Editing Saint Olaf (section)

== Background ==
Olaf Haraldsson is attested having been born in [[Ringerike (traditional district)|Ringerike]],<ref name="socc">[http://saintolaf.org/about-us/st-olaf-patron-saint-of-norway/ "St. Olaf, Patron Saint of Norway", St. Olaf Catholic Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306232712/http://saintolaf.org/about-us/st-olaf-patron-saint-of-norway/ |date=6 March 2014 }}</ref> yet Ringerike must not be conflated with the modern notion of the district named after the legendary Ringerike of [[Ivar Vidfamne]] and Sigurd Hring, which may be regarded as the confederation of five petty kingdoms conferring with the five kings that established Olaf Haraldson as their High King at Hringsakri according to Saint Olafs Saga, King Hrœrekr, King Guðrøðr, King Hring and two others of less certain identity. Olaf Haraldsson did not become King of Norway until the [[Battle of Nesjar]]. 

Olaf Haraldsson was the son of [[Åsta Gudbrandsdatter]] and [[Harald Grenske]], a [[petty king]] in [[Vestfold]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bartleby.com/210/7/294.html |title=''St. Olaus, or Olave, King of Norway, Martyr'' (Butler's Lives of the Saints) |publisher=Bartleby.com |access-date=21 May 2012}}</ref> According to later Icelandic sagas, Harald Grenske was the son of [[Gudrød Bjørnsson]], son of King [[Bjørn Farmann]] in Vestfold, who was in turn son of King [[Harald Fairhair|Harald I Fairhair Halvdansson]]. The latter had unified Norway as one Kingdom, establishing a feudalist structure with the kingship far less dependent on local rulers. Thus, according to the sagas, Olaf was a great-great-grandson in the male line of the founder of the Norwegian kingdom. Harald Grenske died when Åsta Gudbrandsdatter was pregnant with Olaf. Åsta later married [[Sigurd Syr]], with whom she had other children, including [[Harald Hardrada]], who later reigned as king of Norway.<ref name="SNL">{{Cite web|url=http://snl.no/.nbl_biografi/Harald_3_Hardr%C3%A5de/utdypning|title=Harald 3 Hardråde|language=no|author=Krag, Claus|access-date=30 July 2012|work=[[Norsk biografisk leksikon]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020001633/http://snl.no/.nbl_biografi/Harald_3_Hardr%C3%A5de/utdypning|archive-date=20 October 2012}}</ref> 

The petty kings of Ringerike seem to have had some claims to the High Kingship of the Commonwealth of Uppsala posing a possible threat to the royal [[House of Munsö]] under King Olof Skötkonung. The [[Earls of Lade|Earls of Hlaðir]] and the petty kings of Hringerike had been in conflict since at least King Harald Fairhair assumed power of all of Norway.