The Wooden Churches - Unique in the World - The heads of dragon design dark wood stand out against the blue sky. They decorate the edges of the roof of the church Borgund hurts. On several levels just above the roof panel of the shaking ground, which gives the rod its distinctive appearance churches. To protect against the harsh climate, they are completely covered with small tiles, so they resemble a farm animal.
Inside dark penetrates only a few of the "portholes" in the high ceiling above come a little light, like the rays of headlights.
Stave Church Borgund directly to the European Route 16, near the Sognefjord, one of the best examples in Norway. It has survived the centuries as well, who served in the restoration of many wooden churches as a model.
The
churches of small-scale farmers were built in the late era of the Vikings between 11 and 13 century in southern Norway and Central. Only 28 of about 1000 when wooden churches are still standing today. As pure wooden buildings, which were much more fire and given the test of time especially. Wood at the time of the most common building materials and carpenters Norway's trade.
The stave churches were assembled in a modular system with no metal screws or nails, in a stone base, a frame is made of large wooden beams. Solid corner posts were skillfully articulating clamp technique with the structure, tongue and groove vertical boards - from start to fill the gaps.
If you look at the roof of the church seems to go in shipbuilding. Andreas rigid diagonal cross beams, struts provide stability smart. The structure is based primarily on the masts to be erected in the middle of the boat in the height (1,4,8,12 or 20 poles). Due to the high soaring ceilings reminiscent of the wooden churches of Norway in the Asian pagodas. The stepped roof comes down low over the Svalgang which stripped of their weapons, but also concluded important business. From here were lepers and others who are in conflict with Christian laws, participate in worship.
Mystical dragon heads and mythological figures
They decorate the churches from the portal to the ridge and probably served as the input high threshold to keep demons from the church. Bonds of Romanesque architecture (vestibules, some capitals) should not be overlooked.
Inside, the staff most churches are very plain and still somewhat murky. In part, the walls adorned rose painting, sometimes the choir was lined with tapestries. Window was used only after the Reformation, when many stave churches were rebuilt and expanded greatly, often joined them then a gallery.
Stave churches are often in formerly pagan sacrifices and Thing seats at banks or remote fjord in nature. Some were bought by private citizens and thus saved from destruction and are now proud of the open-air museums.
The largest stave church, Heddal, RV11 is located near the industrial town of Notodden right next to the busy cross-connection. It dates from the mid-13th Century, a fundamental restoration in the 19th Century changed especially the interior. Last renovation in the mid 50's. Beautiful carvings adorn the portals.
Urnes - Stave Church at the Luster Fjord, a branch of the Sognefjord, has the finest details, she goes back to the year 1060; if obtained from this first church was only today's north entrance, which is famous for its carvings.
To the smaller counts Eidsborg stave churches - Church in Telemark from the beginning of the 13th Century, which is embedded in the very nice nature. The long style shingle roof and even attacked portal carvings to give it a special touch.
Original has been faithfully restored in the Gol Stave Church, which today stands at the museum on Bygdøy (Oslo) and a replica of the Gol place. The Stave Church near Bergen in 1992 from Fantoft burned completely and was painstakingly rebuilt. Very nicely restored and is the Hopperstad - Church at Vik in Sognefjord.
Magnificent long since decayed wooden churches of portals can be viewed at the National Museum in Oslo.
»» READMORE...
Some tracks are just a few inches long, others about 1000 meters, the directions vary from straight to irregular wound completely. Geologists have found no explanation for the phenomenon to date.