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Saint Sunniva (10th century) is the patron saint of the Norwegian Diocese of Bjørgvin, as well as all of Western Norway.

According to legend, Sunniva was the heir of an Irish kingdom, but had to flee when a heathen king, who wanted to marry her, invaded. At the Norwegian island of Selja, in the present-day municipality of Selje, she and her followers took refuge in a cave. The locals suspected the foreigners of stealing their sheep, and the ruler Håkon Jarl was sent for. Sunniva and her followers prayed to God that they should not fall into the hands of the heathens, upon which rocks fell down blocking the entrance to the cave.

Sunniva and the others died in the cave, but in the years to come miracles were reported on the island. When the Christian king Olaf Tryggvason excavated the cave in 996, the body of Sunniva was found intact. Later a Benedictine monastery, Selje Abbey, was built on the site, the ruins of which can still be seen.

In about 1170 the relics of Sunniva were translated from Selje to Christ Church, the old cathedral of Bergen, and were found to be incorrupt.

During the fires in Bergen of 1170/71 and of 1198 the relics of Sunniva were taken from the cathedral and set down at Sandbru. This reportedly halted the advance of the fire and was hailed as a miracle

Around 1170 the story of Sunniva was written down in a Latin hagiographic work titled Acta sanctorum in Selio.

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Nicknames for Sunniva: | Edit

Sunny
Sunni
Niv
Niva
Sna

Meanings and history of the name Sunniva: | Edit

Scandinavian form of the Old English name Sunngifu, which meant "sun gift" from the Old English elements sunne "sun" and giefu "gift".

Famous real-life people named Sunniva: | Edit

Saint Sunniva, patron saint of the Norwegian city of Bergen and of western Norway
Sunniva Hakestad Møller, Norwegian politician
Sunniva Daae Andersen, Norwegian model

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