900 Year Old Viking Church

[@jerrihadding2534]

My husband is Swedish. I am an American woman who grew up in Southern California. I have been married to my husband for 25 years, living with him in Sweden. His mother’s family were Norwegian. We visit Norway frequently and this church has overwhelmed me with awe each time we have been there. Thank you for visiting it!

[@RazPerignon]

Don’t Swedes dislike Norwegians?

[@useitwice]

​@@RazPerignonNo we don't dislike norwegians. We do have a lot of jokes about them tho! (and they of us)

[@erikness4231]

@@useitwice Goes both ways, but it's just joking. Scandinavian's are one.

[@useitwice]

@@erikness4231 Det var väl det jag sa?

[@rullvardi]

@@RazPerignon No, of course we don't! (Yes, we do)

[@butterfliesarefreetofly6964]

It is so awesome to see something so old, still standing. And the countryside is beautiful!!!

[@Randomjackass135]

*VARG HAS ENTERED THE CHAT*

[@gozzilla78]

Not quite, it’s been almost entirely rebuilt in late 19th century

[@Drumsticksmcgee]

Especially when most brick and mortar buildings around the world amazingly burnt in fires. 🤔

[@StrangePerson69]

@@DrumsticksmcgeeWhat

[@Boats_N_Hoez]

From wood…

[@Shernickyholmes221]

No pews. Christians back then stood as they worshipped. I attend a coptic orthodox church. We stand for nearly 3 hours for liturgy. We also use 3 languages, english, coptic and arabic. This church is so beautiful. Thanks Chris.

[@Grandizer8989]

You couldn’t pay me enough to do that. Do people faint from locking their legs?

[@iHaveTheDocuments]

​@@Grandizer8989 There's thousands of jobs that you have to stand for hours. Little old ladies at the cashier counter do it all the time

[@miketackabery7521]

​​@@Grandizer8989you NEVER lock your legs. They're always just slightly bent at the knees. And it's rare to stand in place for the entire service. It's far less disturbing to move around when everyone's standing than when everyone's sitting.

[@Exaltation-heliacal]

Christians back then just killed everyone over nothing but make believe. Still happens. You people are awful

[@josephconsoli4128]

It reminds of my father saying masses used to be in Latin, and, if you came late, the Priest would chastise you in front of everyone. Back then people obeyed and respected all the strictness. Today's nihilistic society will not. Churches would be empty.

[@Hogger280]

Amazing that a 1000 year old building stands strong without sagging or restoration.

[@HansenFT]

As a norwegian, these stavchurches have generally been restored a few times throughout the centuries. It's still impressive, though, I agree

[@NickScholl]

It was almost completely rebuilt between 1884-1891. They may have used a lot of the original material, but it's not the original building.

[@lundsweden]

My parents and us children (I was 18 months old!) visted this Church in July 1975. My Mother never forgot it, she was talking about it 40+ years later!

[@SlimshadyVictoria]

MY...GOD...That church is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!! As i will never get to travel there due to age and health, THANK YOU for letting me enjoy the journey vicariously through you!❤❤

[@chosenideahandle]

There are almost 28 of them in Norway. We just happened upon one driving though, when I was a teenager. There were many more then, but some "black metal" kids/boneheads burned a bunch of them between 1992 and 1996.

[@valentinr.dominguez2892]

If this church is 900 years old, it started as a Catholic Church. The narrator described a partial wall separating the altar from the section where the laity would congregate. That partial wall is similar to a rood screen that is still used by the Eastern Orthodox and had been used by the Roman Catholic Church up to a separate time. The altar area was treated similarly to the Holy of Holies in the ancient Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, where only certain religious were allowed.

[@magnusgranskau7487]

or maybe for women?

[@myriamickx7969]

No, it's for separating the people from the priest performing the Sacrement. As explained by the OP, it's still the case in the Orthodox rite and it used to exist also in the Catholic churches up to some point in the medieval period.

