Stave church
Stave churches or mast churches are wooden churches that were constructed as stick structures. The rod structure is a structure made of vertical masts, the so-called rods, on which the entire roof structure rests. Stave churches were mainly found in Scandinavia. Dating them proves difficult as many churches have been lost due to their initially primitive construction. Others were destroyed by fire or replaced by stone churches. In Scandinavia , stave churches were built during the transition from pagan religion to Christianity, especially in the 12th and 13th centuries, but were also built in the late Middle Ages.
An important characteristic of the stave churches - apart from the roof mast construction - is the general verticality of the church building: the wooden parts are vertical, in contrast to the block buildings in which the wooden parts are horizontal.
Today, stave churches are a major destination for tourism.
Spread of the stave churches
In Norway there were around 750 stave churches up until the Reformation, making them the majority of the approx. 1200 churches in the country. At the beginning of the 19th century there were still around a hundred stave churches.
Most of the stave churches are in Norway today. 28 of the total of 33 stave churches in this country are considered authentic, because a considerable proportion of the building fabric from the Middle Ages has been preserved. Three of the other stave churches were reconstructed and fundamentally rebuilt in the later centuries. The stave Vågå was from 1625 to 1627 and the stave Fåvang rebuilt comprising been 1630-1631.
In Sweden , most of the stave churches were burned during the plague epidemics of the 17th century. There is only one authentic medieval stave church in Hedared (about 16 km from Borås ).
Not a single one of the Danish stave churches has survived. But in 1960 post marks and a floor were found under the church of Høring near Randers, which dates from the 12th century. A piece of a wall frame, the "Hørningsplanke", was discovered in 1887 when the stone church was being renovated. Dendrochronologically, the constructively revealing wooden part with the fragments of a snake ornament was dated to 1060.
The Greensted Church in Essex , England , is considered the oldest in parts wooden church still standing. According to the results of Sheffield University, it is dated to the 11th century. The Greensted church is a palisade church and thus falls into the first type of stave church construction. It has been rebuilt and expanded several times. Today only parts of the long walls and the western gable wall are preserved. These were shortened in the lower third, raised on a threshold and reinforced to prevent contact with the damp soil.
The Skálholt Cathedral in Iceland is the largest known stave church . It has not been preserved, but it was easy to reconstruct thanks to the stone base and the dimensions given in written sources.
A stave church translocated from Norway is Wang Church in Silesia .
Historical environment
The stave church type was adopted in Scandinavia at the beginning of the 11th century, when Christianity finally gained a foothold after a two-hundred-year transition period. It was also used in Scandinavian-influenced regions (e.g. Iceland, Greenland and in the regions dominated by Vikings). The impetus for the mission came from England and Germany, where Ansgar (796–865), the Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen, provided the impetus. The missionary work was promoted by the Norwegian kings Haakon I (920–961), Olav I (963–1000) and the later canonized Olav II (995–1030), who were trained and baptized in England. The spread of the Christian faith also served to subjugate rival Scandinavian petty kings.
Although the stave churches were built almost two centuries after the beginning of the Christianization of Norway and the missionaries did not tolerate syncretism , many pagan elements can be found on the buildings (e.g. dragon heads, images of Odin, pagan symbols in incisions). However, there was never a mix of content between the two faiths in Norway. The old Nordic faith and the new Christian faith coexisted for two hundred years. The Church probably accepted the originally pagan elements because much of the symbolism and narratives could be reinterpreted as Christian.
architecture
Stave church families
The churches were built either as simple hall churches, middle-masted or multi-masted churches. The simplest form and probably also the oldest is the simple hall church. The central mast church has a single, free-standing mast in the middle of the nave where the parish gathers during the service. A smaller choir for the clergy and the apse were added. The churches of Nore and Uvdal have such simple forms with a central mast.
Type A family - simple hall churches and middle mast churches
Type A stave churches are single-nave and have bars only on the corners of the outer walls; Sometimes there are also free-standing central bars. These churches have a simple gable roof. The nave churches without central rod are the Haltdalen type and those with the center rod Numedaltyp assigned.
