Saints, Feast, Family
- Traditions passed down with Cooking, Crafting, & Caring -
July 29
Saint of the day:
Saint Olaf
Patron Saint of Norway
The Story of Saint Olaf of Norway
Olaf was the son of Harold Grenske, a lord in Norway. Olaf Haraldsson, often called "the Fat", spent his youth as a pirate. He was baptized in Rouen, and in 1013, went to England to aid King Ethelred against the Danes. He returned to Norway in 1015, captured most of Norway back from the Danes and Swedes, defeated Earl Sweyn at the battle of Nesjar in 1016, and became king. He set about unifying and Christianizing his realm, but the harshness of his rule precipitated a revolt of the nobles in 1029, and aided by Canute of Denmark, they defeated him and forced him to flee to Russia. He returned in 1030 and attempted to recover his kingdom, but was slain at the Battle of Stiklestad in Norway on July 29th. Though not too popular during his lifetime, miracles were reported at his shrine, and a chapel was built, which became the cathedral of Trondheim; it became a great pilgrimage center for all Scandinavia. He is one of the great heroes of Norway for his efforts to unify and Christianize Norway, of which he is patron. He was canonized in 1164 and his feast day is July 29th.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olaf_II_of_Norway
https://pilegrimsleden.no/en/about/olav-den-hellige
http://www.katolsk.no/biografier/historisk/olav/english
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Olav%27s_shrine
http://www.royalcourt.no/artikkel.html?tid=28662
https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=132
Prayer
Visit
St. Olav`s Church ruins in Bamble, Norway
St. Olav`s Church was built of stone before 1150 in Romanesque-Norman style inspired by English Norman architecture.
It was dedicated to St. Olaf, patron saint of Norway and served as a center for the veneration of St. Olaf by the nearby Gimsoy Abbey.
Walking The St. Olav Ways
The pilgrim paths to Trondheim, the St. Olav Ways, are becoming an increasingly popular choice for an active holiday. Many people are familiar with the pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, and the town has become a tourist destination, welcoming over 200,000 pilgrims every year. However, Norway’s pilgrim paths to Trondheim are also a great alternative for anyone interested in experiencing Norwegian nature and culture.
Recipe
National Dish of Norway
Fårikål (Norwegian Lamb & Cabbage Stew)
(Serves 6)
Ingredients:
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2 kg / 4 ½ lbs lamb meat, cut into large pieces (neck, shoulder, shank)
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2 kg / 4 ½ lbs white cabbage, cut into large wedges.
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5 tsp whole black peppercorns
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3 tsp salt
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4 dl (1 ¾ cup) water
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60g (½ cup) flour (omit for a gluten-free option)
Directions:
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In a bowl, mix together the flour and lamb meat. The flour will help thicken the stew just a bit as it cooks.
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Pour the water into a large casserole pot. Place a layer of the floured lamb on the bottom, followed by a layer of cabbage. Add some peppercorns and salt. Repeat this process until you have used all the ingredients, finishing with a final layer of cabbage on top. The volume should be about 1 part meat to 4 parts cabbage.
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Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and slowly cook until the meat is tender (detaches from the bone), around 2 -hours. The cabbage contains a lot of water that will be emitted during the cooking time, so don’t feel compelled to add more water than the stated amount.
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Serve hot with freshly boiled potatoes and a knob of butter.
