Olav Nilsson

[2][3] Some time after 1430 Olav married Elisabeth Eskildsdatter from Scania, a lady of high nobility who had the right to use in her coat-of-arms the Royal Lion of Denmark.

Elisabeth's position in the marriage would be clearly portrayed in the pivotal role she was to play in many of the dramatic events that took place in the latter stages of Olav's life.

At this point war within the union seemed certain, and in response the Swedish national council asked king Charles to withdraw his claim to the Norwegian throne.

Charles would however have nothing of the sort and in 1452 sent his knight Ørian Karlson Skanke from Jemtland to conquer Trondheim, the ancient centre of Norway's kings.

After Christian made peace with the trading alliance, Olav continued to attack Hanseatic ships against the wishes of the king.

[2] Olav Nilsson Skanke had previously earned the hatred of the Hanseatic League through his conduct as chief official in Bergen.

This dismissal greatly shook Olav who felt unjustly treated after his long and loyal service to the king of the Kalmar Union and to the people of Norway.

Operating from a base on the east coast of Scotland, Olav captured a large percentage of the Hanseatic vessels heading for Bergen.

[9] Soon the campaign against the League became so successful that Olav expanded it to the coast of Sweden, attacking the Swedes at every weak point he could find.

In addition to occupying this favorable blocking position Ãlvsborg was also the major Swedish strongpoint in the small strip of land the Swedes had controlled since the mid-13th century, separating the Danish province of Halland from the Norwegian Bohuslen.

As Ãlvsborg was of to great importance in the rivalry between Sweden and Denmark, the Danish King Christian I had no choice but to agree to the vigilante knight's demands.

Following Olav's success in forcing the Danish Crown into restoring him to his former position in Bergen he and his family returned to the city in a triumphant manner.