Morning journal and courier., 1893-12-23


soon began to notice that If the oldest
portion of all these structures was not the
best, IL was still, considering Its age, IN
compsrably the best preserved; and anoth-
er curious fact. that such portion was In
varisbly of different construction, became
apparent. The pine timbers in these struc-
tursl portions of greatest antiquity were
invariably placed on end, In the formation
of walls, and never laid together horizon
tally. This ancient method of building, I
finally learned, is what the Morse call
''reisvark," )" that is, raised work, or ''stood-
up work, )" and in this peculiar method of
building lies the secret of the astounding
antiquity of the famous wooden churches
of Norway. Every portion ts constructed
from Norwegian pine, so enduring beyond
any historically known oak that it has
withstood the furies of Norwegian storms,
the rigors of almost Arctic winters and
again the searching heat of almost tropical
summers, through periods ranging from
five to eight hundred years.
The appearance of both these curious
old churches and the Older class of mills
and store-houses would indicate almost an
Oriental origin. l have bsen repeatedly
impressed with the quite startling similari-
ty. Coming suddenly over some lonely
mountain path upon q cultivated valley,
where, as In the Thelemsrken and Hardan-
ger districts, little innovation has found
its way, the various groups of fsrm-houses
and ourbulldings, dark and weather beat
en-, or here and there newly stained with q
kind of red tar much used upon buildings
In Norway, have strongly suggested Orien-
tai finitiss In color and architectural
style. The most prominent object In all
these huddled structures is always the
''storhsus," which rises story above story,
each upper story projecting beyond the
one beneath it, like huge psgods turned
bottomside upward and stood upon its
roof. Continuous hanging balconies often
extend entirely around each story. Curl
GUS outside stairs ascend to each. The
qusintest of carving of demons heads and
serpents often ornament every availsble
portion of outer spsce; and fantastic
carved wooden horns project from the cor
ners of the caves, or seem ready to blsre
from the peaks of the roof In outof-the-
way places water mills of equally curious
and almost barbsric design will be found.
Thess structures are all very ancient; but
the hsttened arches of the Moors, the Pc
culIsr natural and reversed forms of the
Chinese pagods, and that profusion of gro
teeque carvings characteristic, in wood
and stone, in all of the most ancient ham
let's of the Mediterranean countries, reap
pear in this etern northern land with eur
prising frequency and certainty of recog-
milton.
Norway ere regarded by travellers as among
the most interesting curiosities of the
country. The beat examples are those of
Borgund, in Laerdal, the Hitterdsl church,
that of Lom. near Andvord, Urnas, beside
the Lyster ford, and that of Eidsborg in
the Thelemarken district. All these
churches are called In Norway "Stsvekirk
er," or stave-churches, because all were
originally constructed by tbs "reisvark, !"
or perpendicular method of joining the
hewn pine timbers in their walls. The
same treatment extended to porches and
to all portions of the superstructures.
Lom and Urnes are the more noted. All
are still used as houses of worship, save
the Borgund church, which is now na-
tional curiosity, protected from desecra-
tion and decay by the Antiquarian society,
of CbristisniR.
OF these "stavekirker," the Borgund
church is the tiniest, most primitive and
ancient; the Hitterdal chnrch the most
unique and symmetric, If not indeed beau
tiful; and the church of Urnas most In
teres,ing from its proximity to prehistoric
surroundings. Borgund, In the heart of
deep valley set roundabout with snow
ShPEo4 lhOuhtnihSs coS6oosc u hcy SaeAS1
dropped there In the vsgrsnt play of some
infant god of Morse mythology. 1t has
almost the true psgoda form; diminishing,
scrsre ed etaer-eisntea rocfs, ris,r-
above each other; the third extremely pro-
trudipg and prominent. This is In turn
surmouuted by distinct structure with
disproportionslly large roof, from which
rises q central pinnacle, very like the min
sret of a mosque, the peaked gables of the
h{oboat tuo storiaa hsfpp nrnvfAa1 With
most distinctly Oriental outwardly ourv-
ing, horn-shsped ornsmsntstioRs. Its en-
tire outward appearance is barbaric and
Rrotetq que. and but for Its quaint, half
Gothic, half Norman porches, strikingly
like the suDny south porchss of the very
ancient parish churches of England, would
suggest that its dark interior was fitting
housing only for some gigantic FIRE belch-
ing Hindoo god. It's inner dimensions are
ridiculously small. The nave is but TWEEN
ty-three feet long and about twenty wide;
the chancel Is only sixteen feet long and
eleven in width; but Is one mass of cary
inRs-strsnge old crosses, horrible define
stions of the passions, grotesque dragon
heads, and loathsoms intertwined serpsnts,
interspersed with Runio Inscriptions; as
though in the stern olden dsye, none
might near the sacred presences without
visible tokens Of those earthly powers
which delight In copjurinR an ever present
hell.
The Hitterdal church is more symmetric
than that Of Borgund. Its dimensions are
somewhat greater; and Its six steep shin
gled roofs are carried to far greater
height. Three curious towers rise at
equal gradient. This lowest above the
| apse, and the second above the chsncel are
circular in form; hsve cone shaped peaks,
like neatly thstched English hsy-stscks;
| and the third, above where the nave is
| separated from the chsncsl by the diminu-
| tive transrpt, Is sharply peaked from above
/ a square tower. The three towers sustain
| huge carved wooden crosses. An interest
| ing peculisrity o It's interior is that the
central tower is supported by wooden col
/ umus of tremendous height, esch one of
which Is 3 single tree Of Norway pine,
stripped of its bark, and whose dimen
sions have never been equsled in any trees
| sincs found in Norwegian forests. Among
other curiosities of the Hitterdsl church Ia
q chair of remarkable solidity standing be
| side the altar. Its carvings are smsz' ng
in their character and profusiop; and IL Ia
pretty well settled by sntiqusrizns that II
was made IL the year 900. This leaves II
among the Oldest, If not the Oldest of,
wooden chairs in existence. Two facts
should be kept in mind regarding these
ancient "stavekirker," which certainly
add greatly to their antique interest. Nc
other material but pine has been used In
their construction or restorstions; and
every one was originally built after the
true church form. Each one possesses 9
nave, a chancel and side aisles, usually
transepts giving the outlines of the cross
and they all stand east and west with the
altar and spse at the head or east end OF
the cross.
On the east bank of the Lyster ford, op
posite Solvern, is perched the lonely ham
let of Urpes. But tiny patch of tills.
BILE land surrounds IL, and then come the
mountains which pierce the clouds above
Juttipg out into the gloomy ford is lit.ls
cone-like Promontory., Upon the peak oi
this stands the lonely "stsvekirke" of Ur
nes. Antiquarisns tell Us that here orct
stood q temple to Thor. Scattered al
about are huge mounds. called "Ka npe
houge," where mighty Vikings and pre-
historic heroes lie buried. One feels q
weird old Urpes as though he has come t
the very inner temple of Morse antiquit,
and mythology. The church itself inten
sites this weirdly fascinating feeling. T.
my mind Its lonely situation and sombr
interior piqus the fancy to a more intens
: and searching grasp upon The mightyspas
! of Norselsnd than any other spot or scen
III NOKNaJ. Ano INC ooaLns VI tue lnte
, rior arc tremendous in sizs and black wit
age. The carvings are even more fsncifu
and grotesqus than at Borgund or Hitter
, dal. Behind the altar are rude pictures @
\ the twelve apostles, four hundred year
: old. No one knows how old Is that mos
curious csndelabrum ever seen, TO b
) found here, q rudely wrought tiny iro
ship; the cbslice is three hundred and 81
I ty years old; beside the altar hang th
: priests veetments dated 1881; but Q
| thaaa fhfuua ara cnnnarativalv -,ao1ar