Lom

Lom Stave Church, ca 12^th century, Valley of Gudbrandsdal, Norway

 

 

 

Photographed in 2010

 

The stave church is located in the center of Lom and is still a parish church, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, St. Olav and John the Baptist. The high steeple can be seen from every point in the town.

 

Lom is situated in Gudbrandsdal Valley, which is Norway’s longest valley and also, a scenic marvel. For centuries the valley has been the main trade corridor between the north and the south of the country.

 

 

 

In the 17^th century, a horizontal log-built addition was added. Shortly after that, the church again underwent alteration and was converted to a cruciform shape. At some point, the ambulatory (covered walkway around the church) was removed.

 

 

At the same time that the church was converted to a cruciform shape, the tower with tall, thin spires was added.

 

 

 

In the 20^th century, it was discovered that a roof ridge top with a dragon head and a cross dated from the original church construction in the 12^th century. Since it was the only such roof decoration still remaining, it was decided to remove it and place it in the Folk Museum in Lillehammer for safe keeping - a copy was made for the roof of the church.

 

 

 

This is an original portal from the 12^th century and is now located on the north transept.

 

In contrast to many stave churches, much is known about the early period of this church because of an unusual amount of historical documentation pertaining to the church. Lom, originally built as a Catholic church as were all stave churches, was richly decorated during the medieval period with religious art, textiles and silver objects. During the Reformation, out went artwork, sacred vessels, triptychs, etc. Some were thrown into the river – others were stolen. For many years, the church interior was quite bleak.

 

However, by the 1600s church decoration began to reappear. Painted decorations on the walls of the nave and ceiling of the choir appeared as early as 1608 (a scene of Christ’s baptism was painted on the choir ceiling that year). Local inhabitants donated funds to pay for these decorations. Paintings by Eggert Munch were added in the early 1700s. An elaborately carved pulpit and chancel arch were installed in 1793. The pews are painted Norwegian blue.

 

The lighting in the interior of Lom is lovely (on a sunny day). Most stave churches are quite dark or else they have added windows that are not very well placed or maybe too big and the sun tends to glare in to the point of blinding / obstructing one’s view of certain parts of the interior. Here, the windows seem to be extremely well placed and the sun kind of flows in with a warm glow.

 

During the 1940 Norwegian Campaign, Germans prisoners of war were held in a camp in Lom. The town was bombed twice by the Luftwaffee in April 1940.

 

 

Ringebu

        Ringebu Stave Church, from the 13^th century, Valley of Gudbrandsdal, Norway

 

                                                           Photographed in 2007

 

Ringebu is the largest of the five stave church in Gudbrandsdal Vallley - the other four being Garmo, Favang (not on everyone’s list of stave churches), Vaga and Lom.  It is located high on a hillside and the church’s red steeple can be seen from the Trondheim – Oslo train that runs along the opposite side of the valley.

 

In ancient times, pilgrims on their way to or from Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim traveling on what was called the King’s Road, often stopped at Ringebu for a blessing and comfort during their difficult and dangerous journey. Today, it is still a parish church and is in daily use.

 

The climb up the steep hillside will leave you breathless. Don’t know how Norwegians do it; no need to wonder why they usually port thin physiques.

 

 

The nave is the only part that remains of the original church. In the 17^th century, the church was expanded to a cruciform shape and the lofty steeple was added.

 

I was unable to see the church interior as I arrived just past closing time that summer day. Closing time is quite early even though with the white nights, it gets dark very late.  And I think I learned the reason why that day visiting Ringebu. Public transportation stops running quite early and I had an extremely difficult time getting back to my already paid for hotel room and luggage some distance away.  And I learned a valuable lesson; you should not only check transportation timetables to a particular place but also you should check exit timetables to make sure you can get out.

 

From pictures of the church interior, it is easy to see that the post-Reformation decoration is quite opulent. The altarpiece was carved in 1686, the pulpit in 1703 and wall paintings were added in 1720. During the 20^th century, an organ was installed and weekly concerts are given there during the summer months.  

 

In the 1980s, archaeological surveys were conducted under the church. Nine hundred old coins, mostly from medieval times, were found.

