Tracing the Vikings at the Sola Ruin Church
Back in September 2020, the husband and I did a 10-day roadtrip around Norway. After leaving Stavanger, we drove south along the Jæren Scenic Road. While finding our way to the start of the road, we came across signs leading to this church. I hadn’t read up on it beforehand, but I never say no to a historic site photo-stop. And I’m so glad we decided to stop at the Sola Ruin Church (Sola Ruinkyrkje).
This historic church is located in Sola Municipality just outside Stavanger. The church was active from 1150 – 1842 before being converted into a private residence. During the war, the Germans destroyed it. The church has since been restored, and now its history is being uncovered. Interestingly, the history is very closely linked with the Viking Age.
In this article, I’ll go over the area and the history of the church, plus the Vikings it has been linked with.
In this article...
The Fv44 Highway
Sola Ruin Church is located along the Fv44, the main highway from Stavanger to Flekkefjord. You can find my guide for the Fv44 by clicking the link below.
Sola Municipality
The area around Sola is rich in historic sites. Above all, Rich grave finds, ancient monuments and traces of large farms are from the Stone Age, Bronze Age and Viking Age. Moreover, all the finds show that Sola was a rich and important place. Sola was home to many powerful men during the Viking Age. It’s also believed that the unification of Norway took place on an island in Sola.
Today Sola is known for Stavanger Airport, which occupies a very large area of Sola. Norwegian Air has its technical base in Sola. Sola also has a large container port at Risavika. Several oil companies have their Norwegian head office in Sola. Above all, Sola is an important agricultural municipality. There is the production of dairy products, meat, vegetables, strawberries and cucumbers.
Erling Skjalgsson
It’s good to know a little about Erling Skjalgsson, especially since he’ll be mentioned quite a bit. Erling Skjalgsson (960-975 to 1027-1028) was a ruler of southern Norway. He is also the brother in law of Olav Tryggvason, who founded Trondheim. Historians aren’t 100% sure about where he lived, but most believe it was on Sola on a farm near the church. Others think he lived in Stavanger.
Moreover, Erling aligned himself with Olav Tryggvason and received a large chunk of southern Norway to rule. After Olav was killed in battle, the leaders split Norway into three, which served Erling well. However, when Olav Haraldsson arrived in 1015, he had plans to rule the entire country.
Erling continued to enforce his power on southwest Norway. King Olav tried to split his powers by introducing new men to control the area. However, they were quickly pushed out by Erlings men. In 1027, Erling went to England to get the support of Canute the Great. Erling returned in 1028 and rallied an army with the intent of fighting Olav. However, Erling was trapped on a ship by King Olav’s fleet in the Battle of Boknafjorden near Bokn in Rogaland. The ship overturned and the men captured Erling. As Olav was about to pardon Erling, one of Olav’s men cut off Erling’s head with an axe.
According to the sagas, King Olav said to the killer “you feel! Now you hewed Norway off my hands!” the kings prediction came true. Backed by Canute the Great, Erling’s allies went on to drive Olav out of the country. They killed him at the Battle of Stiklestad in 1030.
Sola Ruin Church & Christianity in Sola
Christianity in Sola
Comparatively, christianity came to Sola early. There are few pagan mounds from the 10th century here, especially when compared to other parts of Norway. This indicates that ancient customs had already given way to Christianity.
Several large stone crosses from this period still stand – there are two on Tjora (the largest is 2.2m high). I’m so sad I didn’t know about these before renting a car and driving through Norway. It’s on the ‘next time’ list for sure. Anyway, the crosses are from the 10th century. There used to be three stone crosses; one is now in a museum in Bergen.
Moreover, Erling Skjalgsson converted to Christianity to marry Astrid Tryggvesdatter, sister of Olav Tryggvason. According to the saga, Olav wanted a council (ting) set up as soon as he came to Sola to christianise the area. They picked out the three most eloquent peasants to speak out against Olav christianising them. When Olav showed up, they confronted him. The first did not say a word. The other suddenly became dumb, and the third was so hoarse that no one heard him. Therefore, there was no resistance to Olav and everyone in the council was baptised before Olav left.
History of the Church
It’s possible that the predecessor to this church was a stave church. Some historians believe Erling Skjalgsson built the church in connection with his farm. The location of the church has a view towards Sola Beach, the sea, and Hafrsfjord. Erling died in 1028. After Erling died, his relatives are documented with building stone churches in the area. However, Sola Ruin Church is been dated to between 1120 and 1130. Above all, this is around the same time other stone churches in southern Norway were built. Since Erling was killed 100 years before that, Sola ruin Church is not his church. Still, it’s possible that the predecessor was his church. Sadly, the ground where the ruins would’ve been was destroyed by the artist when he moved in (more on that soon). The artist also removed the tombs in the nave.
