A Saint and his Sequence: Singing the Legend of St Olaf

St Olaf of Norway (d. 1030) was the first local saint of Scandinavia and remained important throughout the Middle Ages. His popularity was partly the result of conscious efforts to promote his cult, especially from the Nidaros arch-see. One major ‘campaign’ seems to have been launched in the late twelfth century and includes not only the writing of a Latin legend and miracle collection, but also an office and a sequence for the liturgical celebrations. This article discusses how the sequence Lux illuxit relates to the other works which were produced in Trondheim around the same time in connection with the cult of St Olaf.