StavKirker: Explore the Medieval Wooden Churches of Norway
- Written by ArchDaily Team | Translated by Diogo Simões
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In Norway, the Medieval Churches, known as "StavKirker" (in Norwegian, "Stav" refers to a type of wooden column, and "Kirker" means church), stand out as iconic structures. They emerged in the 11th century following the country's conversion to Christianity, reflecting Norwegian expertise in ship carpentry inherited from the Vikings. This expertise transformed wooden construction, innovating woodcraft techniques and turning these buildings into aesthetically significant compositions.
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The construction system of these churches was based on wooden columns supported by stone foundations, an innovative technique for the time, considering that European wooden constructions were still directly built on the ground during the 10th century. To ensure stability, these columns were braced by beams made of wood at their base and top, forming a rigid framework in porticos. Noteworthy features include simple partition interiors and external cladding with solid wooden boards.
Markus Holst skrev:Men finns det stavkyrkor på Island? Har de någonsin haft nog med timmer för at bygga med så mycket trä? Om förteelsen inte finns på Island är det gott skäl för att ordet inte finns på isländska. Jag tror att stavkyrkan hör skogiga nejder till. Jag gissar att de aldrig varit vanliga i Danmark heller.
Men som sagt, de är namngivna efter de stående byggelementen i väggarna. Kyrkan är, så att säga, byggda som de träpalissader vi alla känner till från cowboy-forten vi lenkte med som barn.
Det ser ud til, at der er forskelle i terminologien på svensk og dansk i forhold til andre sprog.
En stavkyrka är en kyrka byggd av trä i stavverk. Den har en bärande konstruktion av stolpar som står på liggande syllar och bär upp väggband. De bärande elementen i väggarna utgör på detta sätt ramar för en fyllning av stående plankor; stavar, vilket byggnadstypen har fått sitt namn efter. (I norsk terminologi syftar emellertid förleden "stav" på de bärande stolparna.)
Stavverk (även stavteknik) är en historisk träbyggnadsteknik där stående väggplankor fogas in i en ram bestående av syll, stolpar och väggband. Tekniken är främst känd genom att de egentliga stavkyrkorna är
10th-century missionaries to Norway concerned themselves with establishing chapels, churches and other ecclesiastical centers. Thus far, archaeological exploration has revealed traces of wooden churches with embedded posts. Some of these early wooden churches disappeared due to neglect as well as fire and other natural disasters, but the rest were replaced by new construction. Nevertheless, 28 of the stave churches built after the year still survive. This website presents information and research materials illuminating the medieval stave church from several perspectives: the architectural, from the carpenter’s point of view; the ecclesiastical, from the fervent Christian bishop’s point of view; and the secular, from the socially oriented patron’s point of view.
This page documents the work by Jorgen H. Jensenius (), archictect, Ph.D. specialized in surveying and researching medieval wooden churches. His credentials include a life-long employment with the Central Office of Historic Monuments and Sites, and the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research in Oslo. The page is currently maintained by his son Alexander Refsum Jensenius.
Post, stave and stone churches
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Research in medieval, Norwegian wooden churches, relevance of available sources
Jørgen H. Jensenius. Nordic Journal of Architectural Research, vol. 13, nr. 4,
Introduction
In accordance with my background as an architect and building historian, my research on the Norwegian wooden churches focus on the processes [1] of planning, design and logistics.[2] This paper examines the sources available for a research on the transmission of knowledge of form.[3] The building historian concentrating on medieval wooden churches has to identify, document and analyse the buildings in question. Analysing is to understand how buildings are put together in terms of craftsmanship and disposition of the elements.[4] Available sources are archaeological remains, building remnants, standing buildings, texts, drawings and models. The question asked is whether information collected from these different sources may be combined into a coherent description of planning and design of the actual building. I will suggest that if physical objects and texts are examined according to their innate characteristics, the various information gathered might be combined into one entity of knowle
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