Battle of Stiklestad

Battle of Stiklestad
The Death of Olaf II at the Battle of Stiklestad
Date 29 July 1030 (trad.) Location Stiklestad, Norway Result Farmer Army victory
Belligerents
Olaf Haraldsson's hird and allies. Swedish auxiliaries	The "Farmer Army" composed of Rival jarls, chieftains, villagers and others loyal to Cnut the Great.
Commanders and leaders
Olaf II of Norway † Dagr Hringsson Harald Hardrada (WIA)	Kálfr Árnason Þórir hundr Hárek of Tjøtta
Strength
ca. 6,600	ca. 14,400
Casualties and losses
ca. 4,200	ca. 4,600

The Battle of Stiklestad (Norwegian: Slaget på Stiklestad, Old Norse: Stiklarstaðir) in 1030 is one of the most famous battles in the history of Norway. In this battle, King Olaf II of Norway (Óláfr Haraldsson) was killed. During the pontificate of Pope Alexander III, the Roman Catholic Church declared Olaf a saint in 1164.^[1]

His younger half-brother, Harald Hardrada (Haraldr Haraldsson harðráði), was also present at the battle. Harald was only fifteen when the battle of Stiklestad took place. He became King of Norway in 1047, until his death in a failed invasion of England at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066.

The authenticity of the battle as a historical event is subject to question. Contemporary sources say the king was murdered. According to the Anglo Saxon Chronicle of 1030, Olaf was killed by his own people. Adam of Bremen wrote in 1070 that Olaf was killed in an ambush, and so did Florence of Worcester in 1100. Those are the only contemporary sources that mention the death of the king. After the king's canonization it was felt that the saint could not have died in such circumstances. The story of the Battle of Stiklestad as most know it gradually developed during the two centuries following the death of King Olaf. Since he was sainted, Olaf must have fallen in a major battle for Christianity.^[2]