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Norwegian Ancestry Series
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| 1/1/1900 | Email this article • Print this article | A Tour of Norway's Stavkirker
Deb Nelson Gourley
April 29, 2002
Truly unique to Norway, the Stavkirke (Stave Church) is a 900-year-old wooden temple filled with history of the Viking Era and Christianity. Approximately 1000 of these churches, built between 1100s and 1300s, were once scattered throughout Norway's routes of trade. Today, only 29 Stavkirker remain in Norway to deliver their "messages in wood."
Last summer, my mother, Char Nelson; sister, Teresa O'Connor; son, Alex Huntrods; and I toured numerous Stavkirker in Norway. We not only learned of ancestral heathen temple sites, but also found benches in the Uvdal Stavkirke labeled with our Imingen family name.
We found the messages of the Stavkirker were still alive when we located a 300-year-old memorial painting of my 8th Great Grandfather Bjørn Frøysok and his family. The 1699 epitaph is the first portrait and the only known church painting of a Norwegian farm family. The painting hung in the Gol Stavkirke and is now displayed at the Norsk Folkemuseum (Norwegian Folk Museum) in Bygdøy, Oslo.
Christianity was introduced into Norway over a lengthy period of about two hundred years. Through trading connections and Viking raids, Norwegians came in contact with Christian Europe, which contributed to a weakening of the traditional belief in the Nordic Gods. Three missionary Viking Kings, Håkon I the Good, Olaf I Tryggvasson, and Olaf II Haraldsson (Saint Olaf) gave the church their final victory.
The Stavkirke, with the dark tarred timbers, pointed gables, narrow archways and the same dragon-heads that decorated the bows of the Viking longboats, became a place of Christian worship. The Stavkirke "messages in wood" helped to drive the Norse Gods from the Norwegian valleys, mountain, and fjords.
Norse Mythology
In the heathen religion, the Gods and Goddesses each had power over their own domain. Odin, old and wise, was the chieftain and ruled over all the Gods. Odin's son Thor, the second mightiest God, was the strong and quick-tempered God of the warriors and was always ready to do battle with the giants and trolls. The forests and mountains of Norway were believed to be populated by many types of supernatural beings. Thor's chariot rolling across the sky made the sound of thunder.
The heathen Gods are best known from descriptions written down in early Christian times. Some of the Norwegian farms such as Torshov, Frøyshov and Onsaker kept their original heathen God names. Present day Norwegian sites with the last syllable "hov" indicate that there once was a heathen temple at the site.
Prior to 1000 AD and Christianity, people worshiped the God Frey at the author's ancestral farm Frøysok (Frosager) i Gol, Hallingdal. Frey was responsible for the fertility of the soil and livestock and for peace and prosperity. A picture of Frey was worshiped close to the crop fields. After splashing the picture with blood, it was washed in the pond behind the farm living quarters or in the river.
A sacrificial temple was also believed to be located at the author's ancestral Ve farm in pre-Christian times. A translation of the old-Norse word Ve means sacred place. The Flå Stavkirke in Hallingdal once stood on the Ve farm, but it was torn down due to its deterioration. The term "farmer in the mound" was a commonly held pagan belief that the spirit of the original owner of an estate continued to offer protection from the grave.
Stavkirke Construction
The Stavkirke construction technique of building with wood was a legacy of the Vikings. Like the Viking ships, the Stavkirke was a display of amazing technical skills. The intricate system and precise structural details gave the Stavkirke durability to resist centuries of wear and tear.
The term "stav" originates from the high wooden supporting pillars, which are a characteristic part of the skeleton structure of the Stavkirker. In the 12th century, it became customary to place horizontal beams (sills) on a wall of flat stone footings to raise the Stavkirke above ground level. This sill technology became a way of preventing the staves from rotting.
The Stavkirke structure was completely flexible; each joint could expand or contract depending upon the damp or dry weather. This was made possible by the way the columns, planks and supports were dovetailed, pegged and wedged, never nailed or glued. Construction was accomplished with axes, since the use of saws and planes was almost unknown. Knives were used to carve simple crosses and arrogant dragon-heads. Tarred wooden shingles were used for the roof. The entire structure was painted with a mixture of natural tar, turpentine and linseed oil.
Norwegian pine trees, which grow to 115 feet, were used to build the Stavkirker. The tree curing process took a couple decades to complete, since the process began while the trees were still alive. The pine tree was first debranched and topped, then left to bleed the resin into the branch ends, and finally to dry. This tree became far more rot resistant.
Among the most distinctive works of art to be found in Norway are the Stavkirke doorframes. Virtually all of the doorframes are richly decorated from top to bottom with carvings from the pagan animal world of the Viking Era.
Axes and swords were deposited near the doorway before entering the Stavkirke. The long service was held in almost total darkness except for the flickering candlelight by the alter, which was beautified with vessels of silver and gold. The room was filled with intense odors of tar, wood, wool, fur, candles and incense.
Only the elderly or feeble had benches along the wall, while the others stood on dirt floors in the cold dark room. The unbaptized followed the church service from the galleries. Lepers viewed the service from the outside through a hole in the wall.
