Stave Church at Lom

In the eleventh century, Christianity spread throughout Norway. Subsequently, believers developed a novel style in building their churches, as the Stave Church in Lom impressively demonstrates. The art of woodworking, which also produced the magnificent Viking ships, is evident in the equally solid and richly decorated stave churches. Dragon riders on the roof ridges and animal depictions on the portal are not an unusual sight, as Christian symbols and images of pagan myths are signs of the integration of old customs into the new religion. Of the originally over a thousand structures, only about thirty of these pure wooden constructions remain today, which, supported by a central structure of columns and sealed externally with thick tar paint, withstand the harsh wind and weather.

All images from the ‘Weltbilder’ Edition