 

Ringebu is 60 kilometers north of Lillehammer.

Garmo Stave Church, ca 1200, in Maihaugen Open Air Museum, Lillehammer, Norway

Garmo Stave Church, ca 1200, in Maihaugen Open Air Museum, Lillehammer, Norway

 

 

 

Photographed in 2007

 

Garmo stave church is situated on a little knoll, surrounded by lacey birches and above a reflecting pond; the setting is most beautiful and quite romantic. It was only the second stave church I had visited and the experience was thrilling. Another American visitor was so impressed that she and her husband built a chapel incorporating similar design elements at their summer place in Wisconsin, USA.

 

The church was previously located on a Garmo farm, some 200 kilometers up the Gudbrandsdal Valley. It was erected in the Maihaugen Open Air Museum in 1921. It is one of the most visited stave churches.

 

Garmo is a single-nave church with the nave and chancel are of equal width. The church may have had an external ambulatory (covered walkway around the church) until the 17^th century when the church underwent major reconstruction.

 

 

 

Garmo has a soaring steeple similar to the ones found topping Lom and Ringebu stave churches added in 1695. 

 

 

 

Garmo has a sprinkler system as do most stave churches. It is unobtrusively placed and does not in anyway detract from the appearance of the medieval structure.

 

 

The chancel arch is supported by wooden posts that have interesting carvings in good condition. These skurds (from Norwegian - decoration on wood beams in a church) often give the posts a sacred as well as a practical function.

 

 

The altarpiece from 1695, was for several centuries located in another Lillehammer church that was later demolished. The Last Supper is carved in a niche at the bottom of the altarpiece.

 

 

The 1730 pulpit, with carvings of the four gospel writers, is from a church in More og Romsdal.

 

The church has pew boxes that were added post-Reformation when the church services became longer. According to the college kids working as guides, the pew boxes were allotted in accordance with the prestige of the worshipers.

 

 

 

The alms box has scriptures and illustrations (quite humorous) entreating the parishioners to give.

 

Maihaugen is the largest open air museum in Norway and contains almost 200 buildings. The good thing is that it is located right in the town of Lillehammer and is within walking distance of the center of town. You might want to take a taxi there (up hill) and walk back (down hill). The town is filled with rows of late 19^th century wooden houses and is especially beautiful when the lilacs are in bloom.

 

Lillehammer is the Norwegian ski center in winter. It was the main venue for the 1994 Winter Olympics. In addition to skiing facilities (both cross country and down hill skiing), it has a bob sleigh trail and a hockey arena.

 

Lillehammer is 180 kilometers north of Oslo.

 

 

Oye Stave Church, from second half of 12th century, Municipality of Vang, Oppland

Oye Stave Church, from second half of 12^th century, Municipality of Vang, Oppland

Photographed in 2011

 

The stave church in located in the village of Oye, which is part of Vang Municipality in  Oppland County, Norway – just about half way between Oslo and Bergen. It is a rather small church, it has several unusual features, it has an unusual history and it is one of the oldest stave churches, if not the oldest.

 

When the church was constructed on the shorts of Lake Vangsmjose in the 12^th century, almost immediately, the church began to have problems with flooding from the spring thaws. This flooding affected the cemetery surrounding the church more than the church itself. At times, during flooding, corpses were literally flushed out of graves. Also, burials were extremely complicated when the burial space for a casket was filled with water. Thus, began a period of putting stones in caskets in order to lower them down and to hold them down.

 

Finally, it was decided to move the church up to higher ground. In the 1700s, the stave church was in bad condition and the parishioners decided to build a new church. The stave church was torn down and the new church was built on the exact same spot and was completed in 1747. Out of respect for the old church, some of its wood and one of its portals were used in the new church. Now, skip ahead about 200 years. In the 1930s, the ‘new’ church needed a new floor. It was at this time that 156 pieces of the old stave church were found beneath the floor boards of the ‘new’ church.

 

Soon, the reconstruction of Oye stave church was contemplated. The 156 pieces were registered by the Central office of Historic Monuments and stored until a reconstruction of the church could be initiated. This reconstruction took place in the 1960s.

