St.Olav Waterway, Åland, 2024
Olav becomes St. Olav
After Olav’s death special occurrences, that were seen as miracles, took place in Nidaros (Trondheim’s medieval name). There was a solar eclipse during a battle in Stiklestad, and it was interpreted as a sign of God’s rage. Rumours of healed wounds and miraculous healings spread and were associated with Olav’s death.
Olav became a sacred man. Even his prior enemies acknowledged him as a saint in 1031. Thereafter, pilgrims began been flowing into Nidaros. Up until the 17th century Nidaros was one of Northern Europe’s most important pilgrim sites. After the Lutheran Reformation pilgrimages were ended in the Nordic Countries.
St. Olav or Olav the Holy was one of the most important medieval Nordic saints, and the Olav cult was something that the Nordic countries had in common during the Middle Ages. In Sweden, there is an exceptionally high number of churches dedicated to Olav, but there are several St. Olav’s Churches in Finland and Åland as well, including ones in Nagu, Jomala and Njutånger. You can visit St. Olav’s church on your way from Turku to Hudiksvall.
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