The boy who became all of Norway's Olaf the Saint
A storytelling session about Olav Haraldson's life based on the boy Olav, who grew up in a time of transition between the old faith and the new, between the Viking Age and the Middle Ages.
Starting from the pupils' world, we find out what it was like to live when Olav was a little boy. through stories and role plays we hear what he experienced on his travels from the age of 12. And that he eventually returned to Norway and became king. But why do we talk about Olav today, when he was king 1000 years ago?
In 1030, King Olav Haraldsson died in the battle at Stiklestad. He wanted to unite Norway into one kingdom.
Olav was a Viking king, and in the Viking Age people believed in the old gods; Odin, Thor, Frøya... Olav believed in a different god than the Vikings and wanted everyone else to do the same. Therefore, Olav made a new law, it was called Christian law. Not all the Viking chieftains agreed with him, they did not want Olav as king, so there was a battle.
How long has it been since the Vikings lived? Did they have a job? Did they have a car? Did they have animals? What clothes did they wear? Our museum educators show how the Vikings were buried in a burial mound. Furthermore, the story of the boy Olav Haraldsson is told, about when he was born and about his upbringing. The pupils hear that the boy Olav grows up and becomes king, and that he marries a Swedish princess. There are many stories about all the magic that happened after Olav died, - all the miracles; the blind man who regained his sight and many more. But there are also traces of Olav in 2020....
The communication alternates between narrative form and role play. The museum educators step into roles and "play situations" from Olav's life, with the help of objects and costumes. The pupils get to see Viking swords, shields, the king's helmet, jewellery, beautiful Viking clothes.
Join us for a fun history lesson.
Practical information:
The boy who became all of Norway's Olaf the Saint is a touring production for the cultural schoolbag within the area Cultural heritage. It is an in-house production by Stiklestad National Cultural Centre. The target group is 1st – 4th stage. Duration approx. 45 minutes.
For more information
Stiklestad National Cultural Centre
Telephone: 74 04 42 00
E-mail: stiklestad@snk.no