Sotto il vessillo di sant'Óláfr: legittimazione e sacralizzazione della guerra nella Norvegia del XII secolo

Abstract

Compared to the rest of Western Christianitas, the process of sacralization of war in twelfth-century Norway shows some peculiar features. Although here too factors such as the cult of military or warrior saints, the defence of justice, of the patria and the Church led to the sacralization of certain types of wars, the Norwegian context differs in the centrality attributed to King Óláfr Haraldsson the Saint († 1030), national patron. Óláfr is indeed a saint who not only provides aid in battle to his successors, but in an age of civil wars is also invoked as dux and commander by Magnús Erlingsson, the legitimate ruler, and by his rival Sverrir Sigurðarson, who declare themselves to be miles and standard bearer (merkismaðr) of the saint, respectively. Ultimately, both parties claimed a special bond with the rex perpetuus Norwagie as a source of legitimation, justification and sacralization of their own cause.