Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-03
first of the long series of disasters to the

first of the long series of disasters to the
cathedral stretching over period of 400
years. The choir was destroyed by fire and
had to be rebuilt. A hundred years later a
stroke of lightning wrought much damage,
and a hundred years after that great fire
destroyed the town, as well as the cathe-
dral, which was restored only to be reduced
in large part to a mass of ruins by two
fires occurring in the first decade of the
eighteenth century.
But the greatest disaster befeil the ca
thedral in the days of the reformation. Then
sacrilegious hands snatched the relics of
st. Olaf from the high altar, and with their
disappearance the pilgrimages ceased and
the cathedral speedily lost the pre-emi-
nence it had enjoyed for so long a time in
the eyes of Christendom. Accounts differ
as to what became of the relics. Some
authorities say that they were inferred in
the quaint burial ground that has sur
rounded the cathedral since the founding.
Others hold that they were removed to Co
penhagen and there given decent burial.
But no one knows really where the relics
of Norway's sainted king rest today though
Norwegians generally cling to the tradition
that they lie buried within the shadow OF
their famous cathedral, where on Satur-
days, according to an old CUSTOM the peo-
pie come to scatter flowers over the graves
OF the dead.
From the last fire until 1859 the cathedral
was allowed TO remain in it's ruined state.
Since then the work of restoration has been
pushed forward. until now all except one
part of the cathedral, in plan cruciform.
has been fully restored. The great central
tower has risen in all its old-time grace
fulness: everywhere white marble pillars
once more bring out the beautiful green
shade in the color of the soapstone used
throughout in the construction, and this
stone is as luxuriantly and quantity carved
as In tbs. DAYS OF Epstein and his powerful
successors. Prince Carl will be the first of
Norway's modern rulers to be crowned In
cathedral not in large part simply ruins
of its former glory, when kings We're crown
ed and buried there.
Like tic church. the town itself has suf-
fered numerous disasters-hres, civil war
pssttienee. The fires have taken from the
town all vestiee of medieval character,
its wooden buildings, strewn along wide
streets.-a Tret luton to prevent the spread
OF conffagration-are modern in style; and
so, though the new king and queen VIII be
crowned in the nations ancient capital,
they will yet be crowned in town which
has nothing physically IN common with the
TroHdhjem of ST. Olaf and Knut, of King
syerre ard Eystein and the other large
figures of Norwegian history in the early
thousands. Yet, in what other town. in
! what other cathedral, could Norwegian king
and queen more fittingly be crowned and
anointed?
4
Although the Norwegian constitution of
1914 states explicitly that the coronation
shall take r.ace with such ceremonies as
| the king himself shall determine, It Is a
fact that livery king since that date has
assembled the throne with practically similar
ceremonies These ceremonies, more or less
altered have come down from the time OF
the ancient Morse kings They are strik-
/ ing IN their simplicity, when compared with
/ coronations Ia other lands and there Is no
b have tbs espwn Of 81. Olaf put On his
brew Mill eel e1n9niea other than tho1e In