Harald GrenskeHarald Grenske (10th century) was a petty king in Vestfold in Norway. Harald Grenske was the son of Gudrød Bjørnsson. Gudrød is claimed to have been grandson of Harald Fairhair and the king of Vestfold. Harald's cognomen Grenske is due to his being raised in the district of Grenland, Norway. When Harald was only 11 years old, his father was slain by the sons of Gunnhild Gormsdóttir (i.e. Harald Greyhide and his brothers).
Battle of StiklestadBelligerents Olaf Haraldsson's hird and alliesSwedish auxiliaries The "Farmer Army" composed of Rival jarls, chieftains, villagers and others loyal to Cnut the Great.Commanders and leadersOlaf II of Norway†Dagr HringssonHarald Hardrada (WIA)Þórir hundrKálfr ÁrnasonHárek of TjøttaStrengthc. 6,600c. 14,400Casualties and lossesc.
VestfoldVestfold (pronounced) is a county in Eastern Norway. Located on the western shore of the Oslofjord, it borders Buskerud and Telemark counties. The capital and largest city of the county is Tønsberg, Norway's oldest city. With the exception of the city-county of Oslo, Vestfold is the smallest county in Norway by area. Vestfold is located west of the Oslofjord, as the name indicates.
NidarosNidaros, Niðarós or Niðaróss (Old Norse pronunciation:) was the medieval name of Trondheim when it was the capital of Norway's first Christian kings. It was named for its position at the mouth (Old Norse: óss) of the River Nid (the present-day Nidelva). Although the capital was later moved to Oslo (around the year 1300), Nidaros remained the centre of Norway's spiritual life until the Protestant Reformation.
GrimketelGrimketel (died 1047) was an English clergyman who went to Norway as a missionary and was partly responsible for the conversion of Norway to Christianity. He initiated the beatification of Saint Olaf. On his return to England he became Bishop of Selsey and also for a time Bishop of Elmham. He was accused, by some, of being guilty of simony. LifeLittle is known of Grimketel's background.
Rex Perpetuus NorvegiaeRex Perpetuus Norvegiæ (Latin, i.e. Norway's Eternal King) is a term for King Olaf II of Norway, also known as Saint Olaf (Olav den hellige). BackgroundIn written sources, the term Perpetuus rex Norvegiæ appears from the second half of the 12th century in Historia Norvegiæ.
Nidaros CathedralNidaros Cathedral (Norwegian: Nidarosdomen / Nidaros domkirke) is a Church of Norwaycathedral located in the city of Trondheim in Trøndelag county. It is built over the burial site of King Olav II (c. 995–1030, reigned 1015–1028), who brought Christianity to Norway and became the patron saint of the nation; the consecration of new Norwegian monarchs occurs at Nidaros Cathedral. It was built over a 230-year period, from 1070 to 1300 when it was substantially completed.
List of monarchs of NorwayThe list of monarchs of Norway (Norwegian: kongerekken, kongerekkja or kongerekka) begins in 872: the traditional dating of the Battle of Hafrsfjord, after which victorious King Harald Fairhairmerged several petty kingdoms into that of his father. Named after the homonymous geographical region, Harald's realm was later to be known as the Kingdom of Norway.
VikingsNorse seafarers, merchants and raidersDepiction of Vikings sailing a longship from c. 1100A Viking Age depiction from the Tjängvide image stone, on GotlandVikings were a seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.
ScandinaviaScandinavia is a subregion of northern Europe that most commonly comprises Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, which share strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties. It may also refer to the Scandinavian Peninsula (which excludes Denmark but includes part of northern Finland). In English usage, the term is also used as a synonym for the Nordic countries. Iceland and the Faroe Islands are sometimes included, due to their ethnolinguistic ties to Sweden, Norway, and Denmark.
TrondheimTrondheim ( TRON(D)-hyme; Urban East Norwegian: [ˈtrɔ̂nː(h)æɪm]; Southern Sami: Tråante), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros, and Trondhjem (locally [ˈtrɔ̂nːjæm] ), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 1 January 2026, it had a population of 218,460. Trondheim is the third most populous municipality in Norway, and is the fourth largest urban area. Trondheim lies on the south shore of Trondheim Fjord at the mouth of the Nidelva.