[@valentinr.dominguez2892]

@myriamickx7969 I am not sure why you stated "No" in response to my comment when everything that you wrote I had already stated in my comment.

[@guyfromthe80s92]

@@valentinr.dominguez2892bro, do you know better than the actual local historians associated with this church?

[@valentinr.dominguez2892]

@@guyfromthe80s92 I am not contradicting anyone. In the actual video, the narrator states that he does not know what the structure represents.

[@ElusiveMasquerade]

My family came to America in 1860. The place they are from is called Osvåg. It’s in an area called Etne. I’m very proud of my Viking ancestry.

[@SummerSun-sg3wf]

To me it looks similar in style to the wooden Puritan churches.

[@H3LGAS]

@@SummerSun-sg3wf nah this is a viking church

[@CrunchyMom88]

​@@H3LGASYou're also wrong. This was originally a Hof before Christianity flooded their culture.

[@ASENEBS281294]

I have been to Etne, very nice place!

[@H3LGAS]

@@CrunchyMom88 i am litterally a tour guide for this very church every summer. I know its history.

[@huldrrrr9486]

Another thing that's pretty neat are the intricate wood cravings seen at 2:51. They are almost identical to the wood carving you can see on Viking ships and other woodwork from those previous centuries. I always found it cool how these medieval churches retained some of it's pagan past in it's architecture!

[@rodricbr]

the church was almost completely rebuilt in the 19th century they might've used a lot of the original material, but it's not fully original

[@nbenefiel]

I’ve been in 2 stave churches. They are absolutely incredible.

[@christinehoughton8591]

Me too, and agree they are incredible. I loved Norway such lovely people. The only thing I didn’t get to see was the aurora borealis (wrong time of year)

[@zacharytaylor6032]

I've always wondered why some of their churches are black. Your videos never disappoint me. Thank you.. You explore things I've always wanted to see. I'm disabled and getting old so keep exploring for me. 😀

[@rayerscarpensael2300]

They were black as those viking were into gothic death metal.

[@anthonyaer8303]

Because pine tar is naturally black. The color is natural.

[@idiotidiot5821]

​@@anthonyaer8303there are obvious burn marks in sections too

[@stepps511]

Wow, Chris! What an amazing video of an incredibly historic church building. I would venture a guess that, much like in medieval England, the interior of the churches there were vividy painted with bilblical scenes and told the story of the relationship between God, and Jesus, with the people, not unlike stained glass did. Thanks so much for this one!

[@M0odyBlue]

What a beautiful country setting. That church is fascinating and beautifully preserved. I especially enjoyed seeing the carvings and the colored tapestries. Thank you for this. I probably never would have seen this in person!

[@user-dt3rj8qm3k]

Such beauty. What a lovely country. Great video as always. Thank you

[@jcsgodmother]

In Brooklyn NY The Church of the Visitation was built by shipbuilders who also made the vaulted ceiling as a haul of an upside down ship. Very interesting.

[@margaretflounders8510]

In England upturned boats were used too, as a church..Hence the name of the Nave....

[@jarls5890]

To this day, in Scandinavian languges (NO, SE, DE) the nave of the church is called "the ship" (as in, "nave" is not a word used at all).

[@terry1637]

Being of Danish Viking heritage, amazing.

[@kokonana4086]

This is incredible! How those logs stand the test of time is magnificent in themselves.

[@IBLV2DOU]

My Dad immigrated from Voss Norway. He had many photos of a Stave church, may be the same one. Our family has been in the area for hundreds of years. I’ve never been there but it is wonderful to see in a video. Thank you for sharing. It is beautiful.

[@NorwegianShedhunter]

This is "only" a mountain pass away from Voss😊

[@Susan-dk3ik]

Thank you for sharing your learnings . Not all can travel physically, yet your film and talk can take us to such a wonderful space. Safe travels Sir, May you keep enthused, happy and well.

