tactician. He was praised for
his courage, wisdom and strength, and Snorri writes that he was "bold and
well-spoken, and soon fully grown in strength as in knowledge, and he was
well liked by all his friends and acquaintances".
Norway during Olav's time - from unification to division and yet another
unification
The land was divided into several loosely connected petty kingdoms, and
there was no such thing as a unified "Norway" until Harald Fairhair united
the country towards the end of the ninth century. The century following his
death was marred by battles and competition, where provinces and families
were up against each other. When Olav Tryggvason, another descendant of
Fairhair, died, two Earls of Lade called Eirik and Svein rose to power. But
Olav Haraldsson considered Norway his rightful royal heritage and in 1015 he
returned from his Viking voyages and was soon declared king. He won the
decisive battle against the Earls of Lade and their allies at Nesjar on Palm
Sunday in 1016.
The life of a Viking:
Some say Olav had inherited many
of the Fairhair clan's characteristics. These included savagery, cruelty,
greed and licentiousness, but also positive character traits such as the
ability to organize and rule. During his years as a Viking he was able to
develop all these abilities, and he is unlikely to have felt much guilt when
stealing food from ordinary people, chopping down those who resisted,
capturing people and selling them as thralls, violating women and setting
fire to farms. Even his own mother encouraged such behaviour. Although the
moral code was completely different back then, we can only imagine the huge
change required to start leading a Christian life. |
