Guthroth was one of the minor kings in Norway who spoke out against the tyranny of
Olaf Tryggvason (Olaf I of Norway) and urged others to resist him. Tryggvason, a fanatic who was proclaimed king of all Norway in the year 995, killed people who did not want to convert to the new faith of Christianity. (Okay. By the late 900's, most of
Western Europe had been Christian for centuries, but Christianity was still fairly new to Norway, which consisted of a group of small kingdoms that were politically separate and pagan). When Guthroth was captured, Olaf had his tongue cut out.
Olaf is considered significant not because he was the first to unite Norway or espouse Christianity but because his rule was a turning point away from Norway's isolated past and toward becoming a member of the European Christian community.
Guthroth, on the other hand, is considered a martyr of
Asatru. On this day, he is remembered by speaking or
singing in honor of the right to worship the old Gods of the North.
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