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ÓLÁFR TRYGGVASON AND VOLODIMER THE GREAT 19Finally, the author of Ágrip gives Óláfr's age when he returned to Norwayas twenty-seven; it is possible that the figure was not the result of hisown reckoning but was taken directly from Ari's authoritative work (seeabove, pp. 10-II): 3819... Hann hafpi vii. vetr He [ОТ] was 20 and 7 [27] years oldok XX., er hann kom i Nóreg, when he came to Norway,ok á I)eim v. vetrom,and for 5 yearser hann bar konungs nafh he bore a king's titleí Nóregi.in Norway.1.6.Although the "Icelandic Annals" were composed late—according to theireditor, Gustav Storm, in about 1280, in the Skalaholt bishopric—and theirinformation up to 1160 was based extensively on the sagas, their dates concerningÓláfr Tryggvason are of interest to us in our study, especially sincethe learned monks, following Ari's example, transformed the dates given inthe relative chronology of their sources into those of the Christian Era. Ilimit myself here to a few quotations from the Annales Regii (ca. 1300;hereafter Ann R), the most important collection for the period in question: 39968. Dráp Godrodar konvngs Killing of King Guöroör BjarnarsonBiarnar sonar ok Trygg[v]aand King Tryggvi Óláfsson.konvngs Óláfs sonar. FóddrBirth of Óláfr Tryggvason.Óláfr Trygg[v]a sonr.971. Óláfr Trygg[v]a sonr hertekinn Óláfr Tryggvason taken captivetil Estlanndz.in Estland.977. Óláfr Trygg[v]a sonr kom í Óláfr Tryggvason came toGaröariki.Garó ar iki [Novgorod].986. Óláfr Trygg[v]a sonr Óláfr Tryggvason departedfór ór Garöariki. from Garoariki [Novgorod].993. Óláfr Trygg[v]a sonr skíror Óláfr Tryggvason baptized iní Syllingvm.the Isles of Scilly.995. Vpphaf ríkis Óláf s Trygg[v]a The beginning of the kingship of Óláfrsonar í Nóregi.Tryggvason in Norway.1000. Fall Óláfs konvngs Trygg[v]a The fall of King Óláfr Tryggvason.sonar.38Ágrip, ed. Jónsson, p. 22 = ed. Einarsson, p. 22.39Islandske Annaler indtil 1578, ed. Gustav Storni (Christiania, 1888), pp. 104-5. Concerningthe dependence of the Icelandic annals on the sagas, see Einarsdottir, Studier, pp. 293-326.I do not deal with the chronology of OT's rule in Norway here since a special study on thatsubject exists: Bj0rn Magnússon Olsen, "Kronologiske bemaerkninger om Olaf Tryggvasonsregeringshistorie," Aarft0ger, 1878, pp. 1-58.