Stave churches of the Middle Ages (476-1492) are Norway’s most important contribution to the world’s architectural heritage. Today there are about 28 of these Stavkirkes left after some 900 years. At one time, more than 1000 stavkirkes were built. Most of them dating from the first half of the 12C. Few stave churches were constructed after the Black Plague (1346-1353), arriving in Norway about 1350. The building of these churches marked the beginning of Christianity in Norway, a period of transformation from the pagan Viking to the Christian Norwegian. As a result most to the stavkirkes were covered with pagan image and symbols. Standing in front of a stavkirke, one cannot but admire the beauty of these buildings and the ingenuity of the people who created such grandiose soaring wooden structures.

1. First created 3 Dec 2017. Version 1.0 - 27 Dec 2017. Daperro. London.
Stave
Church
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Medieval Timber
(Post) Churches of
Norway
Stavkirke Heddal, Norway

2. Introduction
Stave Church (Stavkirke) is a timber
church. The word ‘stave’ means a load
bearing pine post. More than 1000
stave churches were built in Norway
during the Middle Ages. Most of them
from the first half of the 12C until about
1350. Few were built after the Black
Plague of 1350.
Stave churches are found in other parts
of northern Europe, in Sweden,
Germany, Poland, England, Russia and
Iceland. Today there are 28 stave
churches in Norway, mainly in the
south.

3. Heddal, largest.
Heddal Stave churches is the largest in the world and about 26m in height. It is near Oslo.
Heddal

4. Heddal, wooden tiles
The roof and the wall are covered with wooden tiles, with a row of small windows.

5. Heddal
The South Portal (right) has a very narrow door way.
Detail of floral and animal motif carvings (above).

6. Heddal, portal carvings
Mask carvings on the south portal probably remnants from the old Norse religion.

7. Heddal, pagan dragon.
The gables are decorated with the traditional Nordic Dragon Heads to ward off evil.

8. Heddal, Bell tower
Nearby but detached is the bell tower was built in 1850.

9. The southern portal which was once used by the men attending the church. The northern portal was
reserved for the women.
Heddal, portal

10. The interior of the church spacious and welcoming.
Heddal, Nave

11. Heddal, before restoration
A 1847 painting by Christian Olavius Zeuthen, showing the mid-1600 alternation to the church, with a flat ceiling
and the large pillar in the middle of the church. These alterations had since been removed.

12. Heddal. Wooden joint.
The horizontal timber planks were joined to posts (staves) using the mortise and tenon (tongue and grove)
joint.

13. Heddal.
Painting
The ‘Hitterdalsantemensalen’ (above) now on display at
the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo came from the
Heddal Stavkirke (a reproduction was displayed at the
church). It is said to be medieval. A similar painting in the
National Gallery, London, (the second oldest in the
gallery) was painted in 1260s in Italy by Margarito
d’Arezzo (bottom right). This suggests that the
‘Hitterdalsantemensalen’ was also 13C as well.

14. Heddal. Medieval Chair
The ‘bishop’s chair’ used by the clergy, depicts two knights and a warrior maiden (valkyries) in the middle.
The knights were trying rescue the maiden whose dress was on fire. The story was from Norse heroic
poems.

15. Heddal. Wall decor
The walls were decorated with motifs in the 13C and were painted over in the 16C
motifs that we see today. Images of Jesus’ disciples (right) were also includes on
the walls on the choir walls.

16. Heddal
There were two carvings of Jesus. The Jesus in red
(right) stands on the top of the altarpiece of 16C.
The Jesus in blue on the cross (Below) hangs
above the choir.

17. Nearly the entire exterior surfaces are covered with wooden tiles.
Heddal

18. To protect the timber from elements, the timber were covered by a layer of tar, which in time crystallised to
forming a protective surface.
Heddal. Tar paint.

19. Construction of a Stavkirke
A typical structure of a Stave Church. The method of construction of a Stave Church.

20. Plan of a typical Stavkirke

21. BorgundBorgund. Best kept.
Built in c1150 and classified as Sogn-type stave church. It is most historically authentic as many of the
feature are still original.

