
Obverse of a penny minted for Olaf at York showing a bird design. The legend reads ''ANLAF CVNVNGI'' (King Olaf).
'Olaf III Guthfrithson' (
OIr ''AmlaÃb mac Gofraidh''), (died
941), a member of the
Norse-Gael UÃ Ãmair dynasty, was king of
Dublin from 934 to 941. Guthfrith, his father, held both Dublin and
York until
Athelstan of England expelled him from York in
927.
Olaf married the daughter of
CausantÃn mac Ãeda. He also allied himself with
Eógan I of Strathclyde. In 937, Olaf led his allies into battle against Athelstan, king of
England, in the
Battle of Brunanburh and was decisively defeated.
After Athelstan's death in 939, Olaf again invaded York the same year, forcing Athelstan's successor,
Edmund, into a treaty which ceded to Olaf
Northumbria and part of
Mercia. He did not get to enjoy his new lands for long, dying just two years later in 941. He was succeeded by
Olaf Cuaran.
Under Olaf,
JórvÃk over-reached its own capacity of self-government. Despite the most extensive size and power wielded during his reign, the territorial framework of his kingdom was in sharp decline.
References
★ ''The Columbia Encyclopedia'', Sixth Edition. 2001.
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