Grip stave church
Encyclopedia
Grip Stave Church is a stave church
in the fishing village of Grip
in the municipality of Kristiansund
in Møre og Romsdal
county, Norway
. It is located on a small island about 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) northwest of the city of Kristiansund
in the Norwegian Sea
.
With only one nave
that is 12 metres (39.4 ft) long, 6.5 metres (21.3 ft) wide, and 6 metres (19.7 ft) high, it is one of Norway's smallest churches. The priest no longer lived in the parish
after the year 1635, but regularly visited the island. Grip has been an annex to Kristiansund parish
since 1967.
Located in a now deserted fishing village, the church is only used in the summer season, when both summer residents and tourists attend service
s every third Sunday, led by a priest
from Kristiansund
.
. The church is of the Møre
type, being structurally similar to the larger Kvernes
and Rødven
stave churches. Because of the barren nature of the island, there is no cemetery
on the church grounds, and bodies had to be buried elsewhere, in the cemetery of Bremsnes church
, over 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) away over open sea.
It underwent major modifications in 1621 when the walls were replaced, and a flèche
was added. Today's windows were installed in the 1870s, and at the same time both a weaponhouse and a sacristy
were added. During restoration work
in 1933 a new foundation was added, and the exterior wall
s were panelled
. All this rebuilding is why the exterior does not resemble the more typical Norwegian stave churches.
A proposal of relocating the church in 1972 did not materialize. In 2007, the roof
and spire
were restored and some of the panelling replaced.
is a triptych
from Utrecht
in the Netherlands
, dated to about 1520, with a central sculpture
of the Blessed Virgin Mary, flanked by sculptures of Saint Olaf of Norway
and Saint Margaret the Virgin, locally known as St. Maret.
According to legend, the triptych is one of five altars donated to Norwegian churches by princess Isabella of Austria after being escorted by Erik Valkendorf, Archbishop of Norway
, in terrible weather
en route to her wedding in Copenhagen
with the Danish king Christian II in 1515. Other altars were donated to the churches of Kinn
, Leka
, Hadsel
and Røst
. The five altars are referred to by art historians as the Leka group. Four of the altars have survived intact to this day, but Grip has the only complete altar in the original church.
Despite having sculptures of three saint
s, the altar survived the protestant reformation
of Norway in 1537. The altar was restored in 2002.
from the Netherlands with 270 pipes was donated in 2006, which due to weather conditions will only be installed in the church during the summer season.
on canvas
, mural
s from the 1621 modifications, and two votive ship
s.
Stave church
A stave church is a medieval wooden church with a post and beam construction related to timber framing. The wall frames are filled with vertical planks. The load-bearing posts have lent their name to the building technique...
in the fishing village of Grip
Grip, Norway
Grip is an archipelago, a deserted fishing village, and a former municipality about northwest of the city of Kristiansund. It is located in the municipality of Kristiansund in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway...
in the municipality of Kristiansund
Kristiansund
Kristiansund is a city and municipality on the western coast of Norway, in the Nordmøre district of Møre og Romsdal county. It was officially awarded township status in 1742, and it is still the major town for the region. The administrative center of the municipality is the city of Kristiansund...
in Møre og Romsdal
Møre og Romsdal
is a county in the northernmost part of Western Norway. It borders the counties of Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Sogn og Fjordane. The county administration is located in Molde, while Ålesund is the largest city.-The name:...
county, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. It is located on a small island about 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) northwest of the city of Kristiansund
Kristiansund
Kristiansund is a city and municipality on the western coast of Norway, in the Nordmøre district of Møre og Romsdal county. It was officially awarded township status in 1742, and it is still the major town for the region. The administrative center of the municipality is the city of Kristiansund...
in the Norwegian Sea
Norwegian Sea
The Norwegian Sea is a marginal sea in the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of Norway. It is located between the North Sea and the Greenland Sea and adjoins the North Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Barents Sea to the northeast. In the southwest, it is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a...
.
With only one nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
that is 12 metres (39.4 ft) long, 6.5 metres (21.3 ft) wide, and 6 metres (19.7 ft) high, it is one of Norway's smallest churches. The priest no longer lived in the parish
Prestegjeld
A Prestegjeld is a geographic and administrative area of the Church of Norway roughly equivalent to a parish. A prestegjeld can consist of one or many congregations...
after the year 1635, but regularly visited the island. Grip has been an annex to Kristiansund parish
Kirkelandet Church
Kirkelandet Church is the main church of the municipality of Kristiansund, in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It was built in 1964, and it is located on the island of Kirkelandet. The church is part of the Diocese of Møre of the Church of Norway. Sverre Reinert Jansen is the Dean.-Building:The...
since 1967.
Located in a now deserted fishing village, the church is only used in the summer season, when both summer residents and tourists attend service
Service of worship
In the Protestant denominations of Christianity, a service of worship is a meeting whose primary purpose is the worship of God. The phrase is normally shortened to service. It is also commonly called a worship service...
s every third Sunday, led by a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
from Kristiansund
Kristiansund
Kristiansund is a city and municipality on the western coast of Norway, in the Nordmøre district of Møre og Romsdal county. It was officially awarded township status in 1742, and it is still the major town for the region. The administrative center of the municipality is the city of Kristiansund...
.
History
The church was built in about 1470 at the island's highest point, about 8 metres (26.2 ft) above sea levelSea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
. The church is of the Møre
Møre og Romsdal
is a county in the northernmost part of Western Norway. It borders the counties of Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Sogn og Fjordane. The county administration is located in Molde, while Ålesund is the largest city.-The name:...
type, being structurally similar to the larger Kvernes
Kvernes stave church
Kvernes Stave Church is a stave church located along the Kvernesfjord in the village of Kvernes in the municipality of Averøy in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It was probably built in the first half of the 14th century...
and Rødven
Rødven stave church
Rødven Stave Church is a stave church located in Rødven in the municipality of Rauma in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. According to a notice board outside the church, the nave and south porch date from the 14th century, the crucifix dates from the 13th century and the pulpit from 1712...
stave churches. Because of the barren nature of the island, there is no cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
on the church grounds, and bodies had to be buried elsewhere, in the cemetery of Bremsnes church
Averøy
Averøy is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the region of Nordmøre. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Bruhagen. Other villages in the municipality include Sveggen, Bremsnes, Vebenstad, Kvernes, Kornstad, Kårvåg, and Langøy.The...
, over 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) away over open sea.
It underwent major modifications in 1621 when the walls were replaced, and a flèche
Flèche
A flèche is used in French architecture to refer to a spire and in English to refer to a lead-covered timber spire, or spirelet. These are placed on the ridges of church or cathedral roofs and are usually relatively small...
was added. Today's windows were installed in the 1870s, and at the same time both a weaponhouse and a sacristy
Sacristy
A sacristy is a room for keeping vestments and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records.The sacristy is usually located inside the church, but in some cases it is an annex or separate building...
were added. During restoration work
Building restoration
Building restoration describes a particular treatment approach and philosophy within the field of architectural conservation. According the U.S...
in 1933 a new foundation was added, and the exterior wall
Wall
A wall is a usually solid structure that defines and sometimes protects an area. Most commonly, a wall delineates a building and supports its superstructure, separates space in buildings into rooms, or protects or delineates a space in the open air...
s were panelled
Panelling
Panelling is a wall covering constructed from rigid or semi-rigid components. These are traditionally interlocking wood, but could be plastic or other materials....
. All this rebuilding is why the exterior does not resemble the more typical Norwegian stave churches.
A proposal of relocating the church in 1972 did not materialize. In 2007, the roof
Roof
A roof is the covering on the uppermost part of a building. A roof protects the building and its contents from the effects of weather. Structures that require roofs range from a letter box to a cathedral or stadium, dwellings being the most numerous....
and spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
were restored and some of the panelling replaced.
Altar
The altarAltar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
is a triptych
Triptych
A triptych , from tri-= "three" + ptysso= "to fold") is a work of art which is divided into three sections, or three carved panels which are hinged together and can be folded shut or displayed open. It is therefore a type of polyptych, the term for all multi-panel works...
from Utrecht
Utrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, dated to about 1520, with a central sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
of the Blessed Virgin Mary, flanked by sculptures of Saint Olaf of Norway
Olaf II of Norway
Olaf II Haraldsson was King of Norway from 1015 to 1028. He was posthumously given the title Rex Perpetuus Norvegiae and canonised in Nidaros by Bishop Grimkell, one year after his death in the Battle of Stiklestad on 29 July 1030. Enshrined in Nidaros Cathedral...
and Saint Margaret the Virgin, locally known as St. Maret.
According to legend, the triptych is one of five altars donated to Norwegian churches by princess Isabella of Austria after being escorted by Erik Valkendorf, Archbishop of Norway
Archdiocese of Nidaros
The Archdiocese of Nidaros was the metropolitan see covering Norway in the later Middle Ages. The see was the Nidaros Cathedral, in the city of Nidaros...
, in terrible weather
Weather
Weather is the state of the atmosphere, to the degree that it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. Most weather phenomena occur in the troposphere, just below the stratosphere. Weather refers, generally, to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity, whereas climate...
en route to her wedding in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
with the Danish king Christian II in 1515. Other altars were donated to the churches of Kinn
Kinn
Kinn is a small island west of the town of Florø in the municipality of Flora, Norway. The island lies about west of the neighboring island of Reksta and the village of Rognaldsvåg, which is the main population center for the area...
, Leka
Leka, Norway
Leka is a municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Namdalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Leknes. Other villages include Sør-Gutvika and Madsøygrenda....
, Hadsel
Hadsel
Hadsel is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Vesterålen traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Stokmarknes, and the other village on the island of Hadseløya is Melbu. Hadsel was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838...
and Røst
Røst
Røst is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Lofoten traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Røst. Røst was separated from the municipality of Værøy on 1 July 1928.- Environment :...
. The five altars are referred to by art historians as the Leka group. Four of the altars have survived intact to this day, but Grip has the only complete altar in the original church.
Despite having sculptures of three saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
s, the altar survived the protestant reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
of Norway in 1537. The altar was restored in 2002.
Organ
A new pipe organPipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
from the Netherlands with 270 pipes was donated in 2006, which due to weather conditions will only be installed in the church during the summer season.
Art
The church also has a small altar cup from 1320, a 16th century double-sided paintingDouble-sided painting
A double-sided painting is a canvas which has a painting on either side. Historically, artists would often paint on both sides out of need of material. The subject matter of the two paintings was sometimes, although not normally, related....
on canvas
Canvas
Canvas is an extremely heavy-duty plain-woven fabric used for making sails, tents, marquees, backpacks, and other items for which sturdiness is required. It is also popularly used by artists as a painting surface, typically stretched across a wooden frame...
, mural
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
s from the 1621 modifications, and two votive ship
Votive offering
A votive deposit or votive offering is one or more objects displayed or deposited, without the intention of recovery or use, in a sacred place for broadly religious purposes. Such items are a feature of modern and ancient societies and are generally made in order to gain favor with supernatural...
s.