''Óláfs saga helga'' or the ''Saga of St. Olaf'', written in several versions, is one of

kings' sagas Kings' sagas ( is, konungasögur, nn, kongesoger, -sogor, nb, kongesagaer) are Old Norse sagas which principally tell of the lives of semi-legendary and legendary (mythological, fictional) Nordic kings, also known as saga kings. They were comp ...

(''konunga sǫgur'') on the subject of King Olaf Haraldsson the Saint.

List of saga versions

*''

Oldest Saga of St. Olaf The ''Oldest Saga of St. Olaf'' or the ''First Saga of St. Olaf'' is one of the kings' sagas. It is the earliest Norse biography of King Óláfr Haraldsson. Early scholars judged it to be among the first sagas written, perhaps around 1160, but lat ...

'', ca. 1190, mostly lost. *'' Legendary Saga of St. Olaf'', ca. 1210. *''Óláfs saga helga'' by Styrmir Kárason, ca. 1220, mostly lost. *'' Separate Saga of St. Olaf'', by

Snorri Sturluson Snorri Sturluson ( ; ; 1179 – 22 September 1241) was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was elected twice as lawspeaker of the Icelandic parliament, the Althing. He is commonly thought to have authored or compiled portions of th ...

, ca. 1225. *''Óláfs saga helga'' in ''

Heimskringla ''Heimskringla'' () is the best known of the Old Norse kings' sagas. It was written in Old Norse in Iceland by the poet and historian Snorre Sturlason (1178/79–1241) 1230. The name ''Heimskringla'' was first used in the 17th century, derive ...

'', by

, ca. 1230. *''Óláfs saga helga'' in ''

Flateyjarbók ''Flateyjarbók'' (; "Book of Flatey") is an important medieval Icelandic manuscript. It is also known as GkS 1005 fol. and by the Latin name ''Codex Flateyensis''. It was commissioned by Jón Hákonarson and produced by the priests and scribes ...

'', an expanded version of the ''Separate Saga of St. Olaf''.

Overview

The saga draws from skaldic poetry and Latin

hagiography A hagiography (; ) is a biography of a saint or an ecclesiastical leader, as well as, by extension, an adulatory and idealized biography of a founder, saint, monk, nun or icon in any of the world's religions. Early Christian hagiographies migh ...

, with embellishments from popular oral legends. The earliest version, the so-called ''

'' probably written in Iceland, has not survived except in a few fragments. The next version, commonly known as the '' Legendary Saga of St. Olaf'' (also designated ''Helgisagan um Ólaf digra Haraldsson'' "Holy saga of Olaf Haraldsson the Stout" ), is preserved in a unique Norwegian manuscript, ''De La Gardie 8'' (in the possession of

Uppsala University Library The Uppsala University Library ( sv, Uppsala universitetsbibliotek) at Uppsala University in Uppsala, Sweden, consists of 11 subject libraries, one of which is housed in the old main library building, Carolina Rediviva. The library holds books ...

). A third, by Icelandic cleric , is also now lost except as chapters excerpted and added to the

recension, these fragments demonstrating evidence of a richer rhetorical style.The interpolations from Styrmir are given in appendix to (cited by: )

not long thereafter compiled his version of the saga, written under an "overall plan" of a more secular design, in the style of "Icelandic saga tradition as well as .. secular biographies in the Latin tradition". This work has been termed the '' Separate Saga of St. Olaf'', to distinguish it from the form that Snorri incorporated into his compendium, the ''

''. Snorri may have derived his versions from the ''Legendary sagas'' and Styrmir's version, or at least, he seems to use have used the same common sources as these earlier versions. Later redactions contain Snorri's version at the core, but are expanded using additional material. For example, the Flateyjarbók redaction (and the AM 61 variant which serves as the base text for the saga in the ''Fornmanna sögur'' series) contains a much more detailed account of the capture of the sword Bæsingr from the burial mound of Olaf Geirstad-Alf to be given to the infant St. Olaf, who is hinted as being a reincarnation of his namesake. The sword was later renamed Hnæite/Hneitir/Hneiti ("Hacker"), and subsequently used by St. Olaf to combat the ''margýgr'' (mermaid, sea-hag, sea-giantess) and great boar that the heathens worship in idolatry. The use of the sword Bæsingr-Hneiti against the mermaid and boar are illustrated in the Flateyjarbók.

Saga sources

Skaldic verse

Þórarinn loftunga Þórarinn loftunga was an Icelandic skald active during the first half of the 11th century. He composed ''Tögdrápa'', a poem in praise of King Canute. Like Sigvatr Þórðarson's poem in praise of the same king, ''Knútsdrápa'', the ''Tøgd ...

speaks of the miracle at Olaf's grave in his ''Glælognskviða'' (his body remains as if alive, and blind men consult him to return healed). The same poet ironically also composed the ''Tøgdrápa'' in praise of Olaf being driven out of Norway by

Knut Knut (Norwegian and Swedish), Knud (Danish), or Knútur (Icelandic) is a Scandinavian, German, and Dutch first name, of which the anglicised form is Canute. In Germany both "Knut" and "Knud" are used. In Spanish and Portuguese Canuto is used whi ...

. *

Sigvatr Þórðarson Sigvatr Þórðarson or Sighvatr Þórðarson or Sigvat the Skald (995–1045) was an Icelandic skald. He was a court poet to King Olaf II of Norway, as well as Canute the Great, Magnus the Good and Anund Jacob, by whose reigns his floruit ...

's ''Erfidrápa Óláfs helga'', mentions the horns on ''Vísundr'' (Bison), the name of Olaf's ship that had a bison's head on the stem.Cleasby-Vigfusson dictionary *

Einarr Skúlason Einarr Skúlason (ca. 1100 – after 1159) was an Icelandic priest and skald. He was the most prominent Norse poet of the 12th century. Einarr's poetry is primarily preserved in ''Heimskringla'', ''Flateyjarbók'', '' Morkinskinna'', '' Fagrsk ...

's ''Geisli'' ("Ray of Light").

Hagiography

Among the hagiographic sources known to be used are two lost ''Lives'' (''Vitæ'') of the saint in Latin, and the , dating to mid 12th century

List of saga versions

Overview

Saga sources

Skaldic verse

Hagiography

Footnotes

Explanatory notes

Citations

References

Further reading