Petty kingdomA petty kingdom is a kingdom described as minor or having little significance. The term comes from the French 'petit' meaning small. Its use stands in contrast to an empire or unified kingdom that either preceded or succeeded it (e.g. the numerous kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England unified into the Kingdom of England in the 10th century, or the numerous Gaelic kingdoms of Ireland as the Kingdom of Ireland in the 16th century).
ChristianityAbrahamic monotheistic religion
Battle of StiklestadBelligerents Olaf Haraldsson's hird and alliesSwedish auxiliaries The "Farmer Army" composed of Rival jarls, chieftains, villagers and others loyal to Cnut the Great.Commanders and leadersOlaf II of Norway†Dagr HringssonHarald Hardrada (WIA)Þórir hundrKálfr ÁrnasonHárek of TjøttaStrengthc. 6,600c. 14,400Casualties and lossesc.VestfoldVestfold (pronounced) is a county in Eastern Norway. Located on the western shore of the Oslofjord, it borders Buskerud and Telemark counties. The capital and largest city of the county is Tønsberg, Norway's oldest city. With the exception of the city-county of Oslo, Vestfold is the smallest county in Norway by area. Vestfold is located west of the Oslofjord, as the name indicates.NidarosNidaros, Niðarós or Niðaróss (Old Norse pronunciation:) was the medieval name of Trondheim when it was the capital of Norway's first Christian kings. It was named for its position at the mouth (Old Norse: óss) of the River Nid (the present-day Nidelva). Although the capital was later moved to Oslo (around the year 1300), Nidaros remained the centre of Norway's spiritual life until the Protestant Reformation.GrimketelGrimketel (died 1047) was an English clergyman who went to Norway as a missionary and was partly responsible for the conversion of Norway to Christianity. He initiated the beatification of Saint Olaf. On his return to England he became Bishop of Selsey and also for a time Bishop of Elmham. He was accused, by some, of being guilty of simony. LifeLittle is known of Grimketel's background.Rex Perpetuus NorvegiaeRex Perpetuus Norvegiæ (Latin, i.e. Norway's Eternal King) is a term for King Olaf II of Norway, also known as Saint Olaf (Olav den hellige). BackgroundIn written sources, the term Perpetuus rex Norvegiæ appears from the second half of the 12th century in Historia Norvegiæ.Nidaros CathedralNidaros Cathedral (Norwegian: Nidarosdomen / Nidaros domkirke) is a Church of Norwaycathedral located in the city of Trondheim in Trøndelag county. It is built over the burial site of King Olav II (c. 995–1030, reigned 1015–1028), who brought Christianity to Norway and became the patron saint of the nation; the consecration of new Norwegian monarchs occurs at Nidaros Cathedral. It was built over a 230-year period, from 1070 to 1300 when it was substantially completed.List of monarchs of NorwayThe list of monarchs of Norway (Norwegian: kongerekken, kongerekkja or kongerekka) begins in 872: the traditional dating of the Battle of Hafrsfjord, after which victorious King Harald Fairhairmerged several petty kingdoms into that of his father. Named after the homonymous geographical region, Harald's realm was later to be known as the Kingdom of Norway.VikingsNorse seafarers, merchants and raidersDepiction of Vikings sailing a longship from c. 1100A Viking Age depiction from the Tjängvide image stone, on GotlandVikings were a seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.ScandinaviaScandinavia is a subregion of northern Europe that most commonly comprises Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, which share strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties. It may also refer to the Scandinavian Peninsula (which excludes Denmark but includes part of northern Finland). In English usage, the term is also used as a synonym for the Nordic countries. Iceland and the Faroe Islands are sometimes included, due to their ethnolinguistic ties to Sweden, Norway, and Denmark.TrondheimTrondheim ( TRON(D)-hyme; Urban East Norwegian: [ˈtrɔ̂nː(h)æɪm]; Southern Sami: Tråante), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros, and Trondhjem (locally [ˈtrɔ̂nːjæm] ), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 1 January 2026, it had a population of 218,460. Trondheim is the third most populous municipality in Norway, and is the fourth largest urban area. Trondheim lies on the south shore of Trondheim Fjord at the mouth of the Nidelva.Petty kingdomA petty kingdom is a kingdom described as minor or having little significance. The term comes from the French 'petit' meaning small. Its use stands in contrast to an empire or unified kingdom that either preceded or succeeded it (e.g. the numerous kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England unified into the Kingdom of England in the 10th century, or the numerous Gaelic kingdoms of Ireland as the Kingdom of Ireland in the 16th century).ChristianityAbrahamic monotheistic religion*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.