Sammendrag
The medieval cult of saints community was a dense, pervasive network that spread across the vast expanse of Latin Christendom. Saints were international in nature and as such could be easily transported to other geographical regions and integrated into the local culture. This thesis comparatively analyses the cults of St. Olav and St. Edmund and their respective primary hagiographical texts. The aim of this study is to determine to what extent Archbishop Eystein Erlendsson constructed his twelfth century text, Passio et miracula Beati Olavi, with reference to the hagiographical motifs surrounding the cult of St. Edmund and its central manuscript, Passio Sancti Edmundi. The interconnectedness of the cults of these royal martyr saints will be discussed in relation to dynastic promotion and royal patronage, their portrayal as both saints and warriors, shared miracles and exile.