Olaf 1 posing in the library
So my world yesterday was puking queens, today we have murdering Viking Kings. Never a dull moment here is there. Well actually there are plenty but it looks like the past, those historical footsteps around Ramsey were jam packed lively ones. So who is this Olaf 1 guy then? No he's not a rapper with a name like that. Here we go then, Olaf1 complete with Babooshkaisms.
Do you think Kingons were based on Vikings? Discuss!
Olaf, was a minor(child not digging coal) when King Magnus Barefoot( great name) raided the island and the Hebrides. Known too as Olaf Klining(no not Klingon) or Bitling. Why? Due to his teeny, tiny stature or maybe his rosy complexion. No I don't know if that was down to the local brew. He reigned for 50 years we think( who's we?) and kept everything hunky dory, peaceful keeping on good terms with the Kings of Norway, Scotland, England and Ireland. He married Ingibiorg, daughter of Earl Hakon of Orkney and had one son, Godred the Black.( Now that sounds very middle earth.)It's also rumoured and documented somewhere(I'm not an historian, but a storyteller) that he married Elfrica, daughter of Fergus, Lord of Galloway. Randy Olaf had several illegitimate sons and daughters, one of whom, Ragnhildis (Raghnaid), married Somerled MacGhillebrighde, regulus of Argyle(don't you just love these names?) and Daddy of the great Clan Donald. He bacame Lord of the Isles don't ya know too. Olaf Bitling sailed to Norway at the end of his reign to pay his 'scat' of 10 marks of gold.Pays his dues, he was crowned at Trondheim and left his son Godred to be educated in Norway. On his return to Man, he found that the sons of his deceased brother Harold were conspiring to overthrow him. Royalty eh! Bloodthirsty backstabbers. On the Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul( sitting on a wall) 1153, Olaf arranged a meeting with the conspirators to consider their claims. Unfortunately Reginald, son of Harold, took advantage of the opportunity to dispatch(polite way of saying hack to pieces) his uncle with an axe. He was slain with said axe in Ramsey. Well of course we didn't have "CSI Ramsey"(please let me write the script) so we can't actually prove a murder most foul took place can we? In fact who says any of this really happened, it is the Isle of Man afterall.
Do you think Kingons were based on Vikings? Discuss!
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You are SO clever and funny! I love your script! More, more!
ReplyDeleteKlingons based on Vikings? Might be!
ReplyDeleteYou make history interesting, Babooshka!
Olaf looks deep in thought....
ReplyDeleteCongratulations for so beautiful shot!
ReplyDeleteThanks for all informations, very interesting
Léia
I don't care how true it is or the Queen Victoria being sick one, it's just hilarious.
ReplyDeleteGreat photo and excellent narrative again. I love this sculpture and have tried on numerous occasions to get a decent photograph all to no avail.
ReplyDeleteI think this closeup is a shot I wouldn't have thought of. MIght come in handy in Paris. Thanks B. You're always out there and handing us tips to try.
ReplyDeleteV
I think you should definitely write the CSI Ramsey script. Poor Olaf.
ReplyDeleteKlingons, LOL.
Great story as always! and I agree with Gaelyn, write the CSI Ramsey script! Love the shot of Olaf!
ReplyDeleteTrue or not, I just love these violent, backstabbing historical stories!
ReplyDeleteOlaf looks like he's peacefully sleeping. Maybe he should never have!
Love it - you are so clever...
ReplyDeleteI can't tell you how much I enjoyed reading today's blog. Great story.
ReplyDeleteSomething about his profile reminds me of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Neat post, QB.
ReplyDeleteHistory à la Babooshka is a joy to read! Olaf looks like he's in pain!
