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Saint Hallvard of Oslo

statue of Saint Hallvard, date and artist unknown; front of the west side of the Nidaros Cathedral, Trondheim, Norway; photographed in 2005 by E. Dreier; swiped from Wikimedia Commons Also known as

Hallvard Vebjørnsson
Hallvard of Lier
Alvard…
Alvardo…
Halward…

Memorial

15 May

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Born to the Norwegian royalty. In 1043, as he was about to cross the Drammenfjord in a boat, a woman ran up to him, begging his help; she claimed she was falsely accused of theft, and feared for her life. Hallvard took her aboard, but the pursuers reached them before he could push off. They demanded he give her up, but he refused, saying the woman swore she was innocent. One of the pursuers shot and killed both Hallvard and the woman with a bow. The mob attached a stone to Hallvard’s body and threw it into the sea; it floated, and was later enshrined at Christ Church, Oslo, Norway. Revered as a martyr because he died in defense of innocence, in the best spirit of chivalry.