_Olaf Kyrre, the Quiet (1066-1093)_
The English king permitted King Harald Sigurdson's son Olaf to leave
the country with the men he had left. Olaf proceeded to the Orkney
Isles, where he remained during the winter (1066-67). The next summer
he returned to Norway, where he was proclaimed king along with his
brother, Magnus taking the northern and Olaf the eastern part of the
country.
Shortly after the two brothers had assumed the government, the Danish
king, Svein Estridson, gave notice that the peace between the Northmen
and the Danes was at an end. The brothers hurriedly collected armies
to defend the country, and Svein set out from the south with a Danish
force. He met King Olaf on the coast of Halland, where an indecisive
battle was fought. Soon afterward Magnus arrived with reinforcements
from the north, but then negotiations were opened, and peace was
concluded on the old conditions at Konungahella. The agreement here
made was confirmed by Olaf taking King Svein's daughter Ingerid in
marriage.
The following year King Magnus died at Nidaros, April 28, 1069, after
being ill for some time. His son, Haakon, who was fostered by Thorer of
Steig in Gudbrandsdal, being only an infant child, Olaf now became sole
king of Norway.
After the short conflict with Denmark, Olaf had no wars. A long period
of peace was something new in the history of the country, and the
people therefore gave King Olaf the surname _Kyrre_, _i.e._, the Quiet.
He preserved law and order with firmness, and did a great deal to
promote commerce and the prosperity of the towns. Before his time there
were three towns in Viken (Tunsberg, Oslo, and Sarpsborg), and one in
Throndhjem (Nidaros). King Olaf founded the merchant town of Bergen
(then Björgvin), where many wealthy people settled down, and the place
was soon regularly frequented by merchants from foreign countries. The
other towns also made good progress.
In King Olaf's time there were held a greater number of general
entertainments and hand-in-hand feasts than formerly. Already, during
the heathen time, the Northmen used to arrange feasts by clubbing
together. After the introduction of Christianity they were continued,
but naturally changed their character. These feasts, which from
the time of Olaf Kyrre were called guilds, had a partly religious
character, and appear to have been regular meetings of fraternities,
whose members were pledged to defend and help each other. The members
were called guild-brethren and guild-sisters, and each guild was under
the protection of a saint. The members were governed by strict laws,
and in order to insure good and peaceful behavior, men of dignity, both
clergymen and laymen, were present at the meetings. King Olaf built
several guild-halls in different parts of the country, among them the
great guild-hall in Nidaros. The guild-brethren built Margaret's church
in Nidaros.
There are many stories of King Olaf's good works. Once when he sat
in the great guild-hall in Nidaros, one of his men said to him: "It
pleases us, king, to see you so happy." He answered: "Why should I
not be happy when I see my subjects sitting happy and free in a guild
consecrated to my uncle, the sainted King Olaf. In the days of my
father these people were subjected to much terror and fear; the most
of them concealed their gold and their precious things, but now I see
glittering on his person what each one owns, and your freedom is my
gladness."
At the Things, King Olaf did not speak much, preferring to let others
speak for him. One who was often intrusted with this duty was his
foster-brother Skule, who was a son of Earl Toste, and was usually
called the king's foster-son. Skule, who had come over with him from
England, was made commander of King Olaf's court-men and was given the
king's cousin Gudrun in marriage. He was a dear friend of the king,
who gave him fine estates near Konungahella, Oslo, and Nidaros. The
principal one of these estates was Reine in Rissen, which became the
seat of this afterward powerful family. Skule was the ancestor of King
Inge Baardson and Duke Skule.
King Olaf made several changes in the rooms on the king's estates. The
king had formerly had his high-seat on the middle of one of two long
benches at the long walls of the house; but Olaf had the high-seat
removed to a cross-bench at the short wall facing the entrance.
Formerly the fire was in the middle of the floor between the long
benches; but Olaf had the fireplace removed to one corner of the room,
where he had a kind of a chimney-place built. He had the floors, which
had formerly been without covering, covered with stone and strewed
with juniper-tops. He introduced table-cups instead of the deer-horns
out of which they formerly used to drink. Much unusual splendor and
foreign fashions in the cut of clothes were also introduced. King Olaf
doubled the number of attendants, so that he had one hundred and twenty
courtmen-at-arms (_hird-men_), sixty "guests,"[9] and sixty house
servants. He used the fashion, which was introduced from the courts
of foreign kings, of letting his grand butler stand at the end of the
table, and fill the cups for himself and the other distinguished guests
who sat at the table. He had also torch-bearers, who held as many
torches at the table as there were guests of distinction present.
[9] The "guests" were one division of the king's men. They were of a
lower rank than the _hird-men_.
King Olaf Kyrre was a devout Christian. A better order was introduced
in the affairs of the church, and the country was divided into three
bishoprics. Many churches were built, among the largest of which were
the Christ Church in Bergen and the Christ Church in Nidaros.
King Olaf died on his estate, Haukby, in Ranrike, September 22, 1098.
His body was brought north to Nidaros and buried in Christ Church. The
saga says of King Olaf: "He was the most amiable king of his time, and
Norway was much improved in riches and cultivation during his reign."