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.

 

 

Replica Borgund

Replica Borgund Stave Church in the Black Hills,

Rapid City, South Dakota, USA

 

Photographed in 2010 

Amidst towering pine trees and with the Black Hills in the background, the replica of Borgund stave church was constructed. The stave church, called the Chapel in the Hills and unique in American building, was completed in 1969.

In most respects, the church is an exact replica of the original church in Norway. The size of the church is the same down to the inch (length, 53 feet; width, 35 feet; height, 59 feet 6 inches). The structure of the church is the same and the carved ornamentation is the same. Nails were not used by Norwegian builders in 1150. However, the builders of the South Dakota replica did use them - but the nails can not be seen; they are hidden by wooden pegs that were driven in to conceal them.

Carefully selected Douglas fir from Oregon was used for the massive staves, the vertical planks and the thousands of wood shingles. 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The elaborate portals and the striking dragonheads flying from the gables were carved in Norway. The interior carving was undertaken by a Scandinavian immigrant woodcarver residing in Rapid city who was skilled in “old school” carving techniques.

The chapel is used frequently for weddings, baptisms and first communions.

Mary Barnett (me) at Mt. Rushmore

Mt. Rushmore and the Badlands (that remind one of lunar landscapes) are located close to the Chapel in the Hills. Since 1938, Sturgis, South Dakota (just north of Rapid City) has welcomed motorcycle enthusiasts from around the world to the Annual Motorcycle Rally held each August (hundreds of thousands attend).

 

 

Urnes

Urnes Stave Church, 1130, Sogn

 

Photographed 2011

 

Urnes Stave Church can be described with superlatives: it’s the oldest stave church, it is one of the best preserved, it’s architectural detail has the most to reveal about the skill of the craftsmen who built such churches, it has the most famous woodcarving in all of Norway, it contains the most pre-medieval liturgical treasures, it’s probably the most difficult to get to, and it is the only stave church registered as a UNESCO World Heritage sight.

The church is located high above Luster Fjord (an arm of Sogn Fjord). A bit of the fjord can be seen on the right and the famous carved panels (on the north exterior wall of the church) can be seen to the left in photo. 

 

Having read extensively about them and having seen various reproductions, it was a thrill to finally see the famous carved portals located on the exterior north wall of the church (they are from a previous church on the same site and probably date from 1050). How can it be that these exquisite carvings depicting mythical beasts are a thousand years old? How many loving hands must have cared for them over the centuries!

The church interior has a distinguishing feature in that the 16 capitals (tops of the 16 interior staves) are carved on 3 sides – making a total of 48 carvings of various motifs and subjects. The church interior also contains several pre-Reformation items. The rood with three carved figures depicting Calvary (from the 12^th century) is unique. Cloisonné candlesticks, probably from the 13^th century, are found on the church altar.

It took me two attempts to reach the church. In the summer of 2010, I didn’t allow enough time to catch the ferry, see the church, return on the ferry and catch my bus back to Oslo to make my plane home. In the summer of 2011, I finally made it and felt a great sense of accomplishment.

There are two ways to get to Urnes: one option is tiring; the other is scary. The first involves taking a small ferry from the tiny, picturesque town of Solvorn. Upon reaching the Urnes side, it is a steep, steep climb if you are on foot (maybe a kilometer) up to the church. If you are traveling by car and there is room for your car on the small ferry, you are lucky. The other way to reach Urnes is by driving there from Skjolden, a town located at the northern tip of Luster Fjord. One must drive for some 30 kilometers on a mostly one lane road above the fjord that does not have space for two cars to pass each other. When faced with an oncoming car, one of the two drivers must back up to a place where the shoulder has been extended.  Norwegians are quite adept at this maneuver. Let’s hope tourists can get the hang of it.

Urnes is owned and well maintained by the Society for the Preservation of Norwegian Ancient Monuments.

Kaupanger

Kaupanger Stave Church, Sogn, 1190

Photographed in 2007

 

Kaupanger Stave Church has been in use almost constantly since its construction in the 12^th century. It has been well maintained and it is still a local parish church. It is the largest stave church in the Sogn area.

The exterior of the church is not as showy as some of the other stave churches, probably because a gallery (porch) around the church exterior was removed at some point in the past. The location of the church, some 100 plus meters above Sogn Fjord, is spectacular. A tiny patch of the fjord can be glimpsed on the left side of the photograph above.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The interior of Kaupanger is unique. Sometime between 1200 and 1350 more interior staves were added to extend the nave longitudinally (the church now has more interior staves than any other stave church with the exception of Lom). The interior staves are  tall and slender, and it is these staves that give the church its unique look.  They rise from floor to ceiling uninterrupted (e.g. no capitals, no St. Andrew’s crosses) and give the sensation of being in the interior of a gothic basilica (somewhat).

The 1634 altar-piece shows the crucified Christ with Mary and St. John the Baptist.

Between 1959 and 1965, archaeologists studied the church and its grounds. Human remains that predate the church construction were exhumed. It is conjectured that two other churches had been built on the site prior to the present church (from the 12^th century).

During the excavations, over 200 objects that date from the early medieval period were discovered. These found objects include three textile fragments, one of which miraculously survived from the 14^th century and two manuscript fragments, one from about 1200 and the other from about 1400.

 

Sogn Folkemuseum, an open air museum with 32 historic buildings, is located near.

