A Church on Pagan soil and its History

THE LIFE OF SAINT OLAF AND HIS CHURCH IN NORWAY

St. Olaf of Norway, a Saint erected in Innocent Blood

Year 995 A.D. Is born in Ringerike, Norway Olaf II (Óláfr Haraldsson) of Viking origin. At the age of 11 the young pagan Olaf begins to be part of the expeditions and looting of nearby towns between the Baltic States and the British Isles, even getting to participate In the sacking of Canterbury in 1011.

After spending the next 2 decades traveling between Spain, France and Norway looting and venturing into new territories, Olaf makes the decision to be Ruler of Norway, trying to achieve it on two occasions that only result in his flight from combat. During a period of rest in Normandy (France) Olaf, blinded by the fortunes of Christian kings and popes, decides to convert to Christianity, leaving behind the old customs of his family and his people, even being baptized and naming his son Magnus in Honor to Charlemagne, because of his fascination with the stories of the new world.

Olaf happens to be recognized by the Christian authorities like the new great king of Norway, will take advantage of its condition of influential figure to obtain the conversion to the Christianity in the Country, Olaf participates openly in the battles of Svolder, Nesjar, Viken, Agder and Trondelag . Strongly supported by the Church and the kings of the West, Olaf becomes King of all Norway, tries to wed (due to a diplomatic agreement) to the princess Ingegerd Olofsdotter of Sweden, although this does not materialize, finally marrying with Ingegerd's sister, Princess Astrid.

As the recognized leader of Norway, Olaf goes on to proclaim the "law of Christ," a law consisting of compulsory baptism for all Norwegian families and each of their members as well as "passing visitors" as merchants and artisans arriving from other countries. Under the "law of Christ" the immediate death penalty is promoted and without the right to negotiate, and even the mutilation of members is established for the younger children of pagans who decide to not convert to Christianity.

According to the Church, Olaf prohibited in Norway polygamy, rape, abduction of women and abandonment of newborns, which in fact were by law to be baptized and delivered to the church immediately. The dead were to be buried in holy ground next to the churches and not in stone compartments in the woods as was the case in pagan traditions. It was also decided to deny burial under any religion to all those individuals considered criminals, traitors, murderers, suicides, pagans and others. In order to enforce his laws, King Olaf brought four bishops from England and allocated a large part of the taxes to the construction of ostentatious churches throughout the Norwegian territory even though at that time it was one of the countries where more people died of hunger daily.

On July 29, 1030, Olaf dies in the battle of Stiklestad, his body was buried next to a nearby river and the following year he is exhumed and transferred to the interior of a chapel erected in his name to be canonized and considered Olaf, the Patron Saint of Norway.

The Church of San Olaf
A Church built on consecrated pagan soil

The Church of St. Olaf in Estonia was built between the 11th and 12th centuries in the center of the Scandinavian community of the old city of Tallinn even before Denmark conquered the city in 1219. Tallinn as much of pre-Christianity Europe Was a pagan territory consecrated to the tradition of forest and nature deities, in fact just where the great Church of San Olaf stands today was a thick forest that was a place of concealment for the pagans during the rebellions against the imposition of Christianity.

The Church that was built in this territory has never lasted in its religious tradition, initially forming part of the "Western tradition of united Christianity" (now the Roman Catholic Church), after the time of reform, the Church becomes Lutheran, during the Soviet Occupation became a point of surveillance of the KGB where in addition it is believed that they tortured spies and "curious". From 1950 the Church is occupied by the Baptist congregation of Tallinn.

The church is considered by many Pagans and Neopagans as a place consecrated to the Old religion that even today, being occupied by the Christian Church refuses to accept the presence of the same in that place. For those who believe that "lightning never falls twice in one place", the Church of San Olaf has been struck by lightning not one or two but a total of ten times and has been completely burned on at least three occasions Different in the last centuries without mentioning that it has suffered from multiple "controlled fires" in its interior of unknown origin more than a dozen times.

There is also a legend about the construction of this building; The citizens of Tallinn wanted to build the tallest church in the world, but there being a curse that would ensure the death of the one who finished building, so no one was willing to do the work. One day a stranger appeared and asked for a large sum of money to do so. When the city could not pay this sum, the foreigner proposed the following challenge: If they found out his name, he would forgive them the debt. For this the talineses sent a spy to his house that heard the name of Olev in a song that sang his wife. They waited for the foreigner to finish the construction and when he was putting the cross on the tower shouted from below, "Olev the cross is askew!", he got scared and fell to the ground, a toad and a snake coming out of his mouth, which denoted the Demonic possession of this man. This fact is reflected in a mural painting of one of the sides of the church.

Elhoim Leafar, Blessings...