Spånga Church
Encyclopedia
Spånga-Tensta
Spånga-TenstaCountry:Municipality: StockholmMunicipal part:VästerortArea:12.85 km²Population:34,448 Established:2007Website:Map...
borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. The oldest part of the church origins from the time period 1175 – 1200. Large reconstructions and enhancements took place during the 14th century and the 15th century.
Baron Gustaf Bonde
Gustaf Bonde
Baron Gustaf Bonde was a Swedish statesman. He was a persistent advocate of a pacifist policy at a time when war on the slightest provocation was the watchword of every Swedish politician....
(1620–1667), owner of the nearby Hässelby castle, made considerable donations to the church. After his death a grave choir, drawn by the architect Nicodemus Tessin the Elder
Nicodemus Tessin the Elder
Nicodemus Tessin the Elder was an important Swedish architect.-Biography:Nicodemus Tessin was born in Stralsund in Pomerania and came to Sweden as a young man. There he met and worked with the architect Simon de la Vallée...
, was attached as a continution of the church, in which he and his descendants are buried. The church also contains other historical monuments, such as several fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
s from the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. The church was latest renovated 1953–1955.
Paintings
The first church paintings are probably from the 14th century, when the long naveNave
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...
was built. These were mostly abstract decorations, geometrical patterns and ornaments. Paintings from the early 15th century are interpreted as biblical motives from the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
, the prophets Elijah and Elisha
Elisha
Elisha is a prophet mentioned in the Hebrew Bible and the Qur'an. His name is commonly transliterated into English as Elisha via Hebrew, Eliseus via Greek and Latin, or Alyasa via Arabic.-Biblical biography:...
, but with landscape, houses, clothing and tools common at the time of painting. The name of the painter(s) from this period are not known. In the late 15th century the triumph arch was set up, as well as a new choir, and paintings from this period are of a different style, with motives from both the Old
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
and New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
, as well as later Saints.
At a church restoration in 1789 all paintings were overpainted with white. The interior walls remained white until a new restoration around 1900. This restoration was quite rough, and the walls were repainted. In the 1950s the walls went through a new restoration, which aimed to bring forward some of the original middle age
Middle age
Middle age is the period of age beyond young adulthood but before the onset of old age. Various attempts have been made to define this age, which is around the third quarter of the average life span of human beings....
paintings that had been covered 160 years earlier.
Runestone
A granite rune stoneRune stone
A runestone is typically a raised stone with a runic inscription, but the term can also be applied to inscriptions on boulders and on bedrock. The tradition began in the 4th century, and it lasted into the 12th century, but most of the runestones date from the late Viking Age...
, designated as U 61 in Rundata
Rundata
The Scandinavian Runic-text Data Base is a project involving the creation and maintenance of a database of runic inscriptions. The project's goal is to comprehensively catalog runestones in a machine-readable way for future research...
, dated from the Viking era stands outside the church. On one side the stone has an runic inscription within bands with an interior Christian cross
Christian cross
The Christian cross, seen as a representation of the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, is the best-known religious symbol of Christianity...
design, and on the other side it has a second cross. It is classified as being carved in runestone style RAK, which is the oldest style. This classification is used for those inscriptions where the runic text band ends are straight and do not have any attached serpent or animal heads. The runic inscription for stylistic reasons has been attributed to a runemaster
Runemaster
A runemaster or runecarver is a specialist in making runestones.Most early medieval Scandinavians were probably literate in runes, and most people probably carved messages on pieces of bone and wood. However, it was difficult to make runestones, and in order to master it one also needed to be a...
named Gunnar. Other runestones are also attributed to this runemaster and he signed the runic inscription U 226 at Arkils tingstad
Arkils tingstad
Arkils tingstad is the remains of the Viking Age thing or assembly location of a hundred in Uppland, Sweden. It is situated on the outskirts of Stockholm...
.
Of the personal names mentioned in the inscription, Þorbiorn or Þorbjôrn means "Thor
Thor
In Norse mythology, Thor is a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing, and fertility...
's Bear," Gunnbiorn or Gunnbjôrn means "Battle Bear," Halfdan means "Half Dane," Ulf or Ulfr means "Wolf," and Biorn or Bjôrn means "Bear."
Inscription
A transliteration of the runic inscription to roman letters is:- hialmuiþ(r) : auk : þurbiarn : kunbiarn : auk : halftan : þais : raistu : stin : þina : eftiR : bruþur : sin : ulf : auk : faþur : sen biarn : auk : bruþur : sen : blakari
A transcription into Old Norse is:
- hialmuiþ auk þurbiarn kunbiarn auk halftan þais raistu stin þina eftir bruþur sin ulf auk faþur sen biarn auk bruþur sen blakari
A translation into English is:
- Hialmviðr and Þorbiorn, Gunnbiorn and Halfdan raised this stone after (in memory of) their brother Ulf and their father Biorn and their brother Blakare.
Notable events
In 1901, Spånga kyrka was one of two churches designated control pointControl point (orienteering)
A control point is a marked waypoint used in orienteering and related sports such as rogaining and adventure racing. It is located in the competition area; marked both on an orienteering map and in the terrain; and described on a control description sheet...
s for the first public orienteering
Orienteering
Orienteering is a family of sports that requires navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain, and normally moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specially prepared orienteering map, which they...
competition ever held in Sweden.
See also
- Bromma ChurchBromma ChurchBromma kyrka is a so-called round church in the borough Bromma in Stockholm, Sweden. The oldest parts of the church were built in the later 12th century as a fortress church, and the church is among Stockholm's oldest buildings....
- Hedvig Eleonora ChurchHedvig Eleonora ChurchHedvig Eleonora Church is a church in central Stockholm, Sweden .The church was consecrated in 1737 and is named after the Swedish Queen Hedvig Eleonora , wife of King Charles X of Sweden...
- Katarina kyrka
- Maria Magdalena ChurchMaria Magdalena ChurchMaria Magdalena Church is a church on Södermalm in central Stockholm, Sweden.The church plan has a nave but no aisles. In its eastern end is a three-sided choir and the transept taking up three bays. In the corners of the crossing are enlargement from various periods, all serving liturgical...
- Sofia Church
- Solna ChurchSolna ChurchSolna kyrka is a so-called round church in the borough Solna in Stockholm, Sweden. The church is located on the headland between Brunnsviken and Ulvsundasjön, at the southern end of the cemetery Norra begravningsplatsen...