A stave church is a Norwegian wooden medieval church named after the timber columns which are the main element of the structure : the stav.
Those churches were built mainly between 1030 and 1350, when Christianity arrived in Norway. The master builders were inspired by European churches for their shape but used the common material in Norway: wood. They used the skills they had acquired building timber ships and farms to create the stave churches. Soon they improved their methods to make them bigger, taller and more beautiful with fine details and carvings.
The stav was the main element in the building of the church, the wooden piece with the largest section. This was a unique technique developed in Scandinavia. Their importance can be accounted with an ancient law stating that “the posts were a formal qualification for the validity of consecration.”
Here is the history of one stav illustrated, from the tree to the church.
1 CHOOSING THE RIGHT TREE / CUTTING ITS BRANCHES AND ITS TOP
The master builder with his workers went in the forest to select the best pine trees. Those had to be tall and straight to make the longer stav possible. Then they would cut the top of the trees and their branches and let them “bleed” for at least five year.
2 MAKE IT "BLEED" FOR 5 YEARS WHILE THE HEARTWOOD EXPANDS
During that laps of time the tree will die slowly, and it's heart wood would become more resistant, impregnated with it's resin. The pine tree was then cut down at its base during winter.
3 CUTTING DOWN THE PINE TREE / PEELING OFF THE BARK / TRANSPORTATION BY BOAT
The bark was being peeled off and the trunks were transported by boat to the construction site of the stave church. It is not precisely known if the transportation was done before or after the shaping of the stav.
3 CUTTING DOWN THE PINE TREE / PEELING OFF THE BARK / TRANSPORTATION BY BOAT
The bark was being peeled off and the trunks were transported by boat to the construction site of the stave church. It is not precisely known if the transportation was done before or after the shaping of the stav.
3 CUTTING DOWN THE PINE TREE / PEELING OFF THE BARK / TRANSPORTATION BY BOAT
The bark was being peeled off and the trunks were transported by boat to the construction site of the stave church. It is not precisely known if the transportation was done before or after the shaping of the stav.
4 GLOBAL SHAPING OF THE TRUNK
Each future stav was then shaped with axes. The global shape was usually a stav with a thicker round base, an oval middle section and a thin rectangular top large enough to support the two beams.
4 GLOBAL SHAPING OF THE TRUNK
Each future stav was then shaped with axes. The global shape was usually a stav with a thicker round base, an oval middle section and a thin rectangular top large enough to support the two beams.
4 GLOBAL SHAPING OF THE TRUNK
Each future stav was then shaped with axes. The global shape was usually a stav with a thicker round base, an oval middle section and a thin rectangular top large enough to support the two beams.
5 MAKING THE CUTS FOR THE JOINTS WITH OTHER PIECES OF TIMBER
Then some more cuts were maid, more deep into the stav, to create the future connections with the other pieces of wood : the foundation beams, the bressummer – central beam that braces the clerestory – the arched quadrant bracket, the rafters, the struts, the top beam and in some cases the St Andrew's crosses. The top of the stavs were also often carved with demons faces.
5 MAKING THE CUTS FOR THE JOINTS WITH OTHER PIECES OF TIMBER
Then some more cuts were maid, more deep into the stav, to create the future connections with the other pieces of wood : the foundation beams, the bressummer – central beam that braces the clerestory – the arched quadrant bracket, the rafters, the struts, the top beam and in some cases the St Andrew's crosses. The top of the stavs were also often carved with demons faces.
6 ASSEMBLING THE PIECES LYING ON THE GROUND / LIFTING UP OF THE CENTRAL STRUCTURE
The different pieces constitutive of the centre of the church were then assembled lying on the ground : the different stavs were linked together by the foundation beam, the bessummer and the top beams and stabilised by the arched quadrant bracket.
6 ASSEMBLING THE PIECES LYING ON THE GROUND / LIFTING UP OF THE CENTRAL STRUCTURE
The different pieces constitutive of the centre of the church were then assembled lying on the ground : the different stavs were linked together by the foundation beam, the bessummer and the top beams and stabilised by the arched quadrant bracket.
