Stave Churches

While in Oslo, we saw a Stave Church that had been moved from Gol and reassembled at the Norwegian Folk Museum.  Now that we've moved west and are in the fjords, there are a number of stave churches that have been preserved and some that are still in use.

What exactly is a stave church?  It is a reference to how it was constructed.  A stave is a vertical wood post or column.  The staves form the framework of the central room and this is why this style of church is referred to as a stave church.  Stave churches are unique to Norway although some have been built in other countries using the Norwegian church as a model.  Where there once used to be about a thousand stave churches in Norway, only 28 are still standing.  Most stave churches were built between 1130 and 1350.

The best preserved stave church is the Borgund Stave Church.  After about a 3.5 hour drive from Oslo, we reached the small village of Borgund in the heart of fjord country.  The timber used in the construction has been dated to 1180 with construction occurring shortly thereafter.  The diagram shown here shows how stave churches are built.  They are completely made of wood and tend to be tall and narrow.  There are only small openings for light and typically no windows, so they tend to be quite dark on the inside.

Altar

Staves, St. Andrew crosses, pulpit and altar

Much like the viking ships we saw in Oslo and the Vasa we saw in Stockholm, I've been amazed at the woodworking skill of the Scandinavians.  Everything we have seen has withstood the test of time, was built during an age when technology and tools were relatively primitive, and has a high degree of ornamentation.

The Burgund Stave Church was replaced by the "new" church built in 1868.

Th "new" church on the left with the freestanding belfry in the middle.