Sure, Saint Olaf was a viking who converted to Christianity and was baptized in the year 1010. He was King of Norway from 1015 to 1028 when he was driven out by pagans unwilling to accept the Christian faith. He was killed in battle trying to reclaim his throne.
The crown symbolizes his status as a king, while the orb portrays him as a Christian king. The orb itself symbolizes Christ's triumph over the world.
The ax reflects the saint's viking past and is his most consistent symbol. It is shown in the coat-of-arms in the lower right as part of the the national symbol of Norway. The coat-of-arms in the lower left, the ax and the crown, are the two primary attributes for the saint.
The design on his throne is adapted from a carved bed from the viking period and reflects the saint's status as a patron of woodcarvers among other things.
St. Olaf is considered a martyr, hence the martyr's palm in the background.
7 comments:
Coool! (I'm part Norwegian, so Olaf is a favorite._
By the way--you should explain his symbols. They're pretty interesting.
Sure, Saint Olaf was a viking who converted to Christianity and was baptized in the year 1010. He was King of Norway from 1015 to 1028 when he was driven out by pagans unwilling to accept the Christian faith. He was killed in battle trying to reclaim his throne.
The crown symbolizes his status as a king, while the orb portrays him as a Christian king. The orb itself symbolizes Christ's triumph over the world.
The ax reflects the saint's viking past and is his most consistent symbol. It is shown in the coat-of-arms in the lower right as part of the the national symbol of Norway. The coat-of-arms in the lower left, the ax and the crown, are the two primary attributes for the saint.
The design on his throne is adapted from a carved bed from the viking period and reflects the saint's status as a patron of woodcarvers among other things.
St. Olaf is considered a martyr, hence the martyr's palm in the background.
St. Olaf is one of my husband's favorites. There's not too many saints with a battle axe :)
This is wonderful! and thanks for sharing the meaning of the symbols
Uffda! Nice work. The only thing missing is a plate of Lefse. ;)
Hailing partly from Norway too (just across the border for us Swedes) - so thank you!
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