Stave Churches

What happens when two faith traditions collide in unique and groundbreaking architecture? Churches are everywhere. The buildings that shelter worshipers and become major architectural landmarks have been omnipresent in humanity for thousands of years. Throughout time many architecturally significant churches have been destroyed through war, misguided renovations, and natural disasters. During Medieval times in Norway, thousands of Stave churches began to appear across the country, but few remain today. The Stave churches’ unique architectural building techniques are fascinating to explore. However, the merging of Norse mythology, Norway’s previous pagan religion, and Christianity in the churches’ ornamentation is what makes these buildings
In particular, the Oseberg ship and it’s carvings, created by the Vikings sometime in the first half of the ninth century, offers striking similarities to the carvings at Urnes (Carter, 151). Eaton claims that the theme of the carvings at Urnes “owes much to Viking precedent; it closely resembles that of the Oseberg ship” (502). Again, this provides the proof necessary to dispel the notion that these Stave churches were entirely Christian in nature. It also gives much more credibility to the argument that the Stave churches were heavily influenced by Norse mythology because the Vikings were a pagan people. Though, Urnes is not the only compelling evidence of Norse mythological influence on Christian Stave
An abstract dragon on the Stave church at Borgund is prominently displayed on the top gables of the church. Yet another time, the Vikings’ ship, the Oseberg, is clearly seen as an influence to the Stave church at Borgund. Dan Lindholm believes that the “shape of Viking ships [was] based entirely on the archetypal image of the mythological dragon” (51). Interestingly, the abstract dragon was, in many places, situated higher on the exterior than the cross of this Christian church. Although scholars have debated whether these dragon heads are original to the Stave church at Borgund, Hohler concluded that the dragon heads were created during medieval times (1: 120). Her conclusion solidifies the evidence that the dragon heads were originally created by the craftspeople of the Borgund church and not later additions. Borgund, with its dragon head gables is, perhaps, the simplest and most obvious example of Norse mythological influence on the Christian stave churches in