14 Fredrik B. Wallpm. [No. 13 



his hand. He suffers a martyr's death, receiving a cut over the 

 knee with an ax, and being pierced with a spear through his breast. 

 As pendants to this martyrdom of 8t. Olav is depicted the martyr- 

 dom of St. Catherine and of 8t. Lawrence. 



The middle panel on the right side shows the following 

 repi'esentation. On the left hand is seen a naked and tonsured 

 man in an inclined position ; his arms and one of his legs have been 

 cut off, and are seen on the ground behind him. Before him stand 

 two armoured warriors. One of them is hewing with an ax at the 

 leg of the man. The other warrior is seizing him by the throat, 

 and is gouging out his left eye. To the right of this scene, the 

 naked man appears again, still in an inclined position, but no longer 

 dismembered. A king, recognizable by his crown, and clothed in 

 a long robe, lifts his right hand in benediction, and touches with 

 his left the eye of the man — apparently in the act of restoring 

 him. 



The panel certainly contains two scenes, two moments of a 

 legend — in parallel with the above described panel on the left 

 side of the Frontal where the legend of St. Nicholas is depicted. 

 And on both panels the left side shows the performance of a cruel 

 deed, the right side its reparation. 



Professor Dietrichson has tried to explain this panel as show- 

 ing the taking up of St. 01av's corpse from the grave; the inventio 

 Scmcti Olavi, which took place on August 3d, a year after the 

 death of king Olav. Mr. Bendixen explains it as the death of the 

 saint. I find it quite impossible to recognize either of the above 

 meanings in the representations of the panel. Most certainly the 

 panel depicts the dismembcrment of a tonsured man by two armour- 

 clad men, and his restoration by a royal saint. I propose to explain 

 the scenes as illustrating the legend of a miracle performed by St. 

 Olav which is found in several sagas,') and of which I give this 

 summary: 



Two brothers, Einar and Andres, sons of Guthorm Graabard, 

 and brothers of king Sigurd Haraldsson's mother, lived in Oplan- 

 dene, and Avere wealthy and men of great account. Their sister 

 was l)cautiful in appearance, but not cai-eful of evil report that 



') Heihig-ra Manna Sognr, C. R. Ungek's edition, Cliristiania 1877 II Olafs 

 saga liins lielya p. 179 f., Gammel norsk Homilioboo- (Unger) p. 154 and 8norre's 

 Heimskringlfi, Inges Saga ca}). 25, from wliicli my synopsis. 



