IUT18-8, financed by the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research, and the research project St Olav Conferences, financed by
Stiklestad Nasjonale Kultursenter, Norway.
I visited one such camp in
Stiklestad, a town described by our guide as the "cradle of the Viking age".
One stamp was produced for the centennial celebration of the Constitution in 1914 and another in 1930 commemorating Holy King Olav and the battle of
Stiklestad which took place 900 years earlier.
Viking plays are performed, and Viking battles are fought in commemoration at such sites as Stamford Bridge and
Stiklestad. Vikings, like the Celts, are big business and have also acquired a national significance to those struggling to assert themselves in relation to other immigrant groups in the United States and Canada.
Eclipses have been linked to the deaths of religious figures, including those of Saint Olaf at the battle of
Stiklestad and of Jesus Christ, who had three hours of darkness during his crucifixion.
Principal battles: Helga A (1026);
Stiklestad (1030).