Hopperstad stave church
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| Hopperstad stave church | |
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| Vikøyri (2005) Fabos | |
| General info | |
| Year: | About 1100 |
| Changes: | 17th century painted decor, 1884–91 restored to the assumed medieval original with Borgund stave church as a model, architect Blix |
| Dedication: | An altar dedicated to Virgin Mary |
| Architecture | |
| Period: | Roman and gothic |
| Architect: | Unknown |
| Construction: | Stave church |
| Material: | Wood, timber |
| Tower: | Above the nave |
| Portal: | Three portals, the one known as the western portal is richly decorated by wood carvings |
| Quire: | More narrow than the nave, apside |
| Nave: | Raised central room, aisle around this central room |
| Interior | |
| Misc: | Ciborium with baldaquin at the north side from 14th century. The ciborium has four sculptures, head of Christ with a helo, Queen and King, a monks head. The baldaquin has a painted roof, Christ is born |
Hopperstad stave church (Hopperstad Stavkyrkje) is a stave church near Vikøyri in Vik municipality, Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway.
The stave church is assumed to have been built around 1130 and still stands at its original location. The church is owned by Fortidsminneforeningen.
In 1997 a series of samples from the logs were collected for dendrochronological dating of the church. A total of seven samples produced an estimate for the construction ranging from 1034 to 1116 and resulted in no definite conclusion. The only possible conclusion is that this is one of the oldest stave churches still standing.
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[edit] History
About 700 years after its construction the church was abandoned and its exterior stripped. The church was in very poor condition for many years until the Society for the Preservation of Norwegian Ancient Monuments purchased the building in 1880, and architect Peter Andreas Blix reconstructed the church. During this reconstruction carved sections were found beneath the floor which indicates that the new church replaced an older church, which was probably built in the latter half of the 11th century.
The church had not undergone any major changes until the 17th century. At that time the nave was lengthened to the west, and a bell-tower was added above the new extension. To the east a log section was added, and a new vestibule to the south with its own entrance.
The largest addition came to the north with a log construction, named the new church (nykirken). The constructions were finalized in the 18th century, but then removed in around 1875. There are no known images of the interior from this time, but a story written by the priest Niels Dahl, who is assumed to have visited the church in 1824, describes the interior.
- The church has galleries at three levels around all of the walls, that the church (had a rundt alle veggene og at den var lavloftet og tømret) with staircases up to the galleries. And the font is placed under the medieval baldaquin. And the walls are painted by numerous quotes from the Holy Scripture in vivid colours.
[edit] The present building
The church is a triple-nave stave church of what is known as the Borgund-type.
The western porch is an excellent example of middle age wood carvings. The motifs are of romance character, often associated with European influence.
[edit] References
- Eva Valebrokk og Thomas Thiis-Evensen: Levende fortid. De utrolige stavkirkene. – Boksenteret – ISBN 82-7683-024-2, — in Norwegian
[edit] External links
- Hopperstad stave church in Stavkirke.org — in Norwegian
- Hopperstad stave church in Fortidsminneforeningen — in Norwegian
- Fortidsminneforeninga's stave church pages — in Norwegian (there are also English and German pages)