 

The roof and north wall are completely new, but a large share of the rest of the church has been reconstructed from the wood of the original church from the 12^th century (e.g. the staves). 

 

 

 

There is a covered walkway (ambulatory) around three sides of the church. Two sides of the walkway have arches but the walkway on the north side is closed and very dark (evil things come from the north).

 

 

 

The church portal is carved like those in most stave churches (This photograph shows a portion of the interesting carving). But unlike most stave churches, the portal is exceptionally narrow and tall and the step into the church vestry is high.  

 

 

 

 

Another unusual feature of this church is that there is a wall separating the nave from the chancel area. (like in a Russian Orthodox church). The carved doorway from the nave to the chancel is narrow. The original carving around the doorway is in an Oslo museum. The crucifix above the altar, which I was asked not to photograph close up, is from the medieval period. The crucifix is from around 1200 and the Christ figure is from around 1300. There are pews but only along the walls.

 

 

 

 Runic inscriptions can be found in various places in and around the church. One runic inscription inside the church states that it was consecrated on September 29, but the year is not given. Since St. John the Baptist died on that date, some consider that the church may have been dedicated to him.

 

Before the Black Death, about 100 people attended the church. By the end of this dreadful period, there were only about 30 church members.

 

 

 

Oye stave church’s interesting and knowledgeable guide.

 

There are five other stave churches in the area: Hore, Lomen, Hegge, Reinli and Hedalen. They are all on or close to Highway E18. Actually, Oye stave church is not that far from Borgund stave church.

 

 

Replica Fantoft Stave Church, Bergen, Norway

Replica Fantoft Stave Church, Bergen, Norway

 

                                                         Photographed in 2007

 

Fantoft stave church is not included on the official list of Norwegian stave churches because it is a replica. Arsonists burned and almost completely destroyed the original church in the early 1990s.

 

 

 

Only the charred remains of a few staves (supporting posts) were left after the devastating fire. In addition, an altar cross was found in the ashes and was later reconstructed.

 

 

 

With its dark stained wood, its many roofs with dragon heads and surrounded by greenery, approaching the church is quite an awe-inspiring experience. The exterior of the church is an exact copy of the original.

 

 

 

 

As with most stave churches, it has fine carving around the entrance portals.

 

 

 

 

Tall interior staves (posts) provide the support for the elevated central space. Each of these staves is topped by a rectangular surface called a capitol. These interior staves that support the high nave are joined by diagonally crossed beams referred to as St. Andrew’s crosses (St. Andrew was crucified on a diagonal cross) and round arches that rest on the capitals. Above the round arches are the small round window ports that provide the only light that enters the church when the doors are closed. These tiny holes in the clerestory were as important for ventilation as for lighting.

 

The cross was designed by Sven Valevatn in 1990 but was inspired by medieval art.

 

Many stave churches are richly ornamented with biblical scenes painted directly on the walls. The original Fantoft church did have wall paintings but they were not included in the reconstruction. This is the only way that the reconstruction differs in any significant way from the original church.

 

 

 

This small door on the side of the nave is referred to as the leprosy door as people with the disease were not allowed inside the church.

 

Leprosy was an endemic disease of medieval Christendom. The stigma associated with leprosy resulted in the exclusion and denigration of millions of afflicted people for many centuries. In the 13^th century, it is estimated that there were 19,000 leper hospitals operating across Europe as officials tried to grapple with the critical situation. In medieval times, St. George’s hospital was the first one established in Bergen for the care and treatment of those with leprosy. The hospital operated for more than 500 years and is now a museum that presents Norway’s contribution to leprosy research. In 1873, it was a Norwegian, Dr. Armauer Hansen (thus Hansen’s Disease), that identified under a microscope that the cause of the disease was a bacillus and that it was not caused by heredity, a curse or sin.

 

The archives of the leprosy museum in Bergen are part of Unesco’s Memory of the World Program.