[@masterofsnatch1645]

Amazing find, and thank you for taking us all to see this lucky church!! Thank you

[@davidh328]

What a gorgeous place 😮

[@justinneilsonn2665]

My grandmother was from Norway. She died at 98 years old . I need to visit the homeland at some point

[@cindycreateforlife]

Amazing architecture, churches are where the skills of shipbuilders came to life, with much ornamentation and unique features. Thank you for filming the interior and sharing something that most of us will never experience. 🇨🇦

[@__seeker__]

As a minister and amateur historian, this fascinates me to no end. I’m in awe. Thank you.

[@Carolbearce]

These churches are amazing to see. Thank you for showing this to us.

[@Sewtangle]

My brother got married in a replica of this church in S. Dakota. I have never seen the original, so thank you for the video!

[@greenbriar07]

What a beautiful church, thanks for taking us on a walk through the interior! There used to be a replica stave church at Blue Mounds in Wisconsin, which was dismantled a few years ago and shipped back home to Orkdal in Norway, and reassembled there. I'd love to visit it again some day :)

[@nbenefiel]

I used to love Little Norway. I’m sorry it is gone.

[@lilafeldman8630]

I've seen the one near Fargo, in Minnesota.

[@stuntgirl56-therachelvande24]

Reminds me of The 13th Warrior. Also the movie The Pathfinder. Great Viking jaunts with surprising events to ponder, thanks for the great Church story

[@chrisblack8390]

That was something! So old an beautiful! Thank you

[@nancyheinemann5497]

Thank you. Many pictures of this church from the outside, but these are the first I have seen of the inside! Absolutely stunning!

[@miketackabery7521]

That wall between the altar and nave is an iconistasis. There in the North Catholic (which this church was until Lutheranism took hold) and Orthodox practices were still pretty close in the eleven hundreds. Thanks for the video!

[@valentinr.dominguez2892]

Similar to rood screens.

[@randomvintagefilm273]

Thank you so much for filming this! What an unusual place.

[@elizabetholdenwikestad]

This church is located in Vik i Sogn, Norway which is where I live. This village is located on the longest and deepest fjord in Norway, called Sognefjorden. We have so many beautiful things to see here, including the stone Church built in the 1100s.

[@JaimieJo]

Beautiful! I hope to visit Norway and Sweden before I die.

[@valariebedard2164]

WoW! That art work is amazing to see! Thanks for sharing that.. you're awesome! 😊

[@lgannawa]

This incredible to see, thank you for sharing it with the rest of us on the interwebs!

[@Cinoszzs]

I've been there, crazy how its so calm!

[@deniseeulert2503]

Twelve years ago I entered a gingerbread building contest here in town and built a stavekirche. It was not a copy of any particular church building, but it had elements from several. I got first place in the professional category. Every time I make a gingerbread building I gain more respect for real architects. It's hard to make a model accurate, how hard is it to design a full size building?

[@sallykohorst8803]

Very lovely church thanks for sharing. You always have amazing stuff to show.

[@karenbodding9689]

I went to Hopperstad in 2015. It is beautiful on the inside and out. Thank you for taking me there again with your video.

[@nkley1]

This is amazing., along with the surrounding views. Heavenly.

[@terrioestreich4007]

My family comes from Norway and I am so interested in things like this!! Thank you for sharing your experiences!!

[@Animeraccoon]

They got the aesthetic down for sure. That looks bad ass.

[@ibyt33]

So I don’t know if you read your messages on here, but was wondering if you heard about that 300 year old Robin Hood tree you did a video on it probably about a year ago. Someone has cut it down a teenager.😢😢😢😢 thankfully you got a great video of it before it happened ❤❤❤

[@fd9987]

Fascinating! I’m so grateful you posted this video.

[@sheilaathay2034]

Thanks! I got to see most of the stavekjirke when I was there in 89. I don't think I saw that one. I remember the smell of them. They are so unique. Like stepping back in time.❤

[@gabrieli4734]

Now this was very interesting. Thank you for sharing your unique discovery....