The stone crosses, churches and cemeteries in Sola testify not only to a dense settlement during the Viking Age but also great people coming here. Additionally, there was great wealth in the area. The land in Jaeren and Sola is among the best agricultural land in Norway. Additionally, the area is close to the North Sea and trade routes, making it great for Viking expeditions.
Most importantly, Sola Church was in use until 1842.
You can see an image of the church in ruins in the 19th century here: https://digitaltmuseum.no/021018297305/postkort-med-motiv-av-sola-ruinkirke
Private ownership
In 1871, painter Johan Bennetter bought the church ruin. He converted it into a provide home with a studio. In 1907, the Bennetter family moved into a new house built into the garden south of the church. The house is no longer standing.
Johan Bennetter (1822-1904) is a Norwegian naval painter in the Hague and Paris. He returned to Norway in 1880 to decorate his home and studio in Sola’s old church. His most famous work is ‘Naval Battle of Madagascar’, owned by the National Gallery. Above all, as a naval painter, he is recognised for his lifelike waves.
You can see what the church looked like as a house here: https://www.solahistorielag.no/events/bennetter-og-hellandfamilienes-dype-spor-pa-sola-innen-kunst-kultur-og-arkitektur-ved-arvid-baerheim/
World War II
On the day of occupation, 9 April 1940, the Germans took control of Sola Airport. It was as one of the most important bases in Norway. The Germans believed that the church could be used by the Allies as an approach target. Because of this, they demolished the church. Moreover, they left the remains on the site as a large stone mound. Fortunately, the Germans marked each stone and where it had stood in the church.
Restoring the Church
In 1982, the Sola Municipality and the National Heritage Board began the restoration. It started with an archaeological excavation of the church ruin in 1986. Above all, the excavation found 31 graves, some inside the church and others outside. The tower was not touched by Benneter, and graves lay in the tower. The most important was one of a 60 year old woman who was in a spacious, iron-clad pine coffin. She was wrapped in textiles and leather.
Moreover, two post-holes were found that date back to 595AD – 670AD and the other from 650-760AD. Both came long before the Viking Age. Moreover, Archaeologists also looked into the carpark area and found two fireplaces that date back to 660-1020 AD. One of them fits in with the Viking times. It indicates that there were buildings here in the Viking age. This is possibly where Erling Skjalgsson lived.
In 1992, the church was restored after an architectural competition to its present form. They have put glass on the missing sections, creating a unique appearance.
Not much from the church is preserved. There is a soapstone coffin from the Middle Ages. It is part of the collection of the Bergen Museum.
The church today
The church is used every year when the mayor of Sola municipality awards the Human Rights Prize for the Nordjæren region in the church. This usually takes place on UN day on 24 October. The prize consists of a sculpture of the Erling Skjalgsson monument, a diploma, and 25,000 NOK. It is distributed to an institution, organisation or individual in the region who has made an effort to promote work on the knowledge of human rights.
The church is very popular for weddings and concerts. It has a capacity of 68 people. Moreover, when it’s not rented out, it’s possible to book a guided tour of the church.
A monument to Erling Skjalgsson stands outside the church.
Practical Information
Address & Getting There
Bautavegen 10, 4050 Sola
Signs? Yes – they say ‘Sola Ruinkyrkje’
Note – the church is located on a sleepy residential street. Please be respectful of the neighbours! The roads are narrow. Moreover, it’s important to note that “Sola Ruin Church” is not the same as the nearby “Sola Church”.
Parking
Free parking. The carpark is located a short walk from the church.
Restrooms
No restrooms.
Walks
If you’ve got some time to spare, there’s a walking route around Sola. It will take you past some of the historic monuments mentioned above. What’s great about Sola is that it has a flat landscape, making the walk very pleasant.
You can read about the walk here: https://ut.no/turforslag/1112746/solaturen (it’s in Norwegian but translates easily)
Information Sign
There is an information board in Norwegian with a summary in English. It also has images of the church throughout history.
Final Thoughts
The church is a real delight, especially when kickstarting a drive through southern Norway. However, I’m a little sad to see just how much the church has been affected by history. Very little of the historic Viking church remains, so it serves as a gentle reminder that history is worth preserving.
If you’re in the area, it’s well worth stopping by. The visit will be quick but you’ll get some lovely photos.
The Fv44 Highway
Sola Ruin Church is located along the Fv44, the main highway from Stavanger to Flekkefjord. You can find my guide for the Fv44 by clicking the link below.
