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Has Anyone Heard of King Olaf?
September 22, 2016 /Until recently, neither had I. Here’s some context for you: a few weeks ago, while wandering the stately avenues of downtown Poulsbo, I suddenly found myself on an unfamiliar lane leading off Front Street. This was weird. Having grown up in Poulsbo, I was pretty sure I knew all there was to know about the place (after all, how hard should it be to get to know a small, Viking-themed town?), but there I was, standing between a kayak store and the Sons of Norway headquarters, lost in suddenly unfamiliar territory. According to the street sign, the little lane was called King Olaf Way. How hadn’t I noticed it before? Being a curious person (and apparently having nothing better to do) I decided to do some detective work. I walked home, cracked open the Encyclopedia Britannica, and searched for evidence of King Olaf. There was quite a lot to read. Born in the 960s, Olaf was a celebrated Viking king of Norway. In his youth, Olaf was forced to flee Norway after the nefarious Harald Graycloak murdered his father. Living in exile in Russia, Olaf trained as a Viking warrior, a process I assume was similar to the training montages…Read more
