Prior to AD 1000, Norway was religiously divided between the Old Norse religion and Christianity, with the rapid spread of the latter from AD 995 after Olaf Tryggvason became ruler of Norway. As he marched across Norway to secure his rule, the Christianization of Norway began by force. Any pagan who refused baptism was killed, and their statues and temples were destroyed. Olaf began the Christianization of Norway not only for religious but also political reasons, as it would allow him to centralize both his and the Church's control.
The life of Olaf Tryggvason
After Harald Greycloak became king of Norway in AD 962, he killed his rivals to consolidate his power. One was Tryggvi Olafsson, the king of Viken (now Oslofjord). His death in AD 963 prompted his wife Astrid and three-year--old son Olaf to flee across eastern Norway and then to Sweden. In trying to flee to Novgorod in Russia, where Astrid's brother Sigurd served its ruler Grand Prince Vladimir the Great, they were captured by Oeselian pirates while crossing the Baltic Sea. Everyone on the longship was either killed or enslaved, with Olaf captured and taken to Estonia by a man called Klerkón, who had killed his foster-father Thorolf. Olaf and Thorgils, the son of Thorolf, were eventually sold to a man called Réás, who treated them well.
Six years later, Astrid's brother Sigurd arrived in Estonia to collect taxes for Vladimir. He was in a marketplace when he noticed Olaf, who looked like a foreigner, and asked does not state where it was – and thrust a small axe into his head. He then swiftly returned to Sigurd, who took him to Queen Allogia. As there was a law in Novgorod that stated that “anyone who killed a man who had not been judged should be killed”, a mob had formed against Olaf, but they were paid off by Allogia. Eventually Vladimir was convinced by men of his court to be distrustful of Olaf, since they were jealous of his popularity. Olaf noticed Vladimir's hostility toward him and told Allogia that he was returning to Norway; the latter responded that “he would be thought noble wherever he was”.