ReplyDeleteBabooshka, very interesting! I would like to read more about the history of Man after the Norwegian rulers had to back off. I have so much on my plate for the time beeing that I have to postpone this. This winter I was actually reading Snorre Sturlasons "Kongesagaer". The prehistory may be read there in the "Ynglingesaga". To get on track, correct me if I'm wrong, the Norwegian name of your Harold the Black would be Halvdan Svarte? It's 6 in the morning so my brain needs more coffee and sugar. But maybe I'll rent a house on Man for the winter and do some painting to. Nice thought, time will show.
ReplyDeleteHave great day and thanks for the post!
belle statue, le portrait est magnifique.
ReplyDeleteHi Babooshka interesting story about this Olaf, but he was not one of my Olavs. They lived before him. My Olav Tryggvason (Olav I of Norway) lived from 960 to 1000 and was king of Norway from 965 to 1000. Then came Olav Haroldsson or ST Olav. So your Viking must have been younger.Thanks anyway!
ReplyDeleteCorrection :he was king from 995 to 1000.
ReplyDeleteInteresting, interesting post! Loved it. I recognised some of the names - in Strangford we have a Magnus Barefoot Festival (although he goes by the names "barelegs" over here). Ever read "The Sea Kingdom's" by Alastair Moffat?
ReplyDeleteNo wonder much of what you write seems familiar - we even share names and almost kings! Thank you for updating my knowledge of history.
ReplyDeletePS Thank you for you kind comment - yes, it is a debate, but any debate is better than total negation.
Appreciate this post all the more because I am a big fan of William the Conqueror, who descended from Rollo the Viking, and was on the scene a bit before Olaf. Interesting and fun post!
ReplyDeleteolaf so well captured by babooshka!!
ReplyDeleteand the story hilariously intriguing!
I wandered over from My World and enjoyed the mixture of murderous Vikings and staid Queen Victoria on your two postings!
ReplyDeleteSo love the patina on bronze. You've captured it beautifully and thanks for the link. I missed the chess game last year. Super sculpture. Great story you told us too.
ReplyDeleteAmazing photo of a stunning sculpture !
ReplyDeleteVikings are important in Normandy's history,we can find tracks of them in family names and local names .
I wrote a post about this subject : "D" is for "drakar"'
Having just read Reader Wil's history of King Olaf, it's good to get a different perspective:) I had always heard that he became a saint for converting Norway to Christianity, but that he did so by threatening to behead anyone who didn't. That's one way to change a person's mind:)
ReplyDeleteJust read about King Olav from Reader Wil's blog then read about the story of King Olaf of Isle of Man, both fascinating read. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteinteresting post. they don't teach you that is school do they?
ReplyDeletemine’s here
Great post today.
ReplyDeleteYour post was the first time I have seen a reference to the Hebrides islands. My father spent much of World War II on an island in the New Hebrides in the South Pacific, so I heard many stories about the New Hebrides, but I had never given any thought to the fact that if there were islands called the New Hebrides, there must be original Hebrides islands.
Very cool and interesting!
ReplyDeleteInteresting post today. Love the sculpture:)Have a fun abc:)
ReplyDeleteYou certainly have a colourful history there; and so well told!
ReplyDeletehe has a lot of character in his facial pose Nice history as well
ReplyDeleteI'm still stuck on trying to pronounce the names
ReplyDeleteI only read something about him last week... I was looking for some other info and my eye caught Olaf 1.. love the picture and of course the sculpture.
ReplyDeleteHope this finds all well on the IOM
I always knew the IOM had a dark and murky history! LOL!
ReplyDeleteGreat and very interesting post.
ReplyDeleteHe looks like such a nice fella too. Who'd have guessed?
ReplyDeleteI think your King Olaf somewhat resembles FDR, don't you? Maybe it's the angle, but when I first saw your photo, that's who I thought it was! Thanks for the history lesson too - you make it so much more interesting than I remember school being!
ReplyDeleteI was just reading a book about Vikings and how they navigated around.
ReplyDeleteThanks for passing by and Greetings from Santiago, Chile.
Babooshka: Interesting photo of the statue.
ReplyDelete