The Black Churches They will always be an attraction from Norway. Calls Stavkirker In Norwegian, they are known as «Erguida wood churches» in French. Because? They were built using posts to raise their walls, ships and roofs, between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries. This technique and its sophisticated aesthetic are especially notable for the time they were built. Therefore, they are known as true medieval masterpieces, some of which are registered in the Unesco World Heritage list. Although there were originally 1,300, today there are only 28, mainly in Norway, but scattered throughout northern Europe, to Sussex, in England.
From the ninth century, the Norwegian sovereigns tried to introduce Christianity in their kingdom, then dominated by the polytheistic paganism of the Vikings. It was not until King Olaf was killed in 1030 and his remains deposited in a religious chest that occurred miracles, recognizing his holiness, and Christianity took off. Little by little, Christianity imposed itself as a majority belief and the Church splashed the Norwegian rural of small Wooden churcheswhile cities built Stone cult places. For its design, wood was favored, based on Nordic experience in naval construction and the abundance of local forests; A process that also allowed to protect storm buildings, since wood was more fragile than stone.
Its architecture mixes old Nordic influences with other European traditions (British, Normands) and Byzantines. Viking art, in particular, mixes with the beginnings of Romanesque. The rich decoration comes from both pagan art (fantastic creatures, divinities, mythological stories) and emerging Christianity (arches, crosses, vaults). Each church has protective elements on the roof: a dragon on top, crosses to scare away demons, evil spirits and natural disasters. Dragon heads are based on the codes of Vikings ships and fulfill the same function as the gargoyles of the stone churches: Protection against enemies. Later, the Stavkirker It would be decorated with paintings that represented the life of Christ. Inside, the faithful commune standing, with the women to the left.