"It's a forty centimeter-long, quite heavy, bone, that simply hasn't been examined before," says historian of religion, Øystein Morten, about the bone that he came across when researching the former Viking king Olaf II Haraldsson, better known as Saint Olaf.
The bone was stored in a display case in Saint Olaf's Cathedral in Oslo, named after the former King. The Church has now agreed to release the bone for further investigations, including an examination to establish when the owner of the bone died.
It turns out that the man died between the end of the 900s and 1040, but most likely around 1300 - the same year that St. Olaf died in the Battle of Stiklestad. Tests also show that the owner was between 25 and 35 years old when he died. St. Olaf was probably 35, or slightly younger.
Several other interesting facts surfaced during the investigation. The bone turns out to be the shinbone, and measures more than 40 centimeters in length. This means that the person must have been approximately 180 centimeters tall, whereas the average height at that time was 165 centimeters, Morten explains.
X-rays also showed that the man must have been in a battle, and they found a mark just underneath the kneecap that seems to stem from an arrowhead.
St. Olaf's body was preserved in the Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim before it disappeared around the 1500s. However, Morten says that it was common to break bones off and pass them around to other churches. The bone also seems to have been wrapped in organic material, dried and preserved.
"This means that he must have been a mummy, which is also a strong indication that the bone belongs to St. Olaf, Morten points out.
(NRK)
Julie Ryland
Statistics show that Norwegians' use of cultural venues and institutions shows a significant decline from 2008 to 2012.(Photo: The Oslo National Theatre)..
Norwegian author Karl Ove Knausgaard's second book in the six-volume success series was released in the U.S. on May 15th.
..
Emmelie de Forest from Denmark won first place in the Eurovision Song Contest, and Norway's Margaret Berger ended up in fourth place...
Today, May 17th, is Norway's National Day. It is celebrated all across the nation, from the largest community to the smallest, with parades, bands, flags, national costumes, festival services and festivities with everyone taking part, marking the day in 1814, when Norway adopted its new Constitution.
With all of the important outdoor festivities, the weather is very important on this day, and the whole nation watches the weather forecasts..
The government and the farmers have agreed on this year's settlement, which entails NOK 1,27 billion more funds allocated to Norwegian agriculture.
..
The weather prognosis for Norway's National Holiday calls for both rain and sunshine. Bring an umbrella - and your sunglasses, say meterorologists...
Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit last days in the U.S. were focused on tourism, innovation and technology.
..
On the second day of the Crown Prince couple's visit in the U.S., Crown Princess Mette-Marit traveled on to San Francisco, where the couple has a busy program over the next few days.
..
Norway's King Harald has just fulfilled a long-held dream when he spent four days living with the Yanomami people in a remote part of Brazil's Amazon River basin.
..
The Ministry of Environment has set aside an additional NOK 10 million in order to better secure and fireproof Norway's ancient stave churches.
..
Today, Wednesday May 1st is also Labour Day in Norway, with parades and speeches, - and also a sort of practice day for May 17th, which of course is Norway's Birthday, our Constitution Day.
..
The Band and Drill team of the Norwegian King’s Guard will perform at Stoddert Elementary School in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, April 30.
..
Norway's Queen Sonja this week opened the exhibition entitled “Munch|Warhol and the Multiple Image” in New York City. The exhibition brings together the works of two of the greatest printmakers of the 20th century.
..
The Norwegian film "Kon Tiki" opens in theatres in LA and New York today, Friday. The movie is expected to screen in 400 theatres across the U.S.
..
