Some Remarks on the Ambiguous Portrayal of Olaf Haraldsson in Snorri Sturluson’s Narrative

Abstract

Olaf Haraldsson (Saint Olaf) made history as a king and missionary but also as one of the forefathers and patron saints of Christian Norway. His achievements have perpetuated in the folk memory of the Scandinavian peoples, making him the Eternal King of Norway (Rex Perpetuus Norvegiae) and the most distinguished figure among those Norwegian rulers whose reigns are recorded in sagas. Nevertheless, Olaf, though a saint, is depicted as a bellicose, harsh, and severely punishing ruler – a picture that seems to diverge significantly from the model of a gentle, merciful, and saintly king, widespread in the European hagiographic tradition. That twofold nature of Olaf is described in Snorri Sturluson’s narrative, as indicated earlier by Carl Phelpstead. The present study refers to the findings of that scholar and emphasizes two interrelated facets of Olaf’s picture in Snorri’s narrative: his childhood and his appearance. In the former case, Olaf is shown as a naughty child, disrespecting his stepfather, which corresponds to the posterior episode of Olaf’s return to Norway, depicted as a paraphrase of the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Snorri provides a picture of a young man who, unlike the prodigal son, fails to change his faulty nature, and that in turn influences the way he rules. In the latter case, while depicting Olaf’s appearance, Snorri seems to present his looks only partially. Although Olaf is handsome, well-built, and his face and hair have a fair shade, he is short, has a flushed face and brown hair. In this way, Snorri departs from the model of a tall ruler with a fair complexion and blond hair. However, if we take into account the older Legendary Saga, it seems that Snorri in both cases follows solutions that are deeply rooted in the oral and written tradition, and which are supposed to reflect the ambiguity characterizing the memories of Olaf kept by the peoples of Scandinavia in the generations living after his death.