Bjørn Tolleivson Frøysok Epitaph 1699
The author's 8th Great Grandfather, Bjørn Tolleivson Frøysok, was a descendant from Frøysok (Frosager) i Gol, Hallingdal, the site of the once heathen temple and sacred cultivated farm fields. Bjørn Tolleivson Frøysok lived from 1634 to 1709. His parents were Bonde Tolleiv Arneson Frøysok and Jørand Johannesdtr Hove. The Bonde were the owners of large rural properties.
Bjørn first married Ingebjørg Halvorsdatter Hersgard Børtnes and they had ten children. I am a descendant of their son, Per Bjørnson Frøysok, on the Knudson side of the family. Ingebjørg died about 1680. Bjørn then married Guri Eivindsdatter Tolleivsgard and eight more children were born. In 1699, Bjørn had a memorial painting made of both families and donated it to the Gol Stavkirke.
Dominating the picture is Bjørn holding a battle hammer in his hand. The artist painted on the left his deceased first wife and their ten children. On the right are his then living wife and their eight children. Above Bjørn is the year 1699 and the Gothic inscription: "Have thanks O God our creator for nourishment from land and water. Thank you the holy spirit for our minds and thank God for our hearts and our happiness and bread shall be delivered us until our death and give us luck and health and life and gain eternity in Jesus name. Amen."
Outside influences were late in arriving to the mountain districts. Bjørn Frøysok's costume is a variation of the Renaissance style of the 1500's. Bjørn and his sons are wearing a type of cap and shirt, which dates back to the Middle Ages. The men's short, wide pantaloons and red high-heeled shoes, as well as the women's skirts, narrow aprons, and blouses, were signs of Renaissance fashions.
Bjørn and his family were many times in court over quarrels of property and inheritance. According to the laws of the time, ancestral land had to be offered for sale to the descendants of the original owner.
The reference in Norway's Stave Churches describes my Frøysok ancestor: "We know that many of those who were a part of financing the artwork in the church were certainly not the most unobtrusive in manner and mood. On the contrary, many of them were fined and censured for fighting and bloodshed and many kind of lawbreaking."
Stavkirker in Norway
Only a small percentage of the Stavkirker remain today. About 1600, monarchs began to dip into church funds to pay for wars and, as a consequence, churches often fell into decay. About half of the country's churches were sold to private persons to raise needed funds. There is no other structure anywhere in the world like the Stavkirke. Finding ancestral links, including heathen temples sites, a 300-year-old painting, and wooden Imingen benches has only heightened my interest in the legends, history, and medieval architecture of the Stavkirker.
The Stavkirke serves as a "message in wood" of the uneasy fusion of Viking and Christian cultures. No trip to Norway would be complete without a tour of the Stavkirker where fierce dragon-heads sprout from the roofs, old pagan designs, carved entrances, and wooden crosses still survive.
29 Stavkirker in Norway
1. Borgund - Located at the head of the Sognefjord, the Borgund Stavkirke is the best preserved of all Stavkirker and serves as a model for many church restorations. In 1782, a mentally disturbed woman set fire to the Borgund Stavkirke. A passerby called for help and the Stavkirke was saved.
2. Urnes - Known as the Queen of the Stavkirer, it rises high above the sea. The Urnes Stavkirke is home to the Danish saga about Habor and Signe's tragic love story. Legend tells of the gallows where Habor was hanged and the cage where the grieving Signe took her life.
3. Kaupanger - The Kaupanger Stavkirke is the largest Stavkirke in the Sogn area and still serves as the local parish church. The old Norse word "kaupangr" meant trading post or marketplace.
4. Hopperstad - Located at Vik i Sogn, the Hopperstad Stavkirke is only used on Midsummer's Eve. The Stavkirke recently built in Moorhead, MN is a replica of the Hopperstad.
5. Undredal - The Udredal Stavkirke is not only one of Norway's oldest Stavkirke, but also one of the smallest, seating about 40 people. Built as early as 1147 in the Aurlandsfjord, the Stavkirke has been in use ever since.
6. Røldal - The crucifix located in the Røldal Stavkirke was believed to have a healing aspect. On Midsummer's Eve the paralyzed, lame, blind, and sick were helped to the altar.
7. Heddal - Called "a gothic cathedral in wood," the Heddal Stavkirke in Telemark is Norway's largest Stavkirke. It is also known as the "Wedding Cake Temple," due to its roof upon roof and tower upon tower.
8. Eidsborg - The Eidsborg Stavkirke in Lårdal is distinctive due to roof, posts, and walls being entirely clad with wooden shingles. This Stavkirke was one of the last built before the Black Death (Bubonic Plague) in 1349.
9. Rollag - It is thought that in early days of Christianity, the congregation gathered at a large stone cross. Later this cross was found in a burial chamber beneath the Rollag Stavkirke and placed outside the church. The cross is perhaps older than the Stavkirke.
10. Flesberg - Still the parish church, the Flesberg Stavkirke i Numedal has undergone extensive restorations. One of the few remaining remnants of this Stavkirke is a medieval dragon entrance.
