At the Crossroads: Lom Stave Church
If you’re on a road trip through Norway or visiting with a tour group, it is very likely you’ll pass Lom Stave Church. Built at the crossroads between east and west, this stave church is very close to Geiranger, four tourist roads (Gamle Strynefellsvegen, Trollstigen, Sognefjellet, Valdresflye) and the highway between Oslo and Trondheim. Lom Stave Church may not be the oldest but is very well preserved. It is one of my favourites. The interior is fascinating, the guides are wonderful, and Lom itself is a charming and delightful town.
I’ve been to Lom Stave Church many times with groups. I’ve heard the guided tours many times and wandered around the church photographing it. I took my husband back in September 2020, which is when most of the photos are from. We did it after driving up from Geiranger!
Here’s an article about what makes Lom Stave Church so special. When you visit, I recommend waiting for a guided tour. Still, it’s great to know a little about what to expect before you go. That’s what this article attempts to do – a little sneak peek at what you’ll see at Lom Stave Church.
In this article...
History of Lom Stave Church
Lom Stave Church originally stood as a triple nave stave church. Inside are free-standing inner columns to support the raised section of the roof. This type of church is among the oldest of the stave churches, and Lom is one of the largest stave churches remaining in Norway. The church is likely from the end of the 12th century. when historians did a dendochronoglical dating of the timber, it’s believed the timber was felled around the year 1157.
The church stands near an ancient road between east and west. The rectory was an important place for travellers to rest, and this went on until the late 19th century. At that point, hotels began to take over. The road was busy until the Black Death affected Norway in 1349. After the Black Death, it took centuries for Norway to recover. The church remained unchanged for almost 300 years due to a lack of human and financial resources.
When the Reformation took place in Norway, it didn’t immediately impact Lom Stave Church. However, the new owners removed the altar, crucifix and Catholic symbols.
From the 17th Century Onwards: Renovation, Renovation, Renovation
When the population started to pass its pre-Black Death levels, Lom Stave Church became too small for the congregation. The first remodelling came in 1608 when the addition of the new flat ceiling and an unknown artist put nice decorations on it.
The next renovation came in 1634 when builders added the annex to the west. Thirty years later, the church was once again too small. A part of the stave wall on each side was removed and the church got arms facing north and south. The old, external portals from the Middle Ages were removed and are now on the end walls of the cross arms. With this, Lom Stave Church became a cruciform church. The original stave church is the middle part of the church today. The builder was Werner Olsen, who renovated the famous churches at Våga and Ringebu.
Restoration work on the church was done throughout the years, including throughout the 20th and early 21st century. Yet, the appearance of the church has not changed much since this major 17th restoration.
Archaeological Excavations
In 1973, archaeological excavations took place under the church. The excavations uncovered many important things. They found a total of 2,270 coins, most of them from between 1200 and 1300. Lom Stave Church is the church in Norway with the largest number of coins found under the church.
You can see pictures of the coins here: https://www.dokpro.uio.no/umk/funn/lom.html
They discovered post holes and traces of an older building. The older building was most likely a post-church, which is a predecessor to the stave church. Graves under the church and were buried according to Christian custom. The graves were affected by later additions of posts, but this proves that a church building has been on the site for hundreds of years.
Another important find was a stick with rune inscriptions on it. It is from the 14th century. They are the Nordic region’s oldest letter of courtship. One end of the stick has marks in gravel and stone, meaning it comes from a walking stick. We know the owner was Håvard because he marked his name on the inscription. It says:
“Håvard sends Gudny God’s greeting and his friendship. And now it is my full wish to ask for your hand if you do not want to be with Kolbein. Think about your marriage plans and let me know your will.”
So sweet!
The theory is that Håvard broke off the stick on the way to church and wrote the inscription. He gave it to Gudny as he was entering the church. She read the message but put it under a crack on the floor. It seems she didn’t reciprocate the feelings! She was sitting at the end reserved for the upper class, so she was likely ‘too good’ for poor Håvard.
Lastly, a parchment scroll from the 13th century was found under the church. It has notes and lyrics to music written in honour of St. Thomas Beckett, the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Interior decorations
As we know, the church underwent major renovations in the 17th century. This is also when most of the inventory is from.
This symbol represents a dragon or lion-like creature. It is likely an old Viking symbol to smooth the forced conversion the local pagans made to Christianity.
The wall decorations are from 1608, but guides will be able to show you the early decorations in the church. They are a little hard to see and need a torch.
The free-standing staves from the original construction still stand in the interior. Later, perhaps to reinforce the structure, they placed St. Andrew’s Crosses between the staves.
The pulpit is from the 1790s.
The church has a collection of motifs and paintings. Some of them are by Eggert Munch, a descendant of Edvard Munch. He was a clergyman’s son from Vågå, a town now known for its connection to the Munch family.
You seen see lots of pictures of the interior and the original floor-plans here: https://kunsthistorie.com/fagwiki/Lom_stavkirke
Men used to sit on the right, while women would sit on the left. Prisoners sat at the back with the sheriff in the caged area.
There is a town flag in the church. It has a spoon on it, which is the symbol of Lom. Because of its position in the mountains and little rainfall, large spoons were traditionally used to spread water over the fields.
The apse was added in 1240, when Gothic cathedrals made an apse a necessity for churches across Europe. Lepers came to the grilled window in the apse for a blessing. The decorations inside were done in 1740. You can see it in the far-left of the image below.
Exterior decorations
The stave church is one of the few in which the medieval dragon’s heads remain on the roof. The ones on the roof today are a copy; the originals are in the stave church exhibition. This is in the building by the parking lot. It’s the old school building.
Much like Borgund Stave Church, Lom Stave church used to have a corridor around the outside. The theory is that this is where all the Vikings would leave their shields when they went to service. Maybe it was later used to stand under cover while waiting to go inside.
In the cemetery are several soapstone medieval crosses. Some tombstones from the 18th century still stand in the cemetery.
Additional exhibition
Head to the large building in the parking lot for an additional exhibition about Lom Stave Church. There are model churches, headstones and other artefacts. In the display case you’ll see the stick with the rune inscriptions described above.
Visiting Lom Stave Church
The church is a must if you are in the area. It is open throughout the summer and has fantastic guides in a variety of languages. There is no regular schedule; they’ll do it when you show up.
Opening Hours and Admission
Up to date information is found at stavechurch.com (click here).
The church is open from June until September. The times vary according to the time of year, but it’s typically from 11am until 5pm. Tickets cost 90 NOK per person.
Facilities
There is a large free parking lot outside the church. It may be full of tour buses in the summer months.
While there are no bathrooms on site, there is a bathroom (fee) beside the wooden building. Or, head across the road to Lom centre. Visit the bakery, buy some lunch, and use their (better) bathrooms for free). You’ll find lots of outdoor shops and a supermarket here.