Ifl05] The Legendary Representations on the Frontal from Kaupanger. X 3 



of his ship, combatting the trolds who vainly attack the ship, while 

 Olav lifts his ax against them or makes the sign of the cross, 

 transforming them into sticks and stones. A mural painting in 

 Hoiby church, Ods herred (Sjælland), depicts the famous såiling 

 match between king Olav and his halfbrother Harald. The king 

 is standing in the prow of the ship, drawing his bow and shooting 

 out an arrow that falls into the sea far behind the ship. In these 

 representations the external features of St. Olav are the same as 

 in the usual images: he is depicted with a large beard, generally 

 red, wearing his royal crown, and carrying his attribute, the ax. 

 But still his personality is conceived diiferently. He is not repre- 

 sented as the reigning, mighty patron of the realm, but as the 

 popular renowned hero, who fights with trolds, and sails in his 

 wonderful ship over sea and over land. 



There is still a third group of Mediæval representations of the 

 saint, mostly confined to frontals, altar paintings, and the like. 

 Here we flnd his character interpreted in another way. When 

 depicted as a single figure, he is no longer treading on the dragon, 

 and the scenes in which he occurs, do not refer to the popular 

 traditions of his såiling, but represent hira as performing miracles, 

 and receiving the martyrdom. 



The first, and most common group, gives us St. Olav in his 

 historical character, as the king and patron saint of Norway, with 

 his royal regalia and his ax. The second group, shows the tradi- 

 tional hero, såiling and fighting. The third group, represents Olav 

 in his legendary character, relates his miracles, and depicts his 

 martyrdeath. 



In accordance with the last mentioned group, the death of St. 

 Olav is depicted on the Frontal from Kaupanger. It is represented 

 in the spirit of the legend, not in the light of the sagas, and ac- 

 cords with the w^ords of the Norwegian homily, where the sermon 

 preached on Olavsmass-day, Juli 29th, ends as follow^s: Nu er ydr 

 amt gort liveria pinsl Jiinn hælgi Oldfr honongr polde fyrir guds 

 sakar i pema hæimi — now has been recounted unto you what 

 martyrdom the sainted king Olav suffered on earth for the sake of 

 God. Still more emphatic in this spirit of legendary interpretation 

 is the representation of St. 01av's death on the frontal from Aar- 

 dal. This scene has no connection whatever with the battle of 

 Stieklestad, there is no historical background, the scene being quite 

 ideahzed. St. Olav is sitting on his throne, with the royal orb in 