- Haltdalen type: Are relatively small churches with an almost square, simple basic shape without free-standing bars in the room. The choir is usually not as wide as the ship. The best preserved church with this design is Haltdalen stave church , which was built in 1170. The Reinli Stave Church in Valdres probably from the second half of the 13th century emerged from the Haltdalen type.
- Number type: These stave churches have a staff in the middle of the room, so they are also called single-masted or central-masted churches . Originally the central bar was set in a base and connected to the masts of the walls by horizontal connecting beams. The central mast probably served not only to stabilize the church, but also as a support for a roof turret with bells. There are still three preserved stave churches of the Numedal type, two of which are in the Numedal region . The Nore Stave Church and Uvdal Stave Church belong to this type of building in Numedal .
- Møretyp: A characteristic feature of these churches is the use of central bars in the longitudinal walls. There are exactly three churches of this type still standing, all in the region More og Romsdal are: kvernes stave church , Stave Church Røvden and Grip Stave Church . Two of them are hall churches and one long church.
Type B family - large mast churches
Type B stave churches have a more complex structure with a gallery surrounding the main nave, which in turn is surrounded by a Svalgang. The central bars rest on a rectangular frame. The rods are free-standing in the lower part, the upper part forms the framework for the wall construction.
These stave churches can be divided into two groups:
- Kaupanger type: In these stave churches, the columns form arcades. Often the columns have a capital that mimics the stone building. Kaupanger-type stave churches are Kaupanger , Urnes , Hopperstad and Lom . The churches of Hopperstad and Lom have later built in St. Andrew's crosses and thus resemble the Borgund type today.
- Borgund type: Churches of the Borgund type have St. Andrew's cross connections between the columns and the structure resembles a triforium . Borgund-type churches are Borgund , Fantoft , Gol , Hegge , Høre (Hurum) , Lomen , Ringebu and Øye .
The Torpo stave church is a structure that belongs to both groups.
Layout
The ground plan of Gol stave church as an example of the Borgund type. Likewise, the high pillar construction now resembles the Hopperstad and Lom stave churches.
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Legend A: Floating masts of the inner column construction B: Load-bearing masts of the inner column construction C: Masts in the outer wall D: Wooden frame of the inner column construction F: Crossbeams in the floor G: Flanking wooden benches H: West portal J: South portal K : ChoirportalL: Choir M: Apse N: Altar O: arcade P: columns of the arcade |
cross-section
The cross section of the Gol stave church.
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Legend A: Floating masts B: supporting masts C: Blind Nordportal D: Südportal E: masks at the end of the masts F: gable crosses G: First comb H: side benches J: Andreaskreuze K: lugs L: arches of the portico M: scissors rafters N: Kehlbalken O : Knaggen in the transition from the nave to the choir P: Arcade in the transition from the choir to the apse |
Longitudinal section
The longitudinal section of the Gol stave church.
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Legend A: Floating masts B: Supporting masts C: West portal D: Masks at the end of the masts E: Dragon headson thegableroofsF: Gable crosses and apse tower cross G:Ridge comb H:Sidebenches J:St.Andrew's crosses K: Knaggen L: Arcades of the portico M: Rafters N: apse with apse tower O: light openings P: portico around apse Q: choir portal R: south portal |
Foundation
The stave churches were always built on a square solid wooden frame, which was placed on a stone base to protect against water damage. In the simpler forms of the stave churches, the masts are located in the walls of the frame, leaving the church space free. In the more complex pole-and-bar churches, the masts are the load-bearing element in the nave and form a basic structure with horizontal beams. The masts have a groove and were placed on horizontal beams that lie on the stone base. The individual masts are connected to one another with horizontal beams, which creates a solid foundation. The masts are in turn placed above in the groove of a horizontal beam below the attic. This gives the stave church the cuboid , load-bearing framework.
