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5 . OLAF TRYGGVASON. 63
king, Lewis (who, however, falls short of Olaf), he was felt
to be an unearthly superhuman being by those who knew
him. His singular beauty, his lofty stature, golden hair
and peerless skill in bodily feats, make him the typical
Norseman of the old heroic times, a model king."
He was baptized, according to his Saga, in the Scilly
Isles by a hermit who had won his confidence by foretelling
him what was to happen to him.11
In any case he was a
nominal Christian when he took a leading part in the
famous raids on England in 993 A.D. 994 A.D., which are
described with more than usual detail by the Saxon
Chronicles.
After defeating the brave Alderman Brithnoth at Maldon
in Essex a battle famous in English song he attacked
London in company with Sven of Denmark, but they were
driven off by the citizens. Then came a visit to the south
coast and parleys and negotiations, which ended in Olaf
receiving a lengthy hospitality for his army from King
Ethelred, and a very large subsidy or
"
Danegeld," the
first, or one of the first, on record, while he himself received
confirmation, the English king acting as his sponsor, in
994 A.D. He was confirmed by Aelfheah the Bald, Bishop
of Winchester, afterwards known as St. Alphege of Canter
bury, at Andover, near the eastern border of my own
diocese. It is quite possible that the bishop s influence
with Olaf and others stirred up the hatred of the heathen
Northmen, who barbarously murdered him in 1012 A.D.
11
Adam suggests in one place, ch. 77, that he was baptized
by one of the Bremen missionaries settled in Denmark, Poppo
or Odinkar junior. In two other places he supposes that he
was baptized with his people by the English bishop, John,
"
qui regem conversum cum populo baptizavit
"
(ch. 242, cf.
ch. 78), but this is probably due to a confusion between him and
Haraldson. His own Saga (ch. 32) gives a description of his
baptism by a hermit, who was also a fortune-teller, together
with his followers, in the year 988 A.D. This may be true, as
it fits in with the fact that he was not confirmed when he came
again to England. We learn from other sources that he was
anxious to pry into the future, and especially regardful of omens
and presages of the future.
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