11. Nore - The Nore Stavkirke i Numedal is noted for having its walls covered with biblical sites presented in riddle form. Mass was said in Latin and biblical paintings were used for education.
12. Uvdal - We were thrilled to discover the name Imingen located on three of the wooden benches in the Uvdal Stavkirke. The author descends from Imingen to Kjosa to Tovson to Thompson. During excavation beneath the flooring, knotted cords and pouches holding objects were found that were thought to have magical powers.
13. Hedalen - Legend tells this Valdres Stavkirke was deserted for nearly 200 years after the Black Death, only to be discovered by a hunter. A bear hibernating at the foot of the altar was found and killed by the hunter. The bear's pelt is still kept in the church.
14. Lomen - The Lomen Stavkirke was in continuous use during the Middle Ages. The Black Death did not seen to depopulate this isolated Vestre Slidre community in Valdres.
15. Høre - Consecrated in 1180, the Høre Stavkirke was located close to the author's ancestral Kvie farm in Vang, Valdres. Future Queen Gyda was raised at Kvie. Gyda married King Harald Hårfagre, the first king of all of Norway. Coins dating back to 1040 indicate the Høre Stavkirke and the Kvie farms were important religious and trading centers.
16. Øye - The Øye Stavkirke, probably built in the 1100's, was first located in a flood area. Stones were placed on any casket lowered into the ground during the flooding season. The Stavkirke was re-erected on higher ground.
17. Hegge - The Hegge Stavkirke is the only remaining medieval Stavkirke in Østre Slidre. Unique are eight one-eyed masks representing the Norse God, Odin.
18. Reinli - Legend tells the Reinli Stavkirke was first located at the base of the valley in Sør-Aurdal, however the "little people" (underground creatures) were annoyed and transported the Stavkirke to it present location far up on the hillside.
19. Torpo - Located next to the author's Nubgarden ancestral farm, the Torpo Stavkirke rare ceiling paintings are rated among the finest of European church art. Almost 800 years ago, an unknown artist painted the graphic scenes portraying the life of Jesus and the martyrdom of St. Margaret. She had professed herself to be a Christian and refused to marry a heathen.
20. Gol - The 1699 painting of the Bjørn Frøysok family hung in the original Gol Stavkirke. The painting along with the Stavkirke are now located at the Norsk Folkemuseum in Bygdøy, Olso. This church perhaps receives the most visitors of any Stavkirke in Norway. In 1994 a new Stavkirke was consecrated at Gol i Hallingdal to replace the old church.
21. Høyjord - Norway's southernmost Stavkirke, located in Andebu, had consecrated crosses carved into the walls to keep the evil spirits away.
22. Rødven - Considered a masterpiece, a life-size crucifix is located in the front of the Rødven Stavkirke in Romsdal. The church was sold at public action by the monarchs to raise funds.
23. Kvernes - Exposed to the open sea, the Kvernes Stavkirke has withstood all storms and remains a place of worship in Nordmøre. Although having undergone numerous reconstructions, the main part from the original Stavkirke was saved.
24. Grip - Located on an island 14 kilometers off the coast of Norway, the Grip Stavkirke has withstood storms and tidal waves. This included the night-time storm in 1796 that washed nearly 100 buildings into the sea.
25. Holtålen - During the "Catholic Era," a quick solution to no warm water for a baptism in Gauldal resulted in the priest asking the parishioners to spit into the baptismal dish. Word reached Rome angering the Pope enough to call the people of Holtålinger barbarians and demand that the incident not be repeated. In 1881 to 1884, the Holtålen Stavkirke was dismantled and reconstructed at the Trøndelag Folk Museum in Trondheim.
26. Garmo - According to a legend, Torgeir the Old from the Garmo farm in Lom negotiated with St. Olaf. Torgeir accepted the Christian faith and built a church on his farm in exchange for Lake Tessevann, a lake rich with fish. The Stavkirke was moved to Maihaugen in 1921.
27. Vågå - Located in northern Gulbrandsdalen, Vågå's "Vatican Church" was thought to have been built between 1100 to 1130. My parents attended the wedding of their exchange student, Thor Ekre, in the Vågå Stavkirke.
28. Ringebu - The Ringebu Stavkirke, with it's distinctive now red towering steeple, still functions as the local parish church. The main section from the original Stavkirke is especially known for its beautiful altarpiece and pulpit.
29. Lom - While hiding in the mountain to avoid the death penalty, two young boys from Lom each carved a wooden angel for the altar. Upon returning with the angels they were pardoned for deserting the war.
Deb Nelson Gourley is a layout editor at the Journal. She was raised in Amherst and is writing a book about her Norwegian heritage. Deb can be reached at Gourleydeb@aol.com.
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Reader Comments
Posted: Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Article comment by:
mollie jenckes
This is a great article! Thank you so much! MY husband was (deceased) Norwegian and we have property in the area around the Reinli stavekirke.
Mollie
Posted: Saturday, April 11, 2009
Article comment by:
Marilyn (Hovda) Noel
My 8 greats grandparent's are Tollev Arneson Froysok b. 1605 d. 1677 & Jorand Johannesdatter. Are we cousins? Recently read A Tour of Norway's Stravkirker. It was great.
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