The walls consist of vertical bar planks that are embedded in the groove of the horizontal beam of the frame. They end above in the groove of a horizontal beam, which is located approximately in the middle of the basic structure. In the case of more complex churches, a Svalgang was created outside as another onion-like bowl.
In the middle of this basic structure, horizontal beams were used, which are at the same height as the beams of the frame, which is used to close the walls. The frame with the walls is only about half the size of the basic structure. Above these beams in the basic structure of the masted bar churches of the Borgund type there are St. Andrew's crosses as cross struts and above these crosses small arbors . The lowest monopitch roofs were built from the outer frame, ending at the basic structure and thus covering the St. Andrew's cross and arbors from the outside. The uppermost part of the basic structure above the arbors, which would now be open to the outside, was closed again with bar planks, analogous to the lower walls. The attic of the lowest gable roof was then placed above this basic structure.
roofs
Most of the churches have multi-tiered, steep roofs. The roofs inside are supported by free-standing masts. Type B churches in particular have many roof steps and are reminiscent of pagodas .
Some churches have a so-called "Svalgang" which moves the whole church including the choir. This had the structural benefit of protecting the church from the weather and providing a support for a multi-level roof. This Svalgang was used as a meeting place before and after the service and as a place to store weapons. This Svalgang possibly disappeared for social reasons, since in safe times no more weapons were carried. So have z. B. the churches of Lom, Vågå, Ringebu and others no longer Svalgang. As a result, however, there was no basis for raised roof structures.
The church roofs consist of one or two levels of monopitch roofs followed by gable roofs . In the more complex design, they often end in either conical or pyramid-shaped single or multi-tiered turrets. But there are also more complex towers that are more based on stone construction, such as B. at the Lom Stave Church .
Due to the gradual reduction in size of the roofs, the buildings appear larger than they are. This concept is also used in the backdrop technique as a forced perspective technique. This effect was z. B. recently used at "Cinderalla's Castle" in Disneyland . There is no evidence that this technology was consciously used back then. Possibly. However, due to the symbolic vertical alignment (connection of the sky with the earth) and the gradual construction of the roofs, the perspective effect was intended.
The roof structures of many stave churches with scissor rafters and collar beams were compared by Lorentz Dietrichson with the structure of Viking ships as early as the 19th century . Dietrichson hypothesized that static considerations of contemporary shipbuilding were used in the construction of stave churches. The ridge beam would correspond to the keel of a Viking ship. The frames of the ships, like the rafters, which are separated from the ridge with the help of the scissor rafters, were not attached directly to the ship's keel. Like a Viking ship, the forces on the roof of the church are distributed over the entire rib structure. As in the church, there are cleats in the ships, which distribute the forces. This theory is now considered outdated, because the roof structure of the stave churches is very similar to other wooden roof structures that were built in Western Europe at the same time.
Pagan elements
Since the stave churches were built in the two hundred years after the transition from pagan to Christianity , there are many pagan elements in them, such as defensive magic. Likewise, deities, people and objects from the mythological stories of the Nordic religion repeatedly appear in the carvings .
Defense spells
The gable roofs have striking apotropaic elements at key points . Noticeable is z. B. the frequent repetition of the cross and the images of dragons and stylized dragon heads. The crosses should probably not represent a postulate for the new religion, but more an effective defense against nature spirits.
The stylized dragon heads are reminiscent of the Viking ships and were mostly placed in an east-west direction (the movement of the sun). The dragon was considered a demon who could only be tamed by his own image. The stylized dragon heads have the same function as the grimaces of the gargoyles on many European stone churches. In the case of the Viking ships, attaching dragon heads was also a magical act that transformed the ship into an equally strong monster in order to be armed against enemies.
The carvings on the portals and masts also had an apotropaic function. One example is the north portal at Urnes Church , which was probably once the main portal. The portal was shortened with the ax and attached to the north side, where there is no entrance. The reason that this portal was reused was not so much to have respect for the craftsmanship of the carvers, but rather to want to reuse the protective function of the carvings. According to ancient belief, the north side of the churches was particularly exposed to the ghosts of the night and therefore had to be specially protected. This is also the reason why entrances and windows are often missing on the north side.
