deliriouslove1970. The life & times of Gary and Denise Flanders. (Free and worth every penny. If you would like to compliment the editor, send to garytheflan@deliriouslove1970.com. If you would like to complain, call your mother.)

The Kingdom of Norway (the official name of Norway.). This familiar Nordic country in the north of Europe is bordered by Sweden on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other.

The country was established in 872 so it has been a continuous country for 1,153 years. It is where the Vikings come from. In it’s history it had rulers with ‘cool’ names such as Magnus The Good and Saint Olav. Modern Norway has what is known as The Nordic Welfare Model which includes Universal Health Care and Social Security for all. In 2017 it was ranked first in the World Happiness index. It has one of the lowest crime rates in the world.

Today, July 29, is known as St Olaf day. It is the Feast of St Olaf in Norway.

The holy, glorious, right-victorious martyr and right-believing King Olaf II of Norway(sometimes spelled Olav) is also known as Olaf Haraldson and was a son of Earl Harald Grenske of Norway. During his lifetime he was also called Olaf the Fat. He was born in 995 A.D., and ruled Norway from 1015 to 1028, when he was exiled. He died two years later on the field of battle at Stiklestad, killed for his support of the Christian faith and his attempt to unite Norway into one nation. His feast day is July 29.

Why is Olaf always depicted with an axe? He is said to be the Viking King who ‘Christianized’ Norway – sometimes by force. He fought against the nasty pagans and was killed ‘proselytizing’ non-Christians during the battle of Stiklestad. July 29, 1039.

Olaf was posthumously given the title Rex Perpetuus Norvegiae (English: Eternal/Perpetual King of Norway) and canonised at Nidaros (Trondheim) by Bishop Grimketel, one year after his death in the Battle of Stiklestad.

The flag we know for Norway was designed in 1821 by Fredrik Meltzer. The flag features the Nordic Cross. Meltzer said the ‘Intense Red’ shows a comradeship with Denmark and the ‘Dark Blue’ is for their kinship with Sweden. When you add the white border it equals freedom. An interesting factoid is when the flag is lowered it is not folded into a triangle, it is rolled up in a cylinder and tied.