6 ASSEMBLING THE PIECES LYING ON THE GROUND / LIFTING UP OF THE CENTRAL STRUCTURE
The different pieces constitutive of the centre of the church were then assembled lying on the ground : the different stavs were linked together by the foundation beam, the bessummer and the top beams and stabilised by the arched quadrant bracket.
6 ASSEMBLING THE PIECES LYING ON THE GROUND / LIFTING UP OF THE CENTRAL STRUCTURE
The different pieces constitutive of the centre of the church were then assembled lying on the ground : the different stavs were linked together by the foundation beam, the bessummer and the top beams and stabilised by the arched quadrant bracket.
6 ASSEMBLING THE PIECES LYING ON THE GROUND / LIFTING UP OF THE CENTRAL STRUCTURE
The different pieces constitutive of the centre of the church were then assembled lying on the ground : the different stavs were linked together by the foundation beam, the bessummer and the top beams and stabilised by the arched quadrant bracket.
6 ASSEMBLING THE PIECES LYING ON THE GROUND / LIFTING UP OF THE CENTRAL STRUCTURE
The different pieces constitutive of the centre of the church were then assembled lying on the ground : the different stavs were linked together by the foundation beam, the bessummer and the top beams and stabilised by the arched quadrant bracket.
6 ASSEMBLING THE PIECES LYING ON THE GROUND / LIFTING UP OF THE CENTRAL STRUCTURE
The different pieces constitutive of the centre of the church were then assembled lying on the ground : the different stavs were linked together by the foundation beam, the bessummer and the top beams and stabilised by the arched quadrant bracket.
7 JOINING THE FOUR PIECES OF THE CENTRAL STRUCTURE TOGETHER
The four rows of stavs were lifted up and attached together to form a central standing cube. They were laid on a stone platform to prevent water from touching the foundation beams. Horizontal arched quadrant bracket were added in the angles to help stabilising.
8 ADDING THE SECONDARY STRUCTURE OF THE AISLES
This former structure was reinforced with the aisles all around the church. Those were composed of some shorter stavs, rafters and struts connected to the central stavs and horizontal arched quadrant bracket. Those aisles were closed by verticals planks.
9 FINISHING THE CHURCH
When all this was assembled they could eventually finish the construction of the church by building the roof and adding the planks to close the church.
SOURCES
The Norwegian Stave Churches. Anker, Leif; ARFO, Oslo 2005 Stav og laft i Norge, Early Wooden Architecture in Norway. Bugge, Gunnar and Norberg-Schulz, Christian; Norsk arkitekturforl., Oslo 1969. Norwegian wood : a tradition of building. Jolan, Jerri; Rizzoli, New York 1990. Norske stavkirker. Hauglid, Roar; Dreyer, Oslo 1976.
Lecture by Kolbjørn Nesje Nybø.
by Sara Cais Soler and Léa Guillot
A stave church is a Norwegian wooden medieval church named after the timber columns which are the main element of the structure : the stav.
Those churches were built mainly between 1030 and 1350, when Christianity arrived in Norway. The master builders were inspired by European churches for their shape but used the common material in Norway: wood. They used the skills they had acquired building timber ships and farms to create the stave churches. Soon they improved their methods to make them bigger, taller and more beautiful with fine details and carvings.
The stav was the main element in the building of the church, the wooden piece with the largest section. This was a unique technique developed in Scandinavia. Their importance can be accounted with an ancient law stating that “the posts were a formal qualification for the validity of consecration.”
Here is the history of one stav illustrated, from the tree to the church.
SOURCES
The Norwegian Stave Churches. Anker, Leif; ARFO, Oslo 2005
Stav og laft i Norge, Early Wooden Architecture in Norway. Bugge, Gunnar and Norberg-Schulz, Christian; Norsk arkitekturforl., Oslo 1969.
Norwegian wood : a tradition of building. Jolan, Jerri; Rizzoli, New York 1990.
Norske stavkirker. Hauglid, Roar; Dreyer, Oslo 1976.
Lecture by Kolbjørn Nesje Nybø.