[@janthieme3024]

So happy to come across your video an tour. Would never be able to see such beauty with out you taking us along. Thank you. 😊

[@KittensWithHelmets]

Thank you for taking the time to share 😊 Such wonderfully preserved history.

[@jeansonnichsen7807]

Thank you for your wisdom✨

[@thoughtfulhistorytoday7214]

The partition you refer to is a called a rood screen. The congregation in early Roman Catholic practice stood in the rear while the priests performed the Mass beyond the rood screen. A worshiper could see most of what the priests were doing except during communion when the bread and wine became the true body and blood of the Christ.

[@andytaylor5476]

Fantastic! How wonderful that people are allowed access to the past so up close!

[@DakotaCelt1]

Beautiful church. There is a replica of the Hopperstad Stave church in Moorhead, MN

[@blazingstar9638]

Absolutely incredible

[@daughterofpatriots3165]

Noah’s Ark was covered in pitch as well. The upside down ship concept fits. Fascinating. Thank you for sharing.❤

[@handlesshouldntdefaulttonames]

a great acadmic called irving finkel has a documentary where he's read the original sumerian texts, translated them into english and then had the original ark built. you might be interested to check it out.

[@trilbywilby7826]

It looks like Theoden's Hall on the hill of Edoras in Rohan. Interesting to speculate whether architecture like this inspired the settings in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

[@beetlebob4675]

I was looking for this comment, THANK YOU!😍😭 Tolkien used a lot of Norse mythos to build the culture of the Rohirrim. They did such a good job designing the architecture to reflect that! It's amazing, honestly.

[@randomperson6433]

That was my first thought. It looks like a movie set. Like a fantasy. Def on my fantasy getaway list now.

[@RandomNorwegianGuy.]

Tolkins work is literally based upon Anglo-Saxon and Norse mythology and history

[@beetlebob4675]

@@RandomNorwegianGuy. It's okay. Deep breaths. Not everyone knows everything about Tolkien, like us weirdos. I already took care of it.

[@jarls5890]

It probably did. Tolkien was very much into Scandinavian (+ Finnish) culture and language. Several places in middle-earth is straight up named after places and regions in Norway (Fenmark, East/West-fold, etc..)

[@TheAlexis4444]

Amazingly beautiful scenery and a very cold dark church, typical for a cold country.

[@LorenOneal]

I visited an old Church in Malmo Sweden, in 2000 had been standing since 1060. Just around the square from my Hotel the Radisson.. also had just crossed the new bridge at the time,❤ from the Netherlands

[@tressydoll68]

Wow! So amazing, and beautiful. 🙏🏼♥️

[@michaelgillespie502]

incredible! thank you

[@thesparkypilot]

Beautiful! I got to visit the one in Oslo ‘s outdoor museum and this makes me want to go back to see it or another one again. I’ll never forget the smell of the old wood and pitch and how it was dark inside but very ornate. A thing of beauty. Thank you for sharing!

[@Aatell764]

That's amazing! I recognized it immediately but not from what you'd expect! Anyone ever play Age of Mythology? That's the Norse temple. Beautiful.

[@icegiant1000]

What a place! The most sinister and cool church i've ever seen. Imagine that place at night with candles and a thunderstorm outside... phreaky!

[@staceyt6466]

We have one of these churches in rapid city SD it is beautiful but would love to see this one!! 900 years old is incredible

[@scottrider641]

What a beautiful church in awesome countryside. 900 years old and in such immaculate condition. As usual, your videography is stunning. Thanks for bringing this to us, Chris

[@Viking88Power]

Most of the structure is not that old.

[@scottrider641]

@@Viking88Power Thanks I guess I misunderstood. Appreciate it

[@hamishanderson6738]

Clinker-built.

[@ironsonic4102]

Gosh, who knew this even existed. Thanks for sharing!

