The Missing Saint. Saint Olaf and King Hákon Hákonsson 198 By David Brégaint At some point in the late twelfth century, the anonymous author of the Historia Norwegie (1160-75) invested Saint Olaf with the title, Olauus rex perpetuus Norwegie, ‘Olaf, everlasting king of Norway’. 199 The formula was more than a literary stylistic expression, since it echoed a contemporary ideological program centered on Saint Olaf. It was an ‘Olavian’ ideology developed under King Magnus Erlingsson (1161-1184), and which subordinated Norwegian kings and their successors to the saint. This adage, though, endures in Nor- wegian culture and thought throughout Norway’s modern history, and remarkably up to the present time. It nurtures the idea of Saint Olaf as the founder of Norwegian monarchy and as a symbol of Norway’s national identity. Although few Norwegians today, and pre- sumably even fewer scholars, consider Saint Olaf nothing more than a myth, the perception of his historical relevance relies on the premise that this myth is anchored in the Middle Ages when the saint was prominent and decisive both culturally and politically. The term Olavsarven, or “Olaf’s heritage”, refers to a legacy stemming from when Saint Olaf held tangible meaning for Norwegian kings and its populace that has kept its presence from the Middle Ages throughout Norwegian history. This paper will challenge this monolithic perception of Saint Olaf, as an enduring and amaranthine-like symbol of kingship, which kept his significance and strength through time. Indeed, there exist already in the Middle Ages a sharp contrast between the formative period of Olavian ideology in the 12 th century and its immediate af- 198 This article is based on papers held in Caen (22-23 November 2018) and Trondheim (29-30 November 2018). 199 Historia Norwegie, Cha. XV. (Later HN) 99