The Röldal Stave Church looks like it can easily fit into a horror movie scene or a period-piece epic such as Robin Hood. The church of dark stained wood with its high steeple sitting against a backdrop of bright green mountains definitely is larger than life and can appear quite mysterious, even ominous, on cloudy days. If you take the graveyard that sits almost right on its doorstep into account, one actually wants to call Hollywood personally to inform them of this once-in-a-lifetime filming location.
But although Hollywood hasn’t come calling yet, many visitors to Norway come to visit the Röldal Stave Church. This is not just for its incredibly impressive architecture and historic value, but also because of mysterious past events. In this article, you will learn everything there is to know about this little church and what makes it so special.
The History of the Röldal Stave Church
Although an exact date is impossible to pinpoint, researchers believe the church must’ve been built between 1200 and 1250. Stave isn’t just the name of a type of church but also a famous building technique in Norway. Most Stave churches were built with a special type of wood, fir, which can, sadly, no longer be found. But as a general rule of thumb, everything about a Stave Church build was wooden – even the nails used in construction!
The timber framing was upheld by load-bearing poles referred to as “staver” (hence the name). Today, the Röldal Stave Church is one of only 28 Stave churches that can still be found in Norway.
During the Middle Ages till about 1835, it became one of the most important pilgrimage destinations (but more on this a bit later). Between 1913 and 1917, extensive restoration was done. But unlike many other historic buildings where structures are completely rebuilt, here, the original church walls were merely protected by new exterior walls. A gallery was also added to the outside of the old walls.
If you see the incredible wall paintings on the original walls, you’ll understand why. The church truly is heaven for art lovers or architectural enthusiasts. The altar, pulpit, and pews are all created in that distinct baroque style. And the altar, made by Gottfried Hendtzschel, is decorated with all sorts of biblical texts, symbols, and motifs.
Today, visitors can still marvel at the incredible structure and interior detail of the church as a functioning museum, even though many of the original statues and ornaments that date back to the Middle Ages are now kept at the much larger Bergen Museum.
Strange Religious Phenomena at the Röldal Stave Church
We already mentioned that Röldal Stave Church was once one of the pilgrimage destinations. This was due to strange religious phenomena that occurred there. One of the original Medieval artworks that can still be found in the church today, is the wooden crucifix with the Christ figure hanging at the entrance to the baptismal stone.
Written documents have been found detailing many flocking to the church as the Christ figure started to “sweat” every year on 24 June (better known here in Norway as Midsummer or Jonsok). It was believed that this “sweat” had miraculous healing powers and visitors would use cloths, rags, etc. to dab off the sweat and place it on the parts of their body they needed the healing.
Needless to say, the pilgrimages to see the miraculous cross didn’t begin and end on the 24th of June, and the foot traffic coming to partake in what was perceived by the priesthood as blatant idolatry became a huge problem. Since 1644 the priesthood had made numerous attempts to stop these pilgrimages, but they all failed.
The pilgrimages eventually tapered down all by themselves and seemed to end around 1840. Ironically, the story of the miraculous cross has attracted new curiosity and interest, with many modern-day tourists coming to check out the artifact for themselves.
The Crucifixes Origin Story
As with so many historical and mysterious objects, the cross of Röldal Stave Church also comes with its own legend and backstory. No one really knows when it started or whether there is even an ounce of truth in it, but it is still given as an account of how the cross came to Röldal. It is said that a blind man went fishing with a young boy when they discovered the crucifix.
But actually getting the crucifix into the boat was not as easy as they initially thought. As he and the boy struggled to hoist their new-found treasure, the man wiped the sweat that was now running down his face from all the hard labor away from his eyes. Miraculously, as he wiped across his face, he regained his eyesight. Thereafter, he donated the miracle cross to the Röldal Church where it continued its healing adventures.
Where is the Röldal Stave Church in Norway?
As the name suggests, the Röldal Stave Church can be found in Röldal. It’s just a short drive from Odda and is easily accessible when traveling on the old route between Oslo and Western Norway.
Opening Hours of Röldal Stave Church
If you’re thinking of visiting the Röldal Stave Church on your visit to Norway, you need to take note that operating hours change along with the seasons:
19 May to 14 June
10:00 -16:00
15 June to 18 August
10:00 – 18:00
19 August to 15 September
10:00 – 16:00
Entrance Fees Charged at Röldal Stave Church
Entrance fees range as follows:
Adults (15+ years of age) = 80 NOK ($7.50).
Children (14 years and younger) = Free.
Large Groups of 10+ people get discounted rates of 50 NOK ($4.70) per person.
Röldal Stave Church Makes the Perfect Road Trip Stop
With the church conveniently situated along the route between Oslo and Western Norway, it’s easy to make it one of the stops along a road trip. And if you’re planning on renting a motorhome in Norway, accommodation and impromptu stops also become much easier (and affordable!) So, do yourself a favor and don’t miss out on this breathtaking, yet mysterious landmark on your road trip around the country.
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