The Saga of King Olaf
Encyclopedia
"The Saga of King Olaf" is a poem by American
poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
, published in 1863, as the largest part of his work Tales of a Wayside Inn
. The poem is written in twenty-two parts and follows the adventures of King Olaf of Norway
, spurred to avenge his slain father and reclaim his kingdom by the Norse god Thor
. The work is notable as the favorite poem of American President Theodore Roosevelt
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was an American poet and educator whose works include "Paul Revere's Ride", The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline...
, published in 1863, as the largest part of his work Tales of a Wayside Inn
Tales of a Wayside Inn
Tales of a Wayside Inn is a collection of poems by American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.-Overview:The poems in the collection are told by a group of adults in the tavern of the Wayside Inn in Sudbury, Massachusetts, 20 miles from Cambridge, and a favorite resort for parties from Harvard College...
. The poem is written in twenty-two parts and follows the adventures of King Olaf of Norway
Olaf I of Norway
Olaf Tryggvason was King of Norway from 995 to 1000. He was the son of Tryggvi Olafsson, king of Viken , and, according to later sagas, the great-grandson of Harald Fairhair, first King of Norway.Olaf played an important part in the often forcible, on pain of torture or death, conversion of the...
, spurred to avenge his slain father and reclaim his kingdom by the Norse god Thor
Thor
In Norse mythology, Thor is a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing, and fertility...
. The work is notable as the favorite poem of American President Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
.