Olaf II

(995 –1030), later known as St. Olaf, was King of Norway from 1015 to 1028. He was posthumously given the title Norway’s Eternal King and canonised one year after his death in the Battle of Stiklestad.Saint Olaf is symbolised by the axe in Norway’s coat of arms, and the Olsok (29 July) is still his day of celebration.
Modern historians generally support that Olaf was inclined to use extensive violence and brutality. This was, however, not unusual among Olaf’s contemporaries. Earlier scientific presentations of Olaf are accused of undercommunicating these aspects of Olaf. A symbol of national independence and pride, not least during Romantic Nationalism, Olaf had to be presented in a way that better suited contemporary authorities.