22. Borgund Source : DK Eyewitness Travel Guides Norway

23. Borgund
The interior of the church, showing how the high ceiling
was raised (right). Note the pulpit and the alter in the
photo

24. Borgund. Pagan Roof
Unlike the Heddal roof dragon, the
Borgund dragon is stylized, intricate,
with strong interlacing curves and
open design. It resembles more like
a serpent. The Midgard Serpents
pervades in Norse mythology. It often
found on the prow of the ships, like
the Viking Long Boats. It coexisted
for a time with Christianity.

25. Borgund Carvings
Fine carvings on the portals
and inside the church.

26. Borgund. Stucture.
Interior timber structure of the church.

27. Borgund.
Portal
The entrance portal.

28. Borgund
Built in c1150 the Borgund Stavkirke in snow.

29. HopperstadHopperstad
Completed in c1132 is possibly one of the oldest stavkirke still standing.

30. Hopperstad. Historical.
Painted in 1881, the church was in a ruinous state and scheduled to be pulled down before it was rescued.
This was painted just before the restoration of 1885-91.

31. Hopperstad. Carvings.
This is the western portal, the main
entrance into the church. The
restoration was based on the Borgund
stavkirke model. This explains why two
churches are similar in appearance.

32. Hopperstad. Side-altar.
One distinctive feature of the church is the
Side-altar with its canopy. In the foreground
of the photo is the grave of Peter Blix, the
architect-restorer of the church. Above is a
reconstruction of the interior. Note the use of
the colour curtains in the church.

33. Hopperstad. Carvings.
Heads of a king and a queen on the supports
of the side-altar canopy.

34. Hopperstad.
Murals.
Paintings on the vault of the
side-altar (baldachin)
canopy, It depicts the life of
baby Jesus.

35. Hopperstad. Altar.
The altarpiece was part of the 1621
restoration.

36. Hopperstad
Massive staves (posts) with large bell-shaped plinths supporting the roof of the church.

37. UrnesUrnes
Built c1130 rich in wood carvings and situated in the eastern side of the fjord, across the village of Solvorn.

38. Urnes. Older carvings.
The northern portal from an earlier church
from the 11C. Above showing the carving
on the external wall.

39. Urnes
The interior of the church, with the painted pulpit on the right. The diagonal buttresses are from the 1600s
restorations. Two of the original column were cut in the late 1100s modifications.

40. Urnes
The nave of the church, showing the posts and the block capitals.

41. Urnes
All the supporting posts
have block capitals with
relief on the three sides,
most of them depicting
fabled animals.

42. Urnes. Altar.
The chancel with its altarpiece
from 1699. The bishop’s chair is
from 1100s.

43. Gol
The Stavkirke Gol as it appears today was restored based on the Borgund’s model in 1846. It was
moved to the current location near Oslo. The origin stavkirke was dated between 1157 and 1216.

44. Gol
The appearance of the Stavkirke Gol before
the move. Drawing in 1846 by J N Prahm.
The interior, showing the sanctuary. Most of
the bearing construction is original.

45. Gol
The painting in the sanctuary, on the apse wall is a Holy communion scene.

46. Al Stave Church, Hallingdal (demolished)
This richly painted painting showing Jesus with his 12 disciples was saved and now kept in Oslo Museum.

47. Torpo. Painted vault.
The Torpo is fairly small. It was
built in the late 1100s. It has a
richly painted mural on its
barrel vault, depicting the life of
Jesus.

48. Ringebu. Spire.
Ringebu Stave Church in Gudbrandsdalen
was expanded into a cruciform church during
the 1600s, It shows a different plan in its
construction.

49. Hedares. Sweden
This is the only surviving stavkirke in Sweden. It was late-Medieval, built in 14C to 15C.

50. Church of Transfiguration, Russia
There are stave churches in
other countries. The one shown
here is The Church of The
Transfiguration, in Kizhi Pogost
Russia. It was built in 1714 over
an older church (17C). Today
the church stands at 37m high,
with 22 domes.

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The
End
Music – Pachelbel Canon

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