History of Norway

Archaeological findings indicate the area currently constituting Norway has been inhabited since at least the 10th millennium BC.[22] The indigenous people of Northern Norway and Central Norway are the Sámi people, though Norse culture arrived very early also. The current monarch of Norway has stated that the kingdom was founded upon the territories of two peoples—the Norwegians and the Sámi.[23]

In the first centuries AD, Norway consisted of a number of petty kingdoms.
[edit] Viking Age
Leif Ericson discovers America (1893)

The Viking Age was characterized by expansion and emigration by Viking seafarers. According to tradition, Harald Fairhair (Harald Hårfagre) unified them into one in 872 AD after the Battle of Hafrsfjord in Stavanger, thus becoming the first king of a united Norway. (The date of 872 may be somewhat arbitrary. In fact, the actual date may be just prior to 900 AD).[24] Harald's realm was mainly a South Norwegian coastal state. Harald Fairhair ruled with a strong hand and, according to the sagas, many Norwegians left the country to live in Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and parts of Britain and Ireland. The modern-day Irish cities of Dublin, Limerick, and Waterford were founded by Norwegian settlers.[25]
The Norwegian Kingdom at its greatest extent, c. 1265

Norse traditions were slowly replaced by Christianity in the 10th and 11th centuries. This is largely attributed to the missionary kings Olav Tryggvasson and St. Olav. Haakon the Good was Norway's first Christian king, in the mid tenth century, though his attempt to introduce the religion was rejected. Born sometime in between 963–969 AD, Olav Tryggvasson set off raiding in England with 390 ships. He attacked London during this raiding. Arriving back in Norway in 995, Olav landed in Moster.[26] There he built a church which became the first Christian church ever built in Norway.[26] From Moster, Olav sailed north to Trondheim were he has acclaimed King of Norway by the Eyrathing in 995 AD

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