Kvernes

Kvernes Stave Church, ca 1300 or before, in Averoy, More og Romsdal

 

Photographs from 2011

 

Kvernes stave church, is located in the small village of Kvernes on Averoy Island in More og Romsdal.  The island is just across a fjord from Kristiansund on the west coast of Norway (above Bergen and above Alesund). It is similar in appearance to Rodven stave church; it is a single nave church and is supported by diagonal struts on the south side. The interior walls of both churches are painted with acanthus designs.

 

 Only the nave remains from the original stave church which was built between 1200 and 1300 hundred. In the 1600s, the chancel was torn down and replaced with a new one. This new chancel was not built with stave construction (vertical posts and planking) but rather with blockhouse construction (horizontal logs joined together with notched corners). Usually, the width of a chancel is smaller than the width of a nave, but in this case the new chancel was constructed with the same width as the nave. Also during the 1600s, a new steeple was erected and a stave-built baptistry was added.

 

 

 

The 1475 altarpiece is an unusual treasure. The Virgin Mary and her mother Anna, holding the Christ Child, are depicted in two center panels. In 1695, a Baroque mounting which includes Moses with the Ten Commandments (beside Mary) and Christ holding the banner of victory (beside Anna) was added to the altarpiece (Valebrokk and Thiis-Evensen 2001, p.84). The altarpiece also has 10 faces that stare out at you – similar to ones found on the altarpiece at Rodven stave church,

 

 

 

The rood beams were added in 1690. A crucifix is on the top beam and two lions protecting a shield and crown are on the lower beam. (Protective lions can also be found on the rood in the Lillehammer stave church and the arks of wooden synagogues were usually topped with lions protecting a crown and the Ten Commandments). The pulpit on the right depicts Christ with three of his evangelists. Apparently there was no room for John, the fourth evangelist;  he was placed on the side panel above the pulpit.

 

 

 

A rather large ship hangs from the ceiling near the entrance. These ships are frequent adornments in Norwegian churches. Perhaps they are related to seafarers who sought protection or maybe they are symbolic of all worshippers’ journeys with Christ.

 

 

 

The church is open to visitors during the summer months. Knowledgeable guides will provide you with valuable and interesting information about the church.

A new parish church was built close by at the end of the 19^th century. The stave church was saved from destruction when it was purchased by the Society for the Preservation of Norwegian Ancient Monuments.

Rodven

Rodven Stave Church, ca 1300, in More og Romsdal

 

Photograph taken in 2011

 

Rodven stave church is one of three stave churches remaining in More og Romsdal  (an area on the west coast of Norway). It is a single nave stave church and is supported by diagonal struts on three sides of the building exterior. These struts give it a rather unusual appearance. Like many stave churches, it is situated on a fjord as in centuries past Norwegians mostly moved around their country via fjords.  

 

 

The walls and ceiling were decorated in the mid 17^th century but at present show advanced water and mildew damage. The simple but gracious altarpiece dates from the 18^th century.

 

 

 

Eight watchful faces adorn areas at the top and near the top of the altarpiece. I do not know the significance of these faces.

 

 

 

The almost life size crucifix is much older than the rest of the interior; it is from the 13^th century while the rest of the church interior is post-Reformation. Notice the interesting carvings at the four terminations of the cross. The crucifix was believed to have miraculous powers and was a pilgrimage site as well as a parish church. The carved ends of box pews can be seen in the foreground of the photograph.

Rodven stave church is owned, operated and maintained by the Society for the Preservation of Norwegian Ancient Monuments and is open to visitors during the summer months.

 

At the end of the 19^th century, a very attractive “new” and bigger church was built close by. On a nice day, the scene of the two rather striking churches in close proximity to a fjord is idyllic. However, during storms both churches are battered by strong winds  coming from the Romsdal and Rodven fjords.

There is no public transportation to the church. The church is 34 kilometers from Andalsnes. If you aren’t traveling by car, taxis in Andalsnes will take you there and bring you back but avoid those drivers that offer you a “special” (translation exorbitant) price for the round trip.  