[@kateruterbories2692]

I have laplander in me, Viking. Beautiful!

[@KizzMyAbs]

Absolutely beautiful

[@davidcisneros1429]

The roof is so cool! There is a church in Bellingham Washington, that was built by shipbuilders during the great depression years, and the joinery is really beautiful! It's called Fountain Church...

[@MrPvtrandall]

Fascinating.

[@deniseroe5891]

Amazing. Beautiful place and setting. Wonderful it survived.

[@Olaf7465]

glad for å ha deg i Norge min venn jeg er en fan

[@misstoni3901]

Beautiful church. I love both of your channels. Keep up the awesome work.

[@DD-th2bd]

Wow! That is beautiful place

[@rockhead69]

Fantastic... thanks for the video !

[@michellemichaels3258]

Absolutely amazing

[@dianafarmer5445]

Beautiful. Protect it as much as possible.

[@lucyguiland-nt9vu]

Beautiful 😍 😊 thanks love

[@kai.j.wenn.]

Makes me wish I could see this church in its prime. It’s beautiful now but to see it back when it was built 🤯🤩🖤

[@renacleerican7824]

Gorgeous!

[@FatherMcKenzie66]

Wow, so beautiful

[@soyasibonnie]

The energy there is probably 🤯

[@Carol-D.1324]

This was so amazing to watch. Thank you for taking us along with you! The information you provided was perfectly perfect. Glad this randomly popped up in my feed. Had to subscribe! Looking forward to the next adventure and amazing history.

[@asbisi]

Beautiful.

[@christelklinko7683]

Thank you for the education.

[@kendranewton9071]

Breathtaking!

[@jamesholt7612]

Awesome video as well as the history.

[@icouldjustscream]

Very beautiful. Thank you.

[@stopthespacemagicians]

Thank you for sharing this!

[@RebeccaJ720]

Imagine all the Viking photo shoots. 😊

[@gregmkay]

I would suggest that the separate room with the small window was for people under penance. It was common in the Church at one time for people who had committed major sins to be excommunicated and assigned a penance, part of which was not being allowed back into the congregation until that penance was fulfilled. Still, since the ultimate goal was not to cast them out permanently but rather to reintegrate them back into the Body of Christ, it was important that they still hear the Scriptures, Gospel, and preaching. In the Orthodox Church they were allowed to stand in the narthex (like the lobby), and listen to and see the services, to, like Jacob Marley's ghost in A CHRISTMAS CAROL, "witness what it cannot share, but might have shared," filling them with a longing to return to it and a determined desire to never let sin separate them again. They repent, which is the goal.

[@DeirdreB-fu1qb]

immediately wondered how in the world the wood could survive one thousand years!! So Thank you for mentioning how they protected it by painting tar over it. I'm mega intrigued with this gorgeous church ! Hopefully will visit here someday. Wonderful video 😍

[@dlghenderson2837]

I think what you called Shields are actually family Crests.

[@twrourke6557]

Great place for a heavy metal music video!

[@oceans6195]

Such an awesome video thank you for sharing it with us and thank you for not playing blasting music

[@lizgarner2320]

Beautiful 😮

[@markgoddard2560]

Like an original broom that someone has had for forty years, and only had 18 new handles and 20 new brush heads. The screen before the alter (“without a door “) is called a Rood Screen.

[@JustJuni-dv2ol]

Beautiful 😊

[@stuntgirl56-therachelvande24]

So I imagine when the Vikings were out on hunts they would flip their boats over and use them for shelter when needed hence this design that was added to for more capacity. Very few could survive as if this ever caught fire, the tar would be fuel and make short work of it. a very hot fire indeed leaving the landscape virtually unscathed with grass growing over the sight the next spring. Only the rocks in the foundation would remain and a few years of weather and these would be only mounds or hills to wander or trip over.

[@robertlacount8401]

Crazy looks like it's built Iike a old Viking ship