|
|
Nóregr's District of
Nidaros
District Leader:
Position is currently vacant
 Stainglass in Nidaros Cathedral Trondheim
Nidaros was the ecclesiastical center of Norway and was the home of kings until 1217 AD. It takes its name from its location at the mouth of the Nid river. Nidaros was known as the heart of Norway for centuries and today is the modern city of Trondheim.
Nidaros was established 1000 years ago by the first king of Norway and its patron saint, Olav Haraldsson (995-1030). Olav became a Christian while taking part in Viking incursions in England. Upon his return to Norway, he became the first effective king of the country and convinced Norway to accept Christianity.
Political strife drove Olav to flee to Russia in 1028. In 1029 he returned and sought to regain his throne but was killed in battle at Stiklestad in 1030. In death Olaf was declared a Saint and for the next 500 years the laws of the country were called St. Olav’s Law.
Around 1070 a stone church was erected on the site of King Olav Haraldsson's relics and in the 1300's a large cathedral was erected. The cathedral at Nidaros enshrining his relics became a famed place of pilgrimage for Christians from many lands.
Nidaros was established as the seat of the archdiocese of all Norway in 1152 by Nicholas Breakspeare, who later became the English pope Adrian IV. Nidaros Cathedral was badly damaged by fires in 1327 and again in 1531. It became the coronation church after 1400, but coronations were discontinued after the Reformation, when Norway entered a union with Denmark.
During restoration of the Nidaros Cathedral, fragments of old headstones were found. Most had been crushed and reused as building material, however, a few of excellent quality were reassembled to their original state. The headstones feature interesting scenes and inscriptions in Latin and old Norse. Among the most famous ones, are parts of the headstone of the Duke of Skule from around 1240, featuring a portrait of the Duke. A number of other stones also depict a deceased person, thus being the oldest portraits of named persons in Norway.
|
