Stave Church Architecture &
The Stave Churches of Norway
Norway became a Christian nation during the tenth and eleventh centuries, following the age of the Vikings. No sooner had the new religion taken hold than a period of church building began which lasted for several centuries.
The earliest small churches were wooden structures, followed by stone buildings, built in a Gothic style. This was quite natural, as many bishops, priests, and monks were sent from mainland Europe to Norway as part of the Christianizing process. Naturally, these missionaries brought with them a style of church architecture which they were familiar with. Soon, however, Norway developed its own form of church architecture, resulting in the so-called "stavkirke," or stave church. Although over 1,000 stave churches were eventually built in Norway, sadly, there are only about two dozen still remaining in the country.
The first characteristic of the stave church is that it is built of wood. And why not? Norway is a wooded land. What was more natural for these people, already highly skilled woodworkers since the Viking days, than to use this natural resource to erect their places of worship? Whether it is a sturdy and fierce Viking ship or a lofty stave church, these both reflect the rugged character and artistry of the Norwegian peasant and fisherman.
The stave churches were built of a special type of fir called "malmfuru," which was very hard, with great size and straight trunks. The closest approximation to this favored fir in North America is the Douglas fir of the Pacific Northwest. It is of Douglas fir the Chapel in the Hills is constructed.
The basic structure of a stave church is simple. This simplicity, however, vanished as the buildings became more elaborate, larger, and higher! In its essential form, the structure of a stave church is as follows: A low foundation of stone, rectangular in shape, was first built; its purpose was to keep the wood away from contact with the ground, and thus, decay from the wet soil. Upon this foundation were placed four sturdy beams. At each corner a mighty pillar, called a "stave" was erected, being mortised in to the foundation beams. It is from these staves that the name "stave church," or "stavkirke" derives. The walls were made of planks, placed vertically. At the top of the staves were four more beams, corresponding to the foundation beams. These supported the roof, which originally was a simple peaked style. However, the ingenuity of the Norwegian craftsmen soon elaborated on that simple plan. The typical stave church became taller and taller, with a series of roofs, each one offset and becoming smaller as the church reached toward the sky. To support all this, an intricate system of beams and additional staves became necessary. In addition to the main body of the church, very often there was built a covered passageway, or "ambulatory," entirely around the outside of the structure. This provided additional protection to the foundation from the harsh weather found in the region.
Construction Photos of the Chapel in the Hills
The only metal used was on the ornate door furnishings and locks. Instead of nails, they used wooden dowel pins. This may very well be one of the reasons why some stave churches have stood for over eight hundred years. The wooden dowels allow the building to expand and contract with the changes in temperature and humidity, instead of being rigidly held in place with iron hardware.
Another characteristic of the stave church is the woodcarving which abounds in it. The Norwegians were expert woodcarvers long before they turned to building churches. Again, the skills of the old Vikings were put to use and brought in to this new setting of a Christian house of worship. As more and more stave churches were built and dedicated to the worship of God, a rich symbolism grew up, with elaborate explanations of the spiritual meaning of the various carvings and parts of the building.
All of the intricate features of a stave church can be seen in the Borgund stave church in Norway, of which the Chapel in the Hills is an exact replica. Feel free to discover the richness, beauty, and reverence of this style of church structure during your visit with us at the Chapel in the Hills!