St. Hallvard

  Posted on May 14, 2020  by admin  No comments

Born: c.1020 

Died: shot with an arrow c.1043 at Drammen, Drammen kommune, Buskerud fylke, Norway, buried in the Saint Hallvard Cathedral, Oslo, Oslo kommune, Oslo fylke, Norway 

Patronage: protection of innocence, protection of virtue, Oslo, Norway 

Born to the Norwegian royalty. In 1043, as he was about to cross the Drammenfjord in a boat, a woman ran up to him, begging his help; she claimed she was falsely accused of theft, and feared for her life. 

Hallvard took her aboard, but the pursuers reached them before he could push off. They demanded he give her up, but he refused, saying the woman swore she was innocent. 

One of the pursuers shot and killed both Hallvard and the woman with a bow. The mob attached a stone to Hallvard’s body and threw it into the sea; it floated, and was later enshrined at Christ Church, Oslo, Norway. Revered as a martyr because he died in defense of innocence, in the best spirit of chivalry.