Norwegian Stave Church

The Norwegian Stave church is rather unusual looking, and unique. Stave churches began being built after Norway's conversion to Christianity. In my mind stave churches are a blending of Christian values/design and pagan or Viking motifs. Between the 11th and the 14th centuries about 2000 stave churches were built in Scandinavia. Today only 29 still remain, along with some replicas. The 'stave' refers to the vertical, large timber posts. Dragons and other ornamental motifs 'guarded' the church. Inside a stave church it is very dark. The timbers were interlocked without nails. Stave churches are some of the oldest wooden structures on earth.

Here are some photos I took in Norway
in 2001