"14thC soldiers at Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim" Topic

At Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Norway, is an altar with scenes from the Life of Saint Olaf. Olaf died centuries earlier, but the costume shown on the alter is from a later period. The story seems to start at bottom left and progress anti-clockwise. The scene of the Battle of Stiklestad shows the death of Olaf amongst foot-soldiers with swords, spear or axe, with heater shields with various forms of cross on them. Are the arms and armour consistent with the early 14th century? Are the various crosses what Scandinavian soldiers would have on their shields or is this to fit the religious subject?

A larger image of the Scenes from the Life of Saint Olaf, Altar, Nidaros Cathedral, Trondheim, Norway, first half of the 14th century

MIRROR SITE
Scenes from the Life of Saint Olaf, Altar, Nidaros Cathedral, Trondheim, Norway, first half of the 14th century

Druzhina
Scandinavian Illustrations of Costume & Soldiers

Interesting sword the man on the left is carrying! The man to the right of him has a more normal sword.

Grelber

I think the crosses were added to show Olaf's affiliation. He was the one who converted and brought Christianity to the area. So it seems likely they would be portrayed as having "taken the cross" which crusaders did (after Olaf and before the painting) to show they were fighting for Christianity. It would have been an easy clue to identify the side fighting in the picture and whose side they were on. Most of the population in that time period were illiterate, so they focused on telling a clear story with art.

The interesting sword is a Falchion, a weapon I love!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falchion

None of the other early 14th century Scandinavian illustrations I have looked at have crosses on their shields.

I have been advised that the Cross of Saint Olaf is Gold on Red, which matches that on this altar.

The late 14th century Icelandic Flateyjarbok includes a Death of St. Olaf scene.

Druzhina
14th Century Illustrations of Costume & Soldiers

Soldiers are Stiklestad would have looked like vikings, roundshields ect. remember this was 30 years before the "viknig invasion" of England in 1066

The armor on the painting looks High Medival too me so 1150-1300