Olaf III of Norway - Definition and Overview

Olaf III Haraldsson Kyrre (d.1093), nicknamed Olaf the Quiet or Olaf the Peaceful was the king of Norway from 1067 until his death in 1093. During his reign the nation maintained a rare extended period of peace. He also strengthened the Norwegian church.

A son of King Harald III Hardraade, Olaf took part in Viking invasion of England and might have fought in the Battle of Stamford Bridge. He shared the kingdom with his brother Magnus II until the latter's death in 1069, after which the country enjoyed a period of peace. A feature of his reign was the increasing importance of the towns including Bergen, founded by Olaf in about 1070.

This article incorporates text from the public domain 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica.