RR5

RR5                                               Man, Just Being Onboard this Church

"Like the Viking ships, the stave churches derive from a building tradition developed to defy the harsh elements."  (Ching p388)

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This Stave church is located in the town of its namesake, Kaupanger, Norway.

• This church was founded in the 12th Century and is still in use today.
• It is located on top of what are believed to be the ruins of two previous churches.
• A low wall of flat stones raised this building above the ground level.





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Stave churches were miedeval wooden churches, timber framed using a Post and Beam construction style.  

• They consisted of load bearing post running horizontally and vertical planks were attached to form the walls. 
• These structures are capable of expanding and contracting in damp and dry weather, making them very flexible.
• As well, a continuous belt of cross-braces was added enabling the structure to be tightened if needed.

"Beyond that, columns, planks, and supports were [all] dovetailed, pegged, and wedged-never nailed."  (Ching p388)

                                                                               

"The word stave, from the Nors stavr, refers to the load-bearing post that make up the structure."  (Ching p388)

• The church's interior is minimally lit, with only small strips of light coming through either the windows or from peepholes in the longitudinal walls.
• Services and religious practices were illuminated by candlelight.
• The interior much like the exterior was modeled after the Viking ships. 

It is easy to see how they styled their churches in the same forms as their Viking ships not only for the durability but also for aestetic appeal.  The Vikings were at home on the sea, so one could make the point that these churches were constructed to make them feel as at home during their religious practices on land.

Ching, Frank, Mark Jarzombek, and Vikramaditya Prakash. A Global History of Architecture. 2nd ed. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, 2011. Print.