Þróndeimr
August 17th, 2004, 01:06 AM
Heddal Stavkirke (Heddal Stave Church)
Notodden - Norway
The church is a triple nave stave church and is Norway's largest stave church. It was constructed at the beginning of
the 13th century. After the reformation the church was in a very poor condition, and a restoration took place during
1849 - 1851. However, because those who did it didn't have the necessary knowledge and skills, yet another
restoration was necessary in the 1950's. The interior is marked by the period after the Lutheran Reformation in
1536/1537 and is for a great part a result of the restoration that took place in the 1950's.
There is a legend telling about the erection of church and how it was built in three days. Five
farmers (Raud Rygi, Stebbe Straand, Kjeik Sem, Grut Grene and Vrang Stivi) from Heddal had made
plans for a church, and they decided to have it built. This is how it happened:
One day, Raud Rygi (one of the five men) met a stranger who was willing to build the church. However,
the stranger, set three conditions for doing the job, one of which must be fulfilled before the church
was finished: Raud had three options: fetch the sun and the moon from the sky, forfeit his life-blood,
or guess the name of the stranger. Raud thought the last would not prove too difficult, so he agreed
to the terms. But time began to run out. All of the building materials had arrived during the first night,
and remarkably, the spire was built during the second. It became clear to Raud that the church would
be finished on the third day.
Down at heart and fearing for his life, Raud took a walk around in the fields trying to figure out what the
stranger's name could be. Still wandering about he had unconsciously arrived at Svintruberget (a rocky
hill southeast of the church site) when he suddenly heard a strange but most beautiful and clearly
audible female song:
"Hush-hush little Child,
Tomorrow Finn (the name he needed) will bring you the Moon and the Sky.
He will bring you the Sun and a Christian Heart,
so pretty Toys for my little Child to play a Part."
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y162/cityz/Norway/HeddalStavkirke3.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y162/cityz/Norway/HeddalStavkirke1small.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y162/cityz/Norway/HeddalStavkirkeDetail3.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y162/cityz/Norway/HeddalStavkirkeDetail1.jpg
Notodden - Norway
The church is a triple nave stave church and is Norway's largest stave church. It was constructed at the beginning of
the 13th century. After the reformation the church was in a very poor condition, and a restoration took place during
1849 - 1851. However, because those who did it didn't have the necessary knowledge and skills, yet another
restoration was necessary in the 1950's. The interior is marked by the period after the Lutheran Reformation in
1536/1537 and is for a great part a result of the restoration that took place in the 1950's.
There is a legend telling about the erection of church and how it was built in three days. Five
farmers (Raud Rygi, Stebbe Straand, Kjeik Sem, Grut Grene and Vrang Stivi) from Heddal had made
plans for a church, and they decided to have it built. This is how it happened:
One day, Raud Rygi (one of the five men) met a stranger who was willing to build the church. However,
the stranger, set three conditions for doing the job, one of which must be fulfilled before the church
was finished: Raud had three options: fetch the sun and the moon from the sky, forfeit his life-blood,
or guess the name of the stranger. Raud thought the last would not prove too difficult, so he agreed
to the terms. But time began to run out. All of the building materials had arrived during the first night,
and remarkably, the spire was built during the second. It became clear to Raud that the church would
be finished on the third day.
Down at heart and fearing for his life, Raud took a walk around in the fields trying to figure out what the
stranger's name could be. Still wandering about he had unconsciously arrived at Svintruberget (a rocky
hill southeast of the church site) when he suddenly heard a strange but most beautiful and clearly
audible female song:
"Hush-hush little Child,
Tomorrow Finn (the name he needed) will bring you the Moon and the Sky.
He will bring you the Sun and a Christian Heart,
so pretty Toys for my little Child to play a Part."
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y162/cityz/Norway/HeddalStavkirke3.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y162/cityz/Norway/HeddalStavkirke1small.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y162/cityz/Norway/HeddalStavkirkeDetail3.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y162/cityz/Norway/HeddalStavkirkeDetail1.jpg