ANALYSIS OF THE RELIGIOUS POLICY OF KING OLAF I TRYGGVASON OF NORWAY ACCORDING TO MEDIEVAL SOURCES

Mariam Gurgenidze

Mariam Gurgenidze Phd student in Medieval History Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4831-4415

Abstract

In the medieval era the Viking warriors were savage invaders, active colonizers, merchants, mercenaries, shipbuilders, who in the VIII-XI centuries established settlements on the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland. Conquered the territories of Scotland and Ireland, a significant part of the Frankish and English kingdoms. Reached North America, Spanish coast, Italy. Trade settlements were established in the east, in areas inhabited by Slavs. The process of forming the culture of this community is linked to successful foreign and domestic achievements. Due to this, there is a growing interest and relevance in the historiography about the Viking Age as a subject of study.

There has been a particular interest in the subject of research in recent years. There are numerous scientific papers, where this era has been studied in great detail. Therefore, the present review doesn’t claim to present this issue in a comprehensive, exhaustive manner. We aim to give the reader a general idea of the importance of the data, stored in the sources in study of this epoch. The fact, that almost nothing has been written on this topic in Georgian historiography so far, makes us talk about this difficult issue. The practical purpose of the case study is to draw conclusions and comparisons, which will provide some assistance to scholars interested in both medieval European history and Scandinavian issues. The work of King Olaf I of Norway (995-100) Tryggvason, before and after his coronation, contains a great deal of interesting information, both in Scandinavian region and beyond. Obviously, it is impossible to discuss the material in one paper and this issue may be devoted to a separate scientific study. We tried to show the role of the king in the process of spreading new beliefs and analyze his work based on various sources.

Key words: Vikings, Scandinavia, Olaf I Tryggvason, Christianisation, Norway, Middle ages.

Author Biography

Mariam Gurgenidze, Phd student in Medieval History Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University

In the medieval era the Viking warriors were savage invaders, active colonizers, merchants, mercenaries, shipbuilders, who in the VIII-XI centuries established settlements on the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland. Conquered the territories of Scotland and Ireland, a significant part of the Frankish and English kingdoms. Reached North America, Spanish coast, Italy. Trade settlements were established in the east, in areas inhabited by Slavs. The process of forming the culture of this community is linked to successful foreign and domestic achievements. Due to this, there is a growing interest and relevance in the historiography about the Viking Age as a subject of study.

There has been a particular interest in the subject of research in recent years. There are numerous scientific papers, where this era has been studied in great detail. Therefore, the present review doesn’t claim to present this issue in a comprehensive, exhaustive manner. We aim to give the reader a general idea of the importance of the data, stored in the sources in study of this epoch. The fact, that almost nothing has been written on this topic in Georgian historiography so far, makes us talk about this difficult issue. The practical purpose of the case study is to draw conclusions and comparisons, which will provide some assistance to scholars interested in both medieval European history and Scandinavian issues. The work of King Olaf I of Norway (995-100) Tryggvason, before and after his coronation, contains a great deal of interesting information, both in Scandinavian region and beyond. Obviously, it is impossible to discuss the material in one paper and this issue may be devoted to a separate scientific study. We tried to show the role of the king in the process of spreading new beliefs and analyze his work based on various sources.

Key words: Vikings, Scandinavia, Olaf I Tryggvason, Christianisation, Norway, Middle ages.