Heddal stavkirke
www.heddal-stavkirke.no/english.htm
Heddal Stave Church is not only a medieval architectural masterpiece, but also a living church for today's congregation. The church is the largest of the 28 stave churches still remaining in Norway. There appear to have been 750 - 1200 stave churches in Norway, but in the 19th century most of them were replaced by new, more "modern" churches.
We don't know when the church was built or if it was built in one or two sections. The experts are still studying the matter. What we do know is that the church was built later than the year 1196. On the wall in the exterior passasge, you can see Runes inscribed, telling that the church was consecrated and dedicated to the holy virgin Mary, maybe in 1242.
Categorizing a stave church is in fact easy - it's based on the very special building construction. On a stone foundation there is a frame of ground sills, into which the large pillars, the staves, are inset. On the top of the staves there is another frame of sills, the head beams, and on those, the roof construction is placed. The wall boards rest in a groove in the ground sills, while the top fits into a groove in the head beams. The boards are tounged and grooved, and only wooden nails - no metal nails - were used when constructing this church.
Thanks to the exceptional quality of the building material used, along with good ventilation through the stone foundation, the church still contains as much as 25 - 30 % of the original material. During the centuries, Heddal Stave Church has, with variable success, been repaired and restored. In 1952 -54 it was restored with the purpose of bringing it back as close as possible to the original state.
The outside of the church was protected by tar. The church is now regulary tarred by hand, with tar produced in the old way. There is a project going on, mixing the tar with coal. This makes the tar attatching firmer to the tiles. With great success mountain climbers are now engaged to do the tarring.
In 1998 a project of replacing all the roof-tiles was started. In co-operation with our nathional authorities on ancient history, this work is now performed with original matherial and thecniques; all by hand and by specially educated local carpenters.
Inside the church you can see a beautiful wooden carved chair, dated around 1200. The bapism- font and a small wooden chair are both made in 1850 from two of the original pillars from this church. The alter-piece is produced by an unknown artist in 1667. The wall-painting that you see today is dated 1668. Underneath, on the west wall, there are remains of the original painting from about 1300. The Norwegian Gouvernment hope to restore these ancient paintings in 2008-09.
A circular iron chandelier for 23 candles (now in the University Museum of National Antiquities, in Oslo) formed part of he medieval inventory. Here is also a beautiful alter-front. A picture of this in natural size can be seen in the exhibition in the "barn".
Before the reformation reached our country in 1537, Heddal Stave Church was Roman- Catholic. Since then the church has been Lutheran. From the Catholic period there remains a bronze insence burner, hanging to the left in the chancel.
Until 1850 the church bells hung in the church. They were moved to the bell-tower outside because the burden on the structure of the church became too great, as the centuries passed. The oldest church bell is was made in Amsterdam in 1647.
Heddal stavkirke
www.heddal-stavkirke.no/english.htm
Heddal Stave Church is not only a medieval architectural masterpiece, but also a living church for today's congregation. The church is the largest of the 28 stave churches still remaining in Norway. There appear to have been 750 - 1200 stave churches in Norway, but in the 19th century most of them were replaced by new, more "modern" churches.
We don't know when the church was built or if it was built in one or two sections. The experts are still studying the matter. What we do know is that the church was built later than the year 1196. On the wall in the exterior passasge, you can see Runes inscribed, telling that the church was consecrated and dedicated to the holy virgin Mary, maybe in 1242.
Categorizing a stave church is in fact easy - it's based on the very special building construction. On a stone foundation there is a frame of ground sills, into which the large pillars, the staves, are inset. On the top of the staves there is another frame of sills, the head beams, and on those, the roof construction is placed. The wall boards rest in a groove in the ground sills, while the top fits into a groove in the head beams. The boards are tounged and grooved, and only wooden nails - no metal nails - were used when constructing this church.
Thanks to the exceptional quality of the building material used, along with good ventilation through the stone foundation, the church still contains as much as 25 - 30 % of the original material. During the centuries, Heddal Stave Church has, with variable success, been repaired and restored. In 1952 -54 it was restored with the purpose of bringing it back as close as possible to the original state.
The outside of the church was protected by tar. The church is now regulary tarred by hand, with tar produced in the old way. There is a project going on, mixing the tar with coal. This makes the tar attatching firmer to the tiles. With great success mountain climbers are now engaged to do the tarring.
In 1998 a project of replacing all the roof-tiles was started. In co-operation with our nathional authorities on ancient history, this work is now performed with original matherial and thecniques; all by hand and by specially educated local carpenters.
Inside the church you can see a beautiful wooden carved chair, dated around 1200. The bapism- font and a small wooden chair are both made in 1850 from two of the original pillars from this church. The alter-piece is produced by an unknown artist in 1667. The wall-painting that you see today is dated 1668. Underneath, on the west wall, there are remains of the original painting from about 1300. The Norwegian Gouvernment hope to restore these ancient paintings in 2008-09.
A circular iron chandelier for 23 candles (now in the University Museum of National Antiquities, in Oslo) formed part of he medieval inventory. Here is also a beautiful alter-front. A picture of this in natural size can be seen in the exhibition in the "barn".
Before the reformation reached our country in 1537, Heddal Stave Church was Roman- Catholic. Since then the church has been Lutheran. From the Catholic period there remains a bronze insence burner, hanging to the left in the chancel.
Until 1850 the church bells hung in the church. They were moved to the bell-tower outside because the burden on the structure of the church became too great, as the centuries passed. The oldest church bell is was made in Amsterdam in 1647.