Stiklestad

The Old Norse form of the name is Stiklarstaðir. The first element is stikl which might have been derived from the verb stikla which means "to jump" or "hop over stepping stones" (possibly referring to crossing a brook or stream). This might have been the name of a nearby brook. The last element is staðr which means "farm" or "abode".

In the 13th century Gesta Danorum, or "The History of the Danes," Saxo Grammaticus recorded that the town was named after Stikla, a shield-maiden who was most famous for raiding with the Viking captain Rusla (Rusla was known as "The Red Maiden" for her brutal raids on Irish ships.) Stikla would have settled in the area at some point after her participation in the Battle of Clontarf in 1014.

Given King Olav II’s role in the spread of Christianity in Norway, Stiklestad has been a significant site in Norwegian national culture since the 1030 battle. There has been an Olav memorial there since medieval times.

Between 1934 and 1944 Vidkun Quisling’s Nationalist Nasjonal Samling party held a number of rallies at Stiklestad, in an attempt to link the party to Norway’s historic past. A special Nasjonal Samling monument was inaugurated there in July 1944, before being demolished a year later after the fall of Quisling's government.

Since 1954 an annual the Saint Olav Drama, a re-enactment of the days leading up to the battle of 1030, has taken place at a specially built amphitheatre at Stiklestad.

In 1995, a Parliamentary decree established Stiklestad National Culture Centre (Norwegian: Stiklestad Nasjonale Kultursenter) at Stiklestad to promote the story and heritage of Saint Olaf, including the annual Saint Olav Drama. There is also a folk museum, that includes a medieval farm, and a hotel housed in the same building as the Culture Centre.