Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 12

Beause of gound moisture,
the posts rotted and the
buildings fell, but the method
of construction endured
and evolved. Little wonder:
the peasant builders had an
endless supply of building
material that was both structurally
strong and fl exible.
Vast forests of malmfuru, a
species of pine that thrives
in northern climates, grows
straight and tall, and has a
dense and moisture-resistant
heartwood.
In the mid-1,100s, Middle
Age builders added foundation
stones and massive timber
sill beams to support the
staves of their buildings, preventing
contact with ground
moisture and sparing them
the early demise of their
post-hole predecessors. The
stability of the foundation
allowed builders to construct
buildings of incredible mass,
complexity and height, and
literally laid the groundwork
for buildings that still stand
eight centuries later.
The fundamental form of
the stave church was also
infl uenced by European
ecclesiastical architecture.
Like their stone cathedral
cousins in the medieval cities
of Trondheim, Bergen, Oslo,
and throughout the British
Isles and Europe, the basic
stave church form included a
nave, aisles on either side, an
apse and chancel at one end,
and soaring vertical spaces
open to the roof rafters (see
diagram below). Larger more
elaborate stave churches
could include a cruciform
fl oor plan and covered
ambulatories fl anking the
main building's exterior. But
unlike stone cathedrals, stave
churches had no windows,
save a few small portals high
up in the turret, and the entire
interior was wood. One
can imagine the thick scent
of timbers and pine tar that
preserved them.
Typical shapes
The actual staves that give
the churches their name are
the massive timber columns
that form the four corners
and sides of the nave and
support the entire building.
A modest one-level
(or single-nave) structure,
STAVE CHURCHES: BUILT TO LAST
Scissor roof trusses
stabilize the steeply
pitched roof
ANATOMY OF A
STAVE CHURCH
Staves notched at
lateral beams
altar
apse
Aisle roofs
Ornamental
bracing
provides
support
Stone foundation
protects staves
from moisture
also provide
stability
for tall walls
Ornamental
arches provide
support
aisle
nave
chancel
with an apse and bell
tower, might only have
four staves, one at each
corner, as is typical of
the stave churches in
Valdres. The elaborately
stacked and layered
churches such as Heddal,
Borgund and Gol
might have as many as
20 staves in a square
or rectangle around the
nave, with up to three
naves, one on top of another,
supporting turrets
and towers above them.
Regardless of their scale
and complexity, the use
of upright timbers in all
28 remaining churches
gives them a sense of soaring
verticality. Steep roof
continued on p. 14 ...
Sill beam
supports
walls with
rigid base
and prevents
moisure
wicking
ambulatory
porch
ILLUSTRATIONS RENDERED BY RANDALL NELSON

Viking Magazine - April 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Viking Magazine - April 2013

Contents
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - Cover1
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - Cover2
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - Contents
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 4
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 5
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 6
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 7
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 8
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 9
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 10
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 11
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 12
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 13
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 14
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 15
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 16
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 17
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 18
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 19
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 20
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 21
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 22
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 23
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 24
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 25
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 26
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 27
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 28
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 29
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 30
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 31
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 32
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 33
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 34
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 35
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 36
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Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 40
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 41
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 42
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 43
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Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 45
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 46
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Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 49
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 50
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Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 52
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 53
Viking Magazine - April 2013 - 54
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