Høyjord Stave Church

The church was built in two phases. The chancel dates from the latter half of the 1100s and is constructed in the Romanesque style. Floorboards in the chancel have been dated to 1159–1160. Around 100 years later, the nave was built in the Gothic style. Around 1700, the surrounding galleries were removed, and the church was clad with exterior paneling, effectively concealing the original stave structure. The interior was paneled in 1849–1850, leaving the original stave church hidden and largely forgotten for nearly 100 years. The chancel was once richly decorated. The original decorations that could be interpreted have been carefully restored. The medallions beneath the chancel vault have been repainted based on the original colors and patterns. The motifs on the south side depict scenes from the New Testament, while those on the north side depict scenes from the Old Testament. The altarpiece dates from approximately 1630–1660. The church walls contain a series of consecration crosses. Traditionally, there should be twelve, though some are believed to have been lost during past restorations. The small upper openings without glass were the original windows. In 1848, these were replaced with larger, tall, narrow windows typical of church design at the time. These remained in place for about 100 years, before being replaced during the restoration between 1948 and 1953 with the windows seen today. Alf Erlingsson, known as “Lesser Alf” and believed to have been a count, donