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61-461: The earliest existing historical records of the church date back to the year 1461, but the first church here may have been built in the early 13th century. The first church here was likely a stave church and it was dedicated to St. Mary . In 1639, records show that a runic inscription about the Virgin Mary in the north tower was found and dated to around the year 1200, making it likely that the church

122-409: A ⌗ sign, their ends protruding 1–2 meters from the lap joint where they intersect. The ends of these beams support the sills of the outer walls, forming a separate horizontal frame. The tall internal posts are placed on the internal frame of ground beams, and carry the main roof above the central nave ( skip ). On the outer frame of sills rest the main wall planks ( veggtiler ), carrying the roof over

183-581: A gallery that encircles the whole church room including above the sacristy in the choir . Stave church A stave church is a medieval wooden Christian church building once common in north-western Europe . The name derives from the building's structure of post and lintel construction, a type of timber framing where the load-bearing ore-pine posts are called stafr in Old Norse ( stav in modern Norwegian ). Two related church building types also named for their structural elements,

244-662: A motif depicting a dragon similar to those often seen on Norwegian stave churches and on surviving artifacts from Denmark and Gotland. Whether this decoration can be attributed to cultural similarities or whether it indicates similar construction methods in Germany has sparked controversy. Replica stave churches have been built in several American communities, mostly in the Upper Midwest, with Norwegian or Islandic immigrant populations. Lorentz Dietrichson in his book De norske Stavkirker ("The Norwegian Stave Churches") (1892) claimed that

305-457: A previous stave church. Other notable places are Maria Minor church in Lund, with its traces of a post church with palisades , and some old parts of Hemse stave church on Gotland . In Skåne alone there were around 300 such churches when Adam of Bremen visited Denmark in the first half of the 11th century, but how many of those were stave churches or post churches is unknown. In England , there

366-623: Is located in the village of Kaupanger , on the northern shore of the Sognefjorden . It is the church for the Kaupanger parish which is part of the Sogn prosti ( deanery ) in the Diocese of Bjørgvin . The brown, wooden church was built in the mid-12th century (around 1140) and it has been in use ever since that time. The church seats about 125 people. The church is a Norwegian Cultural Heritage Site and it

427-457: Is now common to group the churches into two categories: the first, without free-standing posts, often referred to as Type A; and the second, with a raised roof and free-standing internal posts, usually called Type B. Those with the raised roof, Type B, are often further divided into two subgroups. The first of these, the Kaupanger group , have a whole arcade row of posts and intermediate posts along

488-622: Is one similar church of Saxon origin, with much debate as to whether it is a stave church or predates them. This is the Greensted Church in Essex . General consensus categorizes it as Saxon Type A. Another church bears similarities to stave churches, the medieval stone church of St. Mary in Kilpeck in Herefordshire . It features a number of dragon heads. In Germany , there is one stone church with

549-625: Is owned by the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Norwegian Monuments . The nave is supported by 22 staves (large bearing columns), eight on each of the longer sides and three on each of the shorter. The elevated chancel is carried by four free standing staves. The church has the largest number of staves to be found in any one stave church. It is the largest of the five stave churches in Sogn og Fjordane county. The earliest existing historical records of

610-567: Is unknown in Old Norse, presumably because there were no other types of wooden churches. When Norway's churches after the Reformation were constructed from logs, there was a need for a separate term for the older churches. In written sources from the Middle Ages, there is a clear distinction between stafr (posts) and þili or vægþili (wall boards). However, in documents from the 1600–1700s, "stave"

671-747: The clerestory , arcades and capitals . The "basilica theory" was introduced by N. Nicolaysen in Mindesmærker af Middelalderens Kunst i Norge (1854). Nicolaysen wrote: "Our stave churches are now the only remaining of its kind, and according to the sparse records and known circumstances, it appears that nothing similar existed except perhaps in Britain and Ireland." (" Vore stavkirker er nu de eneste i sit slags, og saavidt sparsomme beretninger og andre omstændigheder lader formode, synes de heller ikke tidligere at have havt noget sidestykke med undtagelse af maaske i Storbritannien og Irland .") Nicolaysen further claimed that

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732-435: The nave . After that addition, the nave measured about 13 by 7.5 metres (43 ft × 25 ft). In 1625, the choir was renovated and enlarged. Also, around that time, the covered corridor that encircled the church was removed and some small windows were added to the nave. Over the centuries, there have been several restoration projects have taken place both inside the church and on the exterior. A major reconstruction

793-565: The post church and palisade church , are often called 'stave churches'. Originally much more widespread, most of the surviving stave churches are in Norway. The only remaining medieval stave churches outside Norway are those of circa 1500 Hedared stave church in Sweden and one Norwegian stave church relocated in 1842 to contemporary Karpacz in the Karkonosze mountains of Poland. One other church,

854-488: The 1130s) and then the present church was constructed on the same site after that. Historically, the church was thought to have been built in the late 12th century after the Battle of Fimreite , however recent research has changed this date. The church was likely built in the mid-12th century, around the year 1140. Kaupanger was a market town that King Sverre burned down in 1184 to punish the local inhabitants for disobeying him. It

915-414: The 19th century when a substantial number were destroyed. Today, 28 historical stave churches remain standing in Norway. Stave churches were particularly common in less populated areas in high valleys and forest land, and in fishermen's villages on islands and minor villages along fjords. By about 1800, 322 stave churches were still known in Norway, most of them in sparsely populated areas. If the main church

976-598: The Anglo-Saxon Greensted Church in England, exhibits many similarities with a stave church but is generally considered a palisade church. Archaeological excavations have shown that stave churches are descended from palisade constructions and from later churches with earth-bound posts. Similar palisade constructions are known from buildings from the Viking Age . Logs were split in two halves, set or rammed into

1037-557: The Mør type are the largest. He calculated the ground plan and area for 79 churches, and the nine largest were all in Sunnmøre with Hjørundfjord, Volda and Norddal of over 280 m . This is three times larger than, for example, Urnes and Hopperstad. According to Dietrichson, the large size of the stave churches in Sunnmøre were partly a result of later expansions. He estimated the cross arms of Volda Stave Church at 7.3 × 6 meters. Hjørundfjord Stave Church

1098-539: The Urnes stave church in Luster, where many building parts with wooden sheds in the urn style must have belonged to an older church. It has now been proven that the reused building parts originally belonged to the current church's forerunner, dendrochronologically dated to the period 1070–1080. However, this was not a post church, but a real stave church where corner poles and wall planks stood on sleepers. Håkon Christie assumed that

1159-401: The church date back to the year 1308, but the church was not built that year. The first church in Kaupanger was a wooden stave church that was probably built during the mid-11th century. Not much is known about that church other than it was a rectangular building. In the early 12th century, a new wooden stave church was built on the same site. That church burned down at some point (probably in

1220-482: The cross arms were later added to the lumber. According to Håkon Christie, these churches of the Mør type had a simpler construction and were both larger and longer than the other types. Roar Hauglid estimated that most (80–90%) of the medieval Norwegian stave churches were simple single-nave buildings (Type A) and most were relatively small. Hauglid called these "the ordinary Norwegian stave church". Stave churches were once common in northern Europe. In Norway alone, it

1281-400: The earliest churches in Norway were built using this technique, but no such buildings have survived. It is an open question whether limited life was the reason why they were replaced by real stave churches with sleepers, or whether there were other reasons. Some of the older materials found in several of the stave churches are thought to originate from such early pillar churches, in particular at

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1342-530: The earth (generally called post in ground construction) and given a roof. This proved a simple but very strong form of construction. If set in gravel, the wall could last many decades, even centuries. An archaeological excavation in Lund uncovered the postholes of several such churches. In post churches , the walls were supported by sills , leaving only the posts earth-bound. Such churches are easy to spot at archaeological sites as they leave very distinct holes where

1403-403: The entire structure up on stone foundations and placing the poles on sleepers, the life of the structure was significantly extended. The technique was developed as early as the 11th century, but it has only been proven in the forerunner of the current stave church. This was also a real stave church, since both the corner stakes and the tiles have stood on sleepers that were reused as foundations for

1464-400: The existing church. Stone as a base for poles was used as early as Roman times and additional walls in sleepers may have been used from the 400s and 600s. Lorentz Dietrichson believed that the stave churches were originally small and only later built with larger dimensions. He believed that the background for this was the construction technique. He points out that the youngest churches in

1525-544: The facade, the ground floor and the floor plan – the first known architectural drawing of a stave church. Between 1950 and 1970, postholes from older buildings were discovered under Lom stave church as well as under masonry churches such as Kinsarvik Church , and this discovery was an important contribution to understanding the origin of stave churches. Postholes were first identified during excavations in Urnes stave church. The number of stave churches constructed in Iceland and

1586-438: The four wall frames made up of sills, corner posts and wall plate. The wall plates support the roof trusses, consisting of a pair of principal rafters and an additional pair of intersecting "scissor rafters". For lateral bracing, additional wooden brackets ( bueknær ) are inserted between the rafters. Every piece is locked into position by other pieces, making for a very rigid construction; yet all points otherwise susceptible to

1647-524: The harsh weather are covered. Single-nave churches in Norway: Grip , Haltdalen , Undredal , Hedal , Reinli , Eidsborg , Rollag , Uvdal , Nore , Høyjord , Røldal , and Garmo . The only remaining church of this type outside Norway is the Hedared church in Sweden, which shows similarities with the church at Haltdalen . On the stone foundation, four huge ground beams ( grunnstokker ) are placed like

1708-561: The layout and design may have been inspired by Byzantine architecture. Nicolaysen wrote: "All facts suggest that the stave churches like the masonry churches and all medieval architecture in Western Europe originated from the Roman basilica." (" Alt synes at henpege paa, at forbilledet til vore stavkirker ligesom til stenkirkerne og overhovedet til hele den vesteuropæiske arkitektur i middelalderen er udgaaet fra den romerske basilika. ") This theory

1769-428: The lower end to avoid premature decay. Postholes, often with remnants of the former pillars, have been found under or near several stave churches and in places where legends say that there must have been churches. Remains of approximately 25 pillar buildings have been identified in Norway, and indirect traces of 7–8 more. Remains of pillar churches are also found under stone churches such as Mære and Kinsarvik. Many of

1830-644: The next hundred years 136 of these disappeared. There were still 95 stave churches in 1800, while over 200 former stave churches were still known by name or in written sources. From 1850 to 1885, 32 stave churches disappeared; since then only the Fantoft Stave Church has been lost. Heddal stave church was the first stave church described in a scholarly publication, when Johannes Flintoe wrote an essay in Samlinger til det Norske Folks Sprog og Historie (Christiania, 1834). The book also printed Flintoe's drawings of

1891-464: The observation that earthbound posts were susceptible to humidity, causing them to rot away over time. To prevent this, the posts were placed on top of large stones, significantly increasing their lifespans. The stave church in Røldal is believed to be of this type. In later churches the posts were set on a raised sill frame resting on stone foundations. This is the stave church in its most mature form. It

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1952-431: The pentice or aisles ( omgang ) surrounding the central space. The roof thus slopes down in two steps, as in a basilica . The tall internal posts ( staver ) are interconnected with brackets ( bueknær ), and also connected to the outer walls with aisle rafters, creating a laterally rigid construction. Closer to the top of the posts ( staver ), shorter sills inserted between them support the upper wall ( tilevegg ). On top of

2013-436: The period just after the year 1053 (+10 / −55 years). By lifting the pole planks up from the ground and placing them on sleepers clamped between more powerful corner or intermediate posts, the risk of rot damage was reduced. Thinner materials could then be used in the complementary parts of the construction. Earthen piles of coarse round timber could stand for a relatively long time before rotting. They may have been scorched at

2074-500: The plank walls. These probably served to protect the church from a harsh climate, and for processions. At the base of Type A churches, there are four heavy sill beams on a low foundation of stones. These are interconnected in the corner notch, forming a rigid sill frame. The corner posts or staves ( stavene in Norwegian) are cross-cut at the lower end and fit over the corner notches and cover them, protecting them from moisture. On top of

2135-584: The plot before twelve months; if not, he will pay three marks in punishment to the bishop and bring timber and rebuild the church anyway. ( Um einskildmenn byggjer kyrkje, anten lendmann gjer det eller bonde, eller kven det er som byggjer kyrkje, skal han halda henne i stand og inkje øyda tufti. Men um kyrkja brotnar og hyrnestavane fell, då skal han føra timber på tufti innan tolv månadar; um det ikkje kjem, skal han bøta tre merker for det til biskopen og koma med timber og byggja opp kyrkja likevel. ) In Norway, stave churches were gradually replaced; many survived until

2196-399: The post construction fell out of use because the posts rotted from below. Jørgen H. Jensenius believes that archaeological material does not provide unequivocal support for Christie's hypothesis; a change in size or transition to a stone church may also explain why excavated pillars fell out of use. Røldal Stave Church may have had some pillars set in the ground until 1913. In Lom Stave Church,

2257-416: The posts wall plates ( stavlægjer ) support the roof trusses, similar to those of the single-nave churches. The Kaupanger group consists of: Kaupanger , Urnes , Hopperstad , and Lom . The Borgund group consists of: Borgund , Gol , Hegge , Høre , Lomen , Ringebu , and Øye . This form of a church can also be recognized from the holes which remain from earlier earth-bound post churches built on

2318-558: The posts were once placed. Occasionally some of the wood remains, making it possible to date the church more accurately using radiocarbon dating or dendrochronology . Under the Urnes Stave Church , remains of two such churches have been found, with Christian graves discovered beneath the oldest church structure. A single church of palisade construction has been discovered under the Hemse stave church . The next design phase resulted from

2379-687: The rest of Europe is unknown. Some believe they were the first type of church to be constructed in Scandinavia ; however, the post churches are an older type, although the difference between the two is slight. A stave church has a lower construction set on a frame, whereas a post church has earth-bound posts. In Sweden , the stave churches were considered obsolete in the Middle Ages and were replaced. In Denmark , traces of post churches have been found at several locations, and there are also parts still in existence from some of them. A plank of one such church

2440-418: The same sites. Little is known about what these older churches actually looked like or how they were constructed, as they were all destroyed or replaced many centuries ago. The oldest technique is often called palisade work and was a self-supporting wall construction with densely placed earthen pillars or planks, which enclosed a room and at the same time carried the roof. Later, split logs were used, which gave

2501-465: The sides and details that mimic stone capitals . These churches give an impression of a basilica . The other subgroup is the Borgund group . In these churches the posts are connected halfway up with one or two horizontal double ″ pincer beams ″ with semicircular indentations, clasping the row of posts from both sides. Cross-braces are inserted between the posts and the upper and lower pincer beams (or above

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2562-418: The sill beam is a groove into which the lower ends of the wall planks ( veggtilene ) fit. The last wall plank is wedge-shaped and rammed into place. When the wall is filled in with planks, the frame is completed by a wall plate ( stavlægje ) with a groove on the bottom, holding the top ends of the wall planks. The whole structure consists of frames – a sill frame resting on the stone foundation, and

2623-477: The single pincer beam), forming a very rigid interconnection, and resembling the triforium of stone basilicas . This design made it possible to omit the freestanding lower part of intermediate posts. In some churches only the four corner posts remain (for example in Lomen Stave Church ). Many stave churches had or still have outer galleries or ambulatories around their whole perimeters, loosely connected to

2684-472: The stave church is "a brilliant translation of the Romanesque basilica from stone to wood" (" En genial oversettelse fra sten til tre av den romanske basilika "). Dietrichson claimed that Type B displays an influence from early Christian and Roman basilicas. The style was assumed to be transferred via Anglo-Saxon and Irish architecture, where only the particular roof construction was local. Dietrichson emphasized

2745-543: The stave church was the standard church building in Norway, even though the Catholic church preferred stone. All wooden churches in Norway before the reformation were constructed with staves. Log building is younger than stave building in Norway, and was introduced in residential buildings around year 1000. Stave building is not influenced by the log technique. Only 29 stave churches have survived in Norway. Most of these were built between 1150 and 1350. The word "stave church"

2806-429: The stone foundations have been laid approximately directly over the refilled postholes. Apart from different foundation methods, Jensenius believes that the pillar churches were essentially similar to stave churches. Of buildings from the Middle Ages with standing timber in load-bearing structures, only the churches in the last developed method of construction, the stave, have been left standing in our time. By lifting

2867-515: The strongest supports within the whole of Christianity." Church building was mentioned in the Gulatingsloven (Gulating Law), which was written down in the 1000s. In the chapter on Christianity, the 12th article states: If one man builds a church, either lendmann does it or a farmer, or whoever builds a church, shall keep the church and the plot in good condition. But if the church breaks down and corner posts fall, then he shall bring timber to

2928-423: The timber used for building the present church was cut in 1137. Also, Sverris saga makes no mention of the burning of this church at the time the town was burned. Consequently, it is now assumed that the church was built around 1140–1150 and that the second church burned down before that in a different fire. During the 13th century, the church was enlarged to the west by adding about 3.5 metres (11 ft) to

2989-430: The walls a flat inside, and the edges could be leveled or fitted with tongue and groove. Palisade churches have not been found in Norway. To prevent early decay, the posts or planks were tarred, and the lower ends were charred by burning. The palisade rows were often placed in ditches filled with stone. It was long thought that this technique disappeared before the turn of the last millennium, but new research shows that it

3050-576: Was a "half-cross church" with only one cross arm measuring 7.9 × 9.1 meters. The first stave church had cross arms of 7.9 × 6.7 meters after expansion. Dietrichson was unsure whether the cross arms in the Møre churches were generally added in the lath construction or whether it was a medieval stave construction. He concluded that several were originally listed as cruciform churches in stakes, including Hareid, Volda, Vatne and Ørsta. For some other churches (Bremsnes and Kornstad on Nordmøre), contemporary sources say that

3111-437: Was also used for wall boards or panels. Emil Eckhoff in his Svenska stavkyrkor (1914–1916) also included wood-frame church buildings without posts. According to Norway's oldest written laws and Old Norwegian Homily Book , the consecration of the church was valid as long as the four corner posts were standing. One of the sermons in the old homily book is known as the "stave church sermon". The sermon dates from around 1100 and

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3172-463: Was built before that time. The old medieval church was probably torn down in the year 1625. That same year, a new timber-framed church was built on the same site. In 1852, that church was again replaced with a new church. The new church was built slightly beside the old church and it was consecrated on 7 October 1852 by the Bishop Jacob von der Lippe . The new church was rather unique in that it has

3233-416: Was carried out in 1862, which has been called a "brutal modernization". New rows of windows were cut into the sides of the church, white exterior panelling was installed and dark roof tiles covered the old shingle roof. In 1959–1960, a restoration was carried out and many of the 1862 changes were undone and it was brought back to its 17th century look. The pulpit , altarpiece , and baptismal font that are in

3294-412: Was converted into a cruciform church partly in log construction. According to Dietrichson, most stave churches were dismantled to make room for a new church, partly because the old church had become too small for the congregation, and partly because the stave church was in poor condition. Fire, storm, avalanche and decay were other reasons. In 1650 there were about 270 stave churches left in Norway, and in

3355-673: Was found in Jutland . The plank is now on display at the National Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen and an attempt at reconstructing the church is a featured display at the Moesgård Museum near Aarhus . Marks created by several old post churches have also been found at the old stone church in Jelling . In Sweden, the medieval Hedared stave church was constructed c. 1500 at the same location as

3416-575: Was further developed by Anders Bugge and Roar Hauglid . Peter Anker believed that the influence from foreign masonry architecture was primarily in decorative details. Kaupanger Stave Church Kaupanger Stave Church ( Norwegian : Kaupanger stavkyrkje ) is the largest stave church in Vestland county, Norway . It is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Sogndal Municipality and it

3477-480: Was in use right up to the beginning of the 12th century. The only structure in this technique that has survived into our time is a wall in the middle section of Greensted Church in England. This led to this church being for a long time considered the oldest wooden structure in Europe. A common dating of the church was about the year 845, but modern dendrochronological dating estimates the church's year of construction to

3538-597: Was masonry, the annex church could be a stave church. Masonry churches were mostly built in towns, along the coast, and in rich agricultural areas in Trøndelag and eastern Norway, as well as in the larger parishes in fjord districts in western Norway. No new churches were built in Norway during the 1400s and 1500s. Norway's stave churches largely disappeared until 1700 and were replaced by log buildings. Several stave churches were redesigned or enlarged using different techniques during 1600–1700; for instance, Flesberg Stave Church

3599-400: Was presumably performed at consecrations, or on their anniversaries. The sermon text is a theological interpretation of the building elements in the church. It names most of the building elements in the stave church, and can be a source of terminology and technique. For instance, the sermon says: "The four corner posts of the church are a symbol for the four gospels, because their teachings are

3660-429: Was previously thought that the second stave church (built in the early 12th century) burned down in this fire. Archaeological research in the 1960s revealed that the second church had burned down, so it was assumed it was in the fire of 1184. The present church was therefore believed to have been built after that, probably around 1190. Recent research, however, has changed these assumptions. Dendrochronology has shown that

3721-579: Was thought about 1000 were built; recent research has increased this estimate and it is now believed there may have been closer to 2000. Norwegian stave churches older than the 1100s are known only from written sources or from archaeological excavations, but written sources are sparse and difficult to interpret. Only 271 masonry churches were constructed in Norway during the same period, of which 160 still exist, while in Sweden and Denmark there were 900 and 1800 masonry churches respectively. Frostathing Law and Gulating law rules about "corner posts" show that

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