Grip

Grip Stave Church

Grip Island, More og Romsdal, built ca 1470

 

 

Photo from 2011

 

Grip stave church is located on a tiny island 14 kilometers from Kristiansund, on the west coast of Norway (above Bergen and above Alesund) in the Norwegian Sea. The island is no longer inhabited the year around. At this time, it is an island of summer homes plus a single-nave stave church built around 1470, about 50 years before the Reformation. The structure of the church is similar to the stave churches at Kvernes and Rodven. During the summer, services are held in the church approximately every third week.  In summer, the island can be reached by boat from Kristiansund when the church is open to visitors on a schedule that coincides with boat arrivals.

 

 

 

 

The church is situated in the middle of this tiny island (roughly 200 meters by 100 meters) and smack in the middle of a group of houses. At eight meters above sea level, it is constructed on the highest point of the island. In bygone years, during the frequent storms that raged in the Norwegian Sea, the hardy residents, who were mostly fishermen and their families, sought protection from the storms inside the church.  In a particularly bad storm in 1796, the storm surge was so destructive that it left only the church and a few houses standing.  Thus, the church provided physical security as well as spiritual security. 

 

 

 

The lovely triptych altarpiece dates from 1520 and was carved in Denmark. Legend says that the triptych was a gift from a Danish princess. The Virgin Mary is sculpted in the middle of the triptych and she is flanked by St. Olaf of Norway on one side and by St. Margaret the Virgin on the other. St. Margaret was purported to have had an encounter with the devil in form of a dragon while imprisoned for her failure to renounce Christianity. Perhaps, the animal at her foot in the carving is the alluded to dragon. Part of the other votive ship can be seen at the top of the photo.

 

Borgound

Borgund Stave Church, 12^th Century, Sogn

Borgund Stave Church, dedicated to St. Andrew, taken in 2007

 

Borgund is one of 5 stave churches located on or near Sogn Fjord. It is the most visited stave church as it is located (in a narrow valley) on a main highway between Oslo and Bergen. It is also one of the most beautiful. With its many roofs and flying dragons it is suggestive of a pagoda. Construction details, (e.g. drain holes on inside walls) suggest that the outer ambulatory and the apse were added after the 12^th century. None the less, it is considered to be one of the most authentic stave churches and the best preserved of all stave churches.

Due to its authenticity, Borgund served as the model for the stave church restoration in Hopperstad, for the restoration of Fantoft stave church near Bergen and the Gol stave church now located in the folk museum on Bygodoy Peninsula , just a few minutes by boat from Oslo.

 

Gazing at Borgund, it is awe- inspiring to comprehend that such skilled carpenters existed so long ago and equally awe-inspiring to realize that their work has endured for close to 900 years. It is supposed that these carpenters were the recipients of wood working skills passed down by generations of Viking ship building carpenters and Viking ornament carvers. As to the durability of the wood, the following process was used to cure the wood: First, the top of a desirable tree was cut off; Then, gashes were made in the bark so that the resin would spread throughout the tree (usually in March); After a year or so, the tree was cut down and finally, the tree was left to further cure on the ground for another extended period (Stewart p. 27).

 

 

The dragon heads on two of the roofs are symbols carried over from pre-Christian times. It can be supposed that the transition from Paganism to Christianity did not happen in a day, but rather over a period of several hundred years. It is, therefore, easy to understand that that pagan symbols, rituals and festivals were carried over into the Christian church. The heathen dragons were there to protect the church.

 

(Mini quilt of stave church construction) / coming soon

 

The lowest and outermost roof covers the walkway, or ambulatory, around the church. The second roof covers the aisles. A third roof rises high above the nave. Finally, there is a cupola (not shown in the diagram) which has its own roofs. The west portal is richly decorated with animal motifs entwined in vines.

 

Altarpiece from 1700

 

The church interior is not highly decorated, which contrasts with the extravagant exterior. The colorful altarpiece is a stark contrast to the plain but elegant wood in the interior. It dates from around 1700, after the Reformation and depicts the Crucifixion.  There are runic inscriptions on both the interior and exterior walls that date from the 1100s.

 

Borgund is quite a drive from Oslo. Driving from Oslo on E16, one goes through a colossal tunnel that is 24km long shortly before arriving at Borgund.

 

The church is owned and cared for by the Society for the Preservation of Norwegian Ancient Monuments.