In many churches there are so-called ghost sleepers at the entrance to the interior . This is a high level intended to keep nature spirits from entering the church. The portals were built very narrow for the same reason.
Pagan tales
Norse mythology occurs again and again in the carvings of the churches . So shows z. B. the bishop's seat in Heddal a scene from the saga of the dragon slayer Sigurd . Essential scenes from this legend can also be found in the carving of the former west portal of the Hylestad stave church from the second half of the 12th century. The stave church was destroyed in the 19th century and the portal can now be found in the Universitetets Oldsaksamling in Oslo . In Torpo there was a depiction of the end of the world from the Edda on the floor . The god father Odin fights against the freed Fenriswolf .
Todays situation
Modern replicas
The Fantoft stave church had to be completely reconstructed after an arson attack in 1997, which was only possible because an exact documentation of this church exists. The arsonist may have been Varg Vikernes , a member of the Norwegian black metal scene at the time, who was later convicted of three more church arson attacks. He was also charged with the arson attack on Fantoft stave church, but the arson could not be proven.
There are three more recent churches in Norway: In Gol in Hallingdal, a copy of the Gol stave church was built in 1994 using old technology near the original location , after the original was moved to Oslo in 1884. This copy is the main attraction of a medieval park, but it is also officially dedicated to the church. The Saint Olavs Church in Balestrand , which was built in 1897, has many elements of stave church architecture as a model. Savjord Stave Church in Beiarn , Nordland, is a private replica of Gol Stave Church, which was completed in 2005-2006.
There are also a few more recent Swedish stave churches. Four churches were built or rebuilt in the late 20th and early 21st centuries:
- Hållandsgårdens Stave Church in Åre , Jämtland , built in 1999.
- Häggviks stave church in Nordingrå , Norrland , built in 2000.
- Kårböle Stave Church in Ljusdal , Gävleborg , built in 1989.
- Skaga Stave Church in Töreboda , Västra Götaland , built in the 12th century, demolished in the 19th century and rebuilt in the 1950s. After a fire, it was rebuilt a second time in 2001.
In other countries, some stave churches or churches have been built with elements of stave church architecture.
The medieval Norwegian stave church Wang was acquired by the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm IV in 1841 and rebuilt in Brückenberg near Krummhübel , today part of the Polish town of Karpacz in the Giant Mountains .
The Gustav-Adolf-Stave Church in Hahnenklee (a district of Goslar in the Harz Mountains ) was built on the model of the Borgund stave church in 1907 and consecrated in 1908.
In the Selketal (Eastern Harz) there is another small stave church near the village of Stiege on the site of the former Albrechtshaus sanatorium . It was consecrated in 1905. The church in Wang in the Giant Mountains had served as a model for them. The cemetery chapel in the south-west cemetery in Stahnsdorf was consecrated in 1911, also based on the model of the Wang Stave Church .
The Heimaey Stave Church , Vestmannaeyjar , is located in Iceland and was completed in 2000.
The Evangelical Church of Bad Kleinkirchheim (Austria) was built in 1938.
In the United States of America there are churches that have adopted elements of stave church architecture or copied stave churches true to the original:
- Chapel in the Hills in Rapid City , South Dakota
- Boynton Chapel in Bjorklunden , Door County , Wisconsin
- Copy of Hopperstad Stave Church in Moorhead , Minnesota
- Little Norway near Dodgeville , Wisconsin
- St. Swithun’s in Warren County , Indiana
- Trinity Lutheran Church’s in Washington Island , Wisconsin
Stave churches as decoration
Stave churches as decoration are in three amusement parks.
- at Scandinavian Heritage Park in Minot , North Dakota
- in Epcot, Florida, the exterior of a stave church adorns the Norwegian Pavilion in the World Showcase. The inside is a showroom for Norwegian history.
- In Europa-Park there is a church with an expanded interior in the Scandinavian themed area as decoration and as a church for wedding celebrations.