Replica Hopperstad

Replica Hopperstad Stave Church in Moorhead, Minnesota, USA

 

Replica Hopperstad photographed in 2010

In 1998, a replica of Hopperstad Stave Church was dedicated in Moorhead, Minnesota, USA. More than 100 residents of Vik, Norway traveled to Moorhead, to attend the dedication of this replica of their church.

This replica was the dream of Guy Paulson, a man of Norwegian heritage, a deeply religious man and a man who liked wood (probably in his genes – Norwegians love wood). He selected the Hopperstad Church for his replica because of its beauty, its age and because his father was born on a farm across the fjord from Vik in Norway. With the help of family and friends, the replica was constructed rather quickly. But the interior and exterior wood carving, which Guy Paulson undertook himself, took almost five years.

The church is a full scale replica of the church that was built in 1140 in Vik, Norway. However, a few modifications had to be made to meet present day Moorhead city code. The structure had to be built on a reinforced concrete base (the concrete base was covered with a stone veneer to match the appearance of the church in Norway). Two of the three portals were made handicap accessible. Unlike the church in Vik, nails were used in the construction.

Approximately 25,000 shingles were required for the church exterior. Unfortunately, the wooden shingles came as rectangles. To turn them into stave church shingles, three cuts were required: two to make the point and one more to bevel the pointed end. This means that Guy Paulson and three volunteers, working on site, made each of these three cuts 25,000 times.

 

 

Close up of superb carving on the west portal

 

The exterior carvings (done by Guy Paulson) include the dragon heads and crosses on the roof, and the west portal which surrounds the main entrance to the church. This portal features plants which wind upward from the jaws of monsters.

 

 

Mary Barnett (me) and Lin Sedlar under the baldachin

 

The interior carvings include those on the baldachin. The paintings on the ceiling of the baldachin were also done by Guy Paulson.

 

 

Interior staves in the nave with their St. Andrew’s crosses and their arches that rest on capitals.

 

 

Moorhead, a town of about 40,000 inhabitants, is located across the Red River from Fargo, North Dakota. The stave church is about 100 yards from the river. According to Markus Krueger, visitor services coordinator, every spring the church is in danger of flooding when the Red River frequently overflows its banks after the spring thaw. At such times, the church is usually surrounded with piles of sandbags.  

It is said that Mick Jagger has visited the replica. This visit came about, according to local lore, because Mick Jagger’s personal trainer was Norwegian. The morning after they had flown in for a concert in Fargo, the trainer looked out his hotel window and there sat the stave church. It is said that the trainer became very excited and ran all the way over to see if he really saw what he thought he saw. Supposedly, he insisted on a visit by Mick Jagger.

Moorhead was the destination of Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Richie Valens when their plane tragically crashed en route many years ago.

 There are two other replicas of stave churches in states a joining Minnesota: a replica of Gol Stave Church in Minot, North Dakota and a replica of Borgund Stave Church in Rapid City, South Dakota. All three states have large populations of people of Norwegian descent.

 

Hopperstad

 

 

 

Hopperstad Stave Church built in 1130 in Vik, Norway

 

 



Hopperstad Photo 2007



Hopperstad is one of the oldest stave churches. In the 1880s it was scheduled for demolition as there was a new church that was larger and less drafty. It was saved from demolition by architect Peter Blix, who painstakingly restored the church to the medieval style we see today. In his restoration, he used Borgund Stave Church as a model of what it probably looked like in the 1100s. (See Borgund Stave Church). It took him 6 years to add the external gallery (which protects the external walls from the elements and adds to the characteristic appearance), the belfry, the apse with tower and spire and exterior shingles. The Society for the Preservation of Norwegian Ancient Monuments bought the property from the town of Vik in the 1880s (www.fortidsminneforeningen.no) and has promoted and maintained the structure ever since.

 

 

Mini quilt of interior staves

 

 

Eight meter high staves provide the support for the elevated central space. Each of these staves is topped by a rectangular surface called a capitol. The 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.

 

Many stave churches are richly ornamented with biblical scenes painted directly on the walls. At one time, Hopperstad had painted wall decorations, probably painted during the 17^th century but during the restoration undertaken by Peter Blix, they were removed as he considered them “recent” innovations.  However, the rather austere interior provides a backdrop for two spectacular pieces of ornamentation: the renaissance altarpiece and the baldachin.

Renaissance altarpiece

Baldachin

 

The baldachin, which is probably from the first half of the 14^th century, is the finest example of what is considered to be an architectural rarity. It is attached to the interior staves on three sides. The fourth side is supported by a free-standing post. The posts of the baldachin are carved. These carvings include four heads: Christ, a king, a queen, and a monk. The ceiling of the baldachin is painted with scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary. There are also some inscriptions in Latin.

A replica of Hopperstad Stave Church has been constructed in Moorhead, Minnesota, USA (see Stave Church menu). A better perspective of the baldachin, albeit a replica, can be seen there.

Hopperstad, located in the town of Vik is one of five remaining stave churches located on or near the Sogn Fjord, Norway’s deepest fjord and one of its most beautiful. Vik can easily be reached by fast boat from Bergen. The other stave churches located close by are: Kaupanger, Urnes, Borgund and Undredal. Together, they are Norway’s oldest stave churches, probably the best preserved and architecturally some of the most stunning. Although these five stave churches are situated in close proximity, it is not easy or quick to go from one church to another. Ferries or boats must be taken, roads may only be one lane and buses are infrequent.