The Battle of Stiklestad

In 1028, King Olav had to flee to Novgorod where he spent a couple of years with Prince Yaroslav in his court. The Russian prince was not only King Olav's brother-in-law, but also foster father to his son, Magnus the Good.

In 1030, King Olav had a dream which he interpreted as a call to return to fight for his country. He left his son Magnus behind at the princely court in Russia and set out on his way home with a small army. The journey first went through Sweden, where Olav received some army men from the Swedish king, and after meeting Danish resistance when they tried to capture Eastern Norway, the king traveled with his small army through Jemtland to Verdalen, where they arrived at the farm Sul, which was located at the top of the valley. In The Saga of Olav the Saint, Snorre Sturlasson writes that the first of several miracles happened here after the king's army had trampled down a field on its way. When the farmer complained to the king, Olav rode around the field and promised that God would repair the damage. After a few days, the field was just as beautiful again.

From Sul, the entourage traveled on to Stiklestad, where the battle took place on 29 July 1030. The small royal army was met by an outnumbered peasant army led by Kalv Arnesson from Egge, who had long been one of the king's foremost men. When Torstein Knarresmed cut his ax into the king's left leg just above the knee, the king leaned against a rock and asked God for help. Then Tore Hund stuck a spear under the king's breastplate and up into his stomach before he received a final wound on the left side of his neck and finally died from the injuries he had sustained.

The stone the king leaned against was later named Olavssteinen, and tradition says that the king fell where the altar in the church was later built.