Church fragments
Some of the preserved parts of demolished stave churches are now in museums. These include the portal of the late Viking Age stave church in Sauland east of Hjartdal in Norway (in the Oslo Museum) and the small stave church of Hemse on Gotland in Sweden in the Stockholm Museum .
See also
literature
- Claus Ahrens : The early wooden churches in Europe . Ed .: Archaeological State Museum in the Schleswig-Holstein State Museums Foundation Schloß Gottorf (= writings of the Archaeological State Museum . No. 7 ). Theiss, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-8062-1397-6 .
- Eva Valenbrokk, Thomas Thiis-Evensen: Norwegian Stave Churches: Architecture, History and Traditions . Boksenteret, 1993, ISBN 82-7683-012-9 .
- Roar Hauglid : Norwegian stave churches . Dreyer forlag, Oslo 1977, ISBN 82-09-00938-9 .
- Oddgeir Hoftun: Stave Churches - and the medieval society of Norway . König, Cologne 2003, ISBN 3-88375-526-5 (With photos by Gérard Franceschi; conception: Asger Jorn. Translated from Danish by Irmelin Mai Hoffer and Reinald Nohal with the assistance of Sarah Majken Hoffer).
- Oddgeir Hoftun: Kristningsprosens og herskermaktens ikonografi i nordisk middelalder . Solum forlag, Oslo 2008, ISBN 978-82-560-1619-8 (Norwegian).
- Hermann Phleps : The Norwegian stave churches . Brother, Karlsruhe 1958.
- Karsten Kjer Michaelsen: Politics bog om Danmarks oldtid . Copenhagen 2002 ISBN 87-567-6458-8 , p. 293
Web links
- www.visitnorway.de stave churches
- Overview of the stave churches in Norway
- Stave churches - Sognefjorden
Individual evidence
- ^ Roar Hauglid: Norske Stavkirker, Bygningshistorisk bakgrunn og utvikling . Dreyers Forlag, 1976, ISBN 82-09-01350-5 .
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Erich Burger: Norwegian stave churches. History, construction, jewelry . First publ. DuMont, Cologne 1978, ISBN 3-7701-1080-3 (= DuMont-Kunst-Taschenbücher; 69).
- ↑ Simon Denison: British Archeology. Early church date. Council for British Archeology, archived from the original on November 11, 2013 ; accessed on May 18, 2014 .
- ^ Roar Hauglid: Norske Stavkirker, Bygningshistorisk bakgrunn og utvikling . Dreyers Forlag, 1976, ISBN 82-09-01350-5 , pp. 84 .
- ^ Claus Ahrens: The early wooden churches of Europe . Konrad Theiss Verlag, Stuttgart 2001, p. 47/48 .
- ↑ Anja Rösner: Wang Church / Journey of a stave church from Norway's fjords to the Giant Mountains . Heiner Labonde Verlag, Grevenbroich 2006, ISBN 3-937507-09-4 , pp. 12-14
- ↑ Torsten Capelle : Gentile Christians in the North . Landesmuseum für Natur und Mensch, Oldenburg 2005, ISBN 3-8053-3606-3 , p. 22 ff., 70–78
- ↑ a b c d Yasuo Sakuma, Ola Storsletten: The stave churches of Norway. Masterpieces of Nordic architecture . Approved license edition, Bechtermünz-Verlag, Augsburg 1997, ISBN 3-86047-239-9 . (German translation)
- ↑ a b c Gunnar Bugge: Stavkirkene i Norge: Innføring og oversikt . Dreyer, Oslo 1981, ISBN 82-09-01890-6 .
- ↑ a b Oddgeir Hoftun, Gerard Franceschi, Asger Jorn: Stave churches - and the medieval society in Norway . Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König, Cologne 2002, ISBN 3-88375-526-5
- ^ Dan Lindholm: Stave churches in Norway, dragon myth and Christianity in the old Norwegian architecture . Free Spiritual Life Publishing House, Stuttgart 1979
- ↑ Chapel in the Hills website of the church replica (English)