Person

Olaf II of Norway

c. 995–1030 · 11th century · Also known as Saint Olaf, Olaf Haraldsson

Olaf Haraldsson, later Saint Olaf, was King of Norway from 1015 to 1028. A former Viking raider, he drove out the earls of Lade, subdued the petty kings of the Upplands around 1018 and pressed the conversion of Norway to Christianity. Cnut the Great drove him out in 1028, and he was killed at the Battle of Stiklestad in 1030 trying to regain the throne. Venerated as a saint, he became Norway's patron.

Olaf II of Norway
Image: Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 profiles

Kingdom of NorwayFoundation, Military, Impact, SummaryNorse religionSpread

Mentioned in 7 state histories

VärmlandHedmarkHadelandRingerikeKingdom of NorwayEarldom of LadeNorth Sea Empire

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Olaf II of Norway. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/olaf-ii-of-norway
MLA
“Olaf II of Norway.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/olaf-ii-of-norway. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Olaf II of Norway.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/olaf-ii-of-norway.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Olaf II of Norway’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/olaf-ii-of-norway (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