Heddal stave church
Encyclopedia
Heddal stave church is a stave church
located at Heddal
in Notodden
municipality, 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 1950s. 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 1950s.
What is known is that five peasants together with Sira Eilif built the church.
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:
Or in Norwegian
Now Raud knew what to do, as the stranger was a mountain troll.
As expected, the stranger visited Raud the next day, to present the church. Together they walk over to the church, and Raud walks up to one of the pillars, hugs it as if to straighten it, and says, "Hey Finn, this pillar isn't straight!"
Finn snaps back, “I could be even more bent!” and then hastily leaves the church.
Raud had solved the riddle after all. The stranger's name was Finn and he lived in the Svintru Mountain. Finn, also known as Finn Fairhair or Finn Fagerlokk, a troll
, could not ever after stand the sound of church bells, so he moved along with his family to Himing (Lifjell).
The same troll is also responsible for Nidarosdomen, Church of Avaldsnes
and Lund Cathedral
.
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...
located at Heddal
Heddal
Heddal is a village and parish in Notodden municipality in Telemark County, Norway.- History :The parish of Hitterdal was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 . Notodden was separated from Heddal both as a city and a municipality of its own, in 1913. Heddal was subsequently merged with...
in Notodden
Notodden
is a town and municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Øst-Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Notodden....
municipality, 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...
.
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 1950s. The interior is marked by the period after the Lutheran 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...
in 1536/1537 and is for a great part a result of the restoration that took place in the 1950s.
What is known is that five peasants together with Sira Eilif built the church.
The Legend
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 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.
Or in Norwegian
- I morgen kommer Finn og bringer oss maanen
- der han kommer forgaar sol og kristenblod
- lokker barna til sang og spel
- men nå mine små, sov stille og vel
Now Raud knew what to do, as the stranger was a mountain troll.
As expected, the stranger visited Raud the next day, to present the church. Together they walk over to the church, and Raud walks up to one of the pillars, hugs it as if to straighten it, and says, "Hey Finn, this pillar isn't straight!"
Finn snaps back, “I could be even more bent!” and then hastily leaves the church.
Raud had solved the riddle after all. The stranger's name was Finn and he lived in the Svintru Mountain. Finn, also known as Finn Fairhair or Finn Fagerlokk, a troll
Troll
A troll is a supernatural being in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore. In origin, the term troll was a generally negative synonym for a jötunn , a being in Norse mythology...
, could not ever after stand the sound of church bells, so he moved along with his family to Himing (Lifjell).
The same troll is also responsible for Nidarosdomen, Church of Avaldsnes
Church of Avaldsnes
St. Olav's Church at Avaldsnes is a medieval church in Avaldsnes on the island of Karmøy in Rogaland on the west coast of Norway.-History:Before this church was constructed, there was a wooden church on the same site...
and Lund Cathedral
Lund Cathedral
The Lund Cathedral is the Lutheran cathedral in Lund, Scania, Sweden. It is the seat of the bishop of Lund of the Church of Sweden.- History :...
.
External links
- Heddal stave church in Stavkirke.org — in Norwegian