Óláfr
description
Óláfr kyrri Haraldsson, son of Haraldr harðráði and Þóra Þorbergsdóttir, Norw. king (r. 1066-93) -- ÞjóðA Run 2/1, Steinn Óldr 5/8, 9/1, 12/8, 13/5, 14/8, 16/1, Bkrepp Magndr 4/4, Anon Nkt 40/4, 42/1, Anon (Ólkyrr) 1/2, Anon (Mberf) 1/5 (see also under Nicknames)
Sagas: HSig, MH, Ólkyrr (Ágr, Flat, Fsk, H-Hr, Hkr, Mork, Theodoricus).
Óláfr was the son of Haraldr harðráði and his concubine, Þóra Þorbergsdóttir (see Genealogy II.2.f in ÍF 28). He accompanied his father, Haraldr, on the expedition to England in 1066, and returned to Norway via Orkney after the battle of Stamford Bridge. He ruled Norway jointly with his brother, Magnús, until Magnús’s death on 28 April 1069. Óláfr’s long reign was peaceful, which earned him his nickname kyrri ‘the Quiet’. He died of illness on 22 or 23 September 1093. See Theodoricus (MHN 57-9; McDougall and McDougall 1998, 46-7), Ágr (ÍF 29, 39-41; Ágr 1995, 58-61), Mork (Mork 1928-32, 267-70, 281-96; Andersson and Gade 2000, 265-7, 274-85), Fsk (ÍF 29, 278-9, 290-1, 296-302; Finlay 2004, 221-3, 231-2, 237-41), Hkr (ÍF 28, 179-81, 194, 197-8, 201-9; Hollander 1991, 649-50, 658-60, 664-7), H-Hr (Fms 6, 406-9, 424, 427-8, 431-48), Flat (Flat 1860-8, III, 390-1, 397-9). See also Knýtl (ÍF 35, 158-9, 163-6; Hermann Pálsson and Edwards 1986, 66, 69-71), Orkn (ÍF 34, 86-7, 89, 339-40; Hermann Pálsson and Edwards 1987, 77-9).
Events documented in poetry: The battle of Fulford, England, on 20 September 1066 (Arn Hardr 7-9; Steinn Óldr 1-3; Anon Harst) and Óláfr’s return to Norway after the battle of Stamford Bridge (Steinn Óldr 4-5); his sovereignty of Norway and his defence of the country against the incursions of the Danish king Sveinn Úlfsson (Steinn Óldr 6-11; Anon (Ólkyrr) 1); his peaceful reign and generosity (Steinn Óldr 12-16); a curious anecdote about Óláfr and a clairvoyant Norwegian farmer (Anon (Ólkyrr) 2). See also Anon Nkt 40-2.
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