Stave church - Definition and Overview

Stave Church of Lom (Norway)

A stave church is a medieval wooden church, and can be found 28 places in Norway. originally there were approximately 1000 stave churches in Norway. Many churches were destroyed during the 19th century.

There is evidence suggesting that stave churches were built upon old Norse heathen holy places or temples, which were destroyed after Christianity was introduced in Norway around the year 1000.

Stave churches feature an intriguing combination of Christian designs intermixed with pre-Christian Viking motifs, such as the intergripping beast motifs commonly seen carved into the wooden columns and paneling of the buildings.

Urnes stave church is included on UNESCO’s World Heritage List of most valuable cultural memorials in the world, Urnes is the oldest stave church in Norway.

The biggest stave church in Norway is Heddal. The best preserved is Borgund stave church in Lærdal.

External links

• Stave Church - Medieval Wooden Churches in Norway (http://www.stavechurch.org/)