[Fanart] Nordic Saints
Title: Divine Politics
Artist: stalkerbunny
Characters: St.Olav/f, St. Erik, St. Henrik and St. Birgitta
Rating: G
Warning/disclaimer: I haven't set out to insult anyone's religion. However, neither are these intended as a realistic or serious portrayal of (possibly) historical characters or religion. At all. If you think it might insult you, I recommend not viewing.
Also. Lots of text. Some might even be educamational >3>~
First, there might some confusion with the names...but I've pretty much chosen the form I happened to find most familiar. :P
Secondly, something that might help understanding the cults of some of the central saints in Scandinavia. In the old Norse religion, it was typical that influential families traced their ancestors to the gods. In Christian times, a similar role was given to the native saints, so that kings in Sweden might claim to descend from St. Erik, in Norway from Olaf and in Denmark from St. Canute. Just as an example.
First, I'll introduce Olav, aka. Olaf II of Norway (995 - 1030). To sum up, he fought some Danes in England, (maybe) got christened at some point, came back to Norway to fight some more and managed to claim the throne...for a couple of years, before he was killed in battle by some rebels. Allegedly did some spreading of Christianity in Norway, allthought how much/if it's true no one knows for sure. There is a theory he was more interested in pirating/vikinging than religion.
After his death, he somehow became the patron saint of Norway, as well as one of the most known saints all over Scandinavia for a long time in Middle Ages and later, his cult often leaving the other central saints like Erik or Henrik in his shadow.
Description in Heimskringla
When Olaf Haraldson grew up he was not tall, but middle-sized in
height, although very thick, and of good strength. He had light
brown hair, and a broad face, which was white and red. He had
particularly fine eyes, which were beautiful and piercing, so
that one was afraid to look him in the face when he was angry.
So, Olav, Erik, and Henrik hiding behind Erik because axes (which happens to be Olav's attribute) make him kinda uncomfortable. Being hit over the head by one wielded by an enraged Finn pagan does that to a person. =3=
More introductions!
St. Eric aka. Eric IX of Sweden. There are no historical records of him, but according to legend he was a Swedish king c.1155 - 1160, consolidating the christian faith in Sweden and spreading it to Finland. He was never canonized by the Pope, but is nevertheless the patron saint of Stockholm and appears in the city's coat of arms.
Interestingly, there is a theory that Eric's cult was promoted to draw attention away from the cult of his nephew Holmger Knuttson, because Holmger was one of the leaders on the side which lost to Birger Jarl in the Swedish civil war in 1200s.
Another possibly fictional character...or at least the legends about his endeavours are nowadays pretty disputed, Henrik, or Henry, Bishop of Finland. There are several different legends about him, the official vita saying he was an English born bishop of Uppsala, who came over to Finland with Erik on a crusade and decided to stay to educate the Finnish pagans out of pity. According to this version he was killed by a murderer who he tried to condemn.
One of the ten miracles said to have happened after his death:
"A Franciscan called Erlend had his headache healed" ;o3o;
According to the more popular (folk) legend, however, he was killed by a man called Lalli, whose wife Kerttu claimed that Henrik had barged in while Lalli was away and taken some food and hay for his horse forcefully without paying for it. This was actually a lie, but Lalli got so pissed off he chased Henry down and killed him with an axe. And stole his hat.
Of course, when he tried to take it off his scalp was ripped away...
Now, to our last character, Birgitta, or Bridget of Sweden (1303 - 1373). She's actually even canonized by the pope! She married Ulf Gudmarsson at 13, had eight children (one of whom also became a saint). She had good family connections and after her husband's death when Birgitta was in her forties, she devoted her life completely to religious pursuits. Which didn't go half bad, obviously.
Birgitta had a lot of vision during her life, and might not have been above using said revelations for her own purposes. For instance, when one of her sons was courting a woman Birgitta didn't approve of, she had a vision in which she was burning in hell. BURN.
...
Be that as it may, she was quite probably an intelligent and political minded woman. Also started the order of Bridgettines, which still exists today, and is nowadays probably one of the best known saints of Scandinavian origin. >3>
Having an army of nuns is very useful against ex-pirates. =3=
Artist: stalkerbunny
Characters: St.Olav/f, St. Erik, St. Henrik and St. Birgitta
Rating: G
Warning/disclaimer: I haven't set out to insult anyone's religion. However, neither are these intended as a realistic or serious portrayal of (possibly) historical characters or religion. At all. If you think it might insult you, I recommend not viewing.
Also. Lots of text. Some might even be educamational >3>~
First, there might some confusion with the names...but I've pretty much chosen the form I happened to find most familiar. :P
Secondly, something that might help understanding the cults of some of the central saints in Scandinavia. In the old Norse religion, it was typical that influential families traced their ancestors to the gods. In Christian times, a similar role was given to the native saints, so that kings in Sweden might claim to descend from St. Erik, in Norway from Olaf and in Denmark from St. Canute. Just as an example.
First, I'll introduce Olav, aka. Olaf II of Norway (995 - 1030). To sum up, he fought some Danes in England, (maybe) got christened at some point, came back to Norway to fight some more and managed to claim the throne...for a couple of years, before he was killed in battle by some rebels. Allegedly did some spreading of Christianity in Norway, allthought how much/if it's true no one knows for sure. There is a theory he was more interested in pirating/vikinging than religion.
After his death, he somehow became the patron saint of Norway, as well as one of the most known saints all over Scandinavia for a long time in Middle Ages and later, his cult often leaving the other central saints like Erik or Henrik in his shadow.
Description in Heimskringla
When Olaf Haraldson grew up he was not tall, but middle-sized in
height, although very thick, and of good strength. He had light
brown hair, and a broad face, which was white and red. He had
particularly fine eyes, which were beautiful and piercing, so
that one was afraid to look him in the face when he was angry.
So, Olav, Erik, and Henrik hiding behind Erik because axes (which happens to be Olav's attribute) make him kinda uncomfortable. Being hit over the head by one wielded by an enraged Finn pagan does that to a person. =3=
More introductions!
St. Eric aka. Eric IX of Sweden. There are no historical records of him, but according to legend he was a Swedish king c.1155 - 1160, consolidating the christian faith in Sweden and spreading it to Finland. He was never canonized by the Pope, but is nevertheless the patron saint of Stockholm and appears in the city's coat of arms.
Interestingly, there is a theory that Eric's cult was promoted to draw attention away from the cult of his nephew Holmger Knuttson, because Holmger was one of the leaders on the side which lost to Birger Jarl in the Swedish civil war in 1200s.
Another possibly fictional character...or at least the legends about his endeavours are nowadays pretty disputed, Henrik, or Henry, Bishop of Finland. There are several different legends about him, the official vita saying he was an English born bishop of Uppsala, who came over to Finland with Erik on a crusade and decided to stay to educate the Finnish pagans out of pity. According to this version he was killed by a murderer who he tried to condemn.
One of the ten miracles said to have happened after his death:
"A Franciscan called Erlend had his headache healed" ;o3o;
According to the more popular (folk) legend, however, he was killed by a man called Lalli, whose wife Kerttu claimed that Henrik had barged in while Lalli was away and taken some food and hay for his horse forcefully without paying for it. This was actually a lie, but Lalli got so pissed off he chased Henry down and killed him with an axe. And stole his hat.
Of course, when he tried to take it off his scalp was ripped away...
Now, to our last character, Birgitta, or Bridget of Sweden (1303 - 1373). She's actually even canonized by the pope! She married Ulf Gudmarsson at 13, had eight children (one of whom also became a saint). She had good family connections and after her husband's death when Birgitta was in her forties, she devoted her life completely to religious pursuits. Which didn't go half bad, obviously.
Birgitta had a lot of vision during her life, and might not have been above using said revelations for her own purposes. For instance, when one of her sons was courting a woman Birgitta didn't approve of, she had a vision in which she was burning in hell. BURN.
...
Be that as it may, she was quite probably an intelligent and political minded woman. Also started the order of Bridgettines, which still exists today, and is nowadays probably one of the best known saints of Scandinavian origin. >3>
Having an army of nuns is very useful against ex-pirates. =3=