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The St Olav frontal
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Norwegian medieval panel painting
The Norwegian frontals date from
the period 1250-1350. They belong to a class of religious
art whose purpose was to cover the front of the altar.
Most of the frontals come from churches in Norway’s
West Country, and many of them must have been made in
Bergen. Since most of Norway’s west coast was closely
linked with England until the mid-14th century, it is
quite natural that the frontals’ style should have
an affinity with contemporary English art.
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The frontals constitute a unique source of information
with regard to this aspect of medieval cultural history,
and research concerning their technology has generated
a great deal of international interest. It is a fact
that most of the frontals are oil paintings. They belong
to a group of early Northern European oil paintings,
of which regrettably few remain. Norway is the only
country where they have been preserved in significant
numbers. Five out of 30 frontals remain in the original
churches, while the rest are now in museums.
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| The St Olav frontal |
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The frontal's earliest history is unknown. However
it was brought from Trondheim to Copenhagen in 1691,
and was presented to Nidaros Cathedral in 1930. Nidaros
(medieval Trondheim) was an important urban centre in
the High Middle Ages, and we assume that the frontal
was made here. Based on stylistic
comparisons with High Middle Age art in England, the
date of its manufacture can be put at around 1320–30.
During a conservation treatment
in 1984–87 at the Museum of National Antiquities
in Oslo, the frontal was examined in minute detail.
The present reconstruction is based on the results of
these examinations.
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The frontal's motifs
Like the majority of the frontals
it is divided into one large central section running
all the way from top to bottom, and six smaller lateral
sections. On either side of the middle of the central
section is a horizontal frieze with representations
of the four Evangelists' symbols – Mark, the lion;
Matthew, the angel; John, the eagle; and Luke, the bull.
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The four small scenes above
and below the frieze illustrate the events that led to
Olav's sainthood, and they should be read in the following
sequence: lower left, upper left, lower right, and upper
right. |
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| Olav distributes money before the battle
at Stiklestad, July 29th, 1030 A.D. |
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The Icelandic medieval historian Snorre relates: "The
king then took many silver marks and gave them to a
freeman, saying: ’You shall keep this silver safe
and disburse it afterwards. Some you shall give to the
churches, and some to the priests, and some to the poor,
and you shall give it for the souls of those who fall
in battle and fight against us.’ The man asked:
’Then I am to give this silver for the saying of
Masses for your men, king?’ The king replied: ’This
silver is for the souls of those who side with the farmers
and fall under the strokes of our men, but as for those
who follow us into the fray and fall there, they and
we shall surely find salvation every one.’
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| Olav's dream |
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The king had fallen asleep leaning against Finn Arnesson,
who woke him up with the news that the enemy was approaching.
The king had been having a dream and complained that
he had been woken before the dream ended. Snorre relates:
"He thought he saw a tall ladder and taking hold
of it he climbed up so far that Heaven opened up before
him, and the ladder reached that high. ’I was at
the topmost rung,’ said the king, ’when you
woke me.’ Finn replied: ’I do not believe
this dream to be as good as you seem to think. I think
it warns that you are going to die, if it means anything
at all.’"
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| Olav's death at Stiklestad |
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Snorre describes it thus: "At that very moment
the king turned towards Kalv and his kinsmen, and Kalv’s
kinsmen gave Olav his deathblows … Torstein Knarresmed
swung at King Olav with his axe, and that blow struck
the king’s left leg above the knee. Finn Arnesson
immediately killed Torstein. When the king received
that wound, he leaned himself on a stone and threw away
his sword and beseeched God’s help. Tore Hund then
drove at the king with his spear. The point went in
just under the king’s coat of mail and pierced
his stomach. Then Kalv struck, and that blow landed
on the left side of the king’s neck … These
were the three blows from which King Olav got his death."
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| The pronunciation of Olav's sainthood |
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Snorre writes: "With Bishop Grimkjel present,
King Olav’s coffin was opened; a sweet fragrance
arose from it. The bishop then uncovered the king’s
face, and his appearance was in no way changed, and
his cheeks were red as if he had just fallen asleep…"
The picture shows the ceremony when Olav's sainthood
was proclaimed. The ceremony was conducted by the prelates,
and one of the bishops is shown sprinkling holy water
on the dead king, while another anoints him with oil.
The king lies in a shrine, his crowned head resting
on a patterned pillow and his arms crossed over his
body. His wounds are clearly visible, a loincloth being
his only covering. The deliberate similarity to portrayals
of Christ after the Crucifixion was intended to show
Olav's own victory over Death.
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| Olav, king and saint |
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In the central scene stands the crowned figure of St
Olav, elegant and aristocratic. His left hand holds
the orb, symbol of kingship. In his other hand is a
battleaxe, one of the weapons that ended his life. This
conveys his status as both king and martyr. He is shown
standing under a baldachin – a ciborium –
that is somewhat reminiscent of a Gothic-style church
portal. This was probably intended as a reference to
the divine city, Jerusalem, symbol of eternal life.
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| The symbols of the Evangelists |
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of the Evangelists are: The eagle (John), the bull (Luke),
the lion (Marc) and the angel (Matthew). The inclusion
of these symbols is a feature worthy of note, as they
normally appear in presentations of Jesus Christ. Their
presence on this frontal shows that Olav's martyrdom was
perceived as a decisive factor in the completion of Norway's
Christianisation, and reflects the level of veneration
accorded to Norway’s saint-king at the time of the
frontal’s making. |
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