Lodge St. Olaus to the white Leopard

Lodge St. Olaus to the white leopard (danish: [Norway and Denmark formed a union when the lodge was established, and it's old name has been preserved] St. Olaus til den hvide leopard) is a Freemason Lodge (Lodge of St. John no. 1) within the Norwegian Order of Freemasons. It was established on June 24, 1749 on the island of "Ladegaard", in the building of "Bygdøy Kongsgaard" in Christiania. The original name of the lodge was St. Olai, and it was named after the Norwegian king Olaf the Holy one (Olai is a latin genitive form of Olav). [St. Magnus, Medlemsblad for St. Johanneslogen St. Magnus, Loge nr. 12 under Den Norske Frimurerorden, Enogttyvende årgang. Nummer 2 - 2008, Broder Taler i St. Magnus, Einar Bøe: «Helgennavn som Logenavn»] In 1780 the Lodge changed its name to Saint Olaus to the white leopard.

The coat of arms of the Lodge carries the Latin inscription ARTIS OPE FEROCIAM EXUIT.

St. Olai was the first freemason lodge in Norway. It is the mother lodge of most lodges in the Norwegian Order of Freemasons. It was founded by Count Christian Conrad Danneskiold-Laurvig, probably with the danish king Frederick V of Denmark present at the initiation ceremony. The lodge is an offshot of the danish lodge «St. Martin» which existed in Copenhagen during the years 1743 and 1767.

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