Trondheim Cathedral (Nidarosdom)

Trondheim, Sor-Trondelag • Norway The cathedral is said to be built on the grave of King Olaf the Holy — the king who was the first to adopt a christian legislation in Norway in 1027 and who died, just a few years later, during the battle of Stiklestad on June 29^th1030. This did not grant him the title „the Holy“ though. What did that was more what happened after the battle. First of all the dead body of King Olaf had to be smuggled away from the battlefield so that it would not fall into the hands of his opponent. It was then buried on shore of the River Nid. A solar eclipse was connected to the battle — one of the most famous battles in Norwegian history — which was defined as a message of heavenly disgust and a wound of a follower of King Olaf was said to have healed after some of the King’s blood touched it. About a year after the battle and King Olaf’s first funeral the grave was opened again and it turned out that not only was his body unharmed but his hair and nails had grown and he was red to his cheeks. Today, of course, at least the latter is scientifically explainable, but at the time it was most certainly enough for King Olaf to be declared a saint and a martyr by bishop Grimkjell. The body of Saint Olaf was then put in a shrine and put on the high altar of Clemens Church. Forty years after the death of Saint Olaf, King Olaf Kyrre built a church of stone over the grave of the saint. — Yes you will find many Scandinavian kings called Olav or Olaf, which is quite confusing when you are reading books like the tales of kings by Snorre (Snorres Kongesagaer), as they are in one sentence just little children playing with each other and in the next one adults in some war against each other… — This was the beginning of the building of the cathedral, which was finished in 1300. Unfortunately it burned down multiple times in the following years and centuries, so that in 1869 the church was pretty much lying in ruins. But the upcoming national consciousness of the 19th century also started the idea of rebuilding and restoring the church as a national treasure. The restoration has taken part continuously in 130 years and is still ongoing…they say that whenever they finish restoring one part of the church they have to start another one. uuid="FAB70443-E044-4210-841E-467DC4628F8E" id="Norway lilleulven.com 20140629_142646_NO_Sor-Trondelag_Trondheim__www.LilleUlven.com.dng Norway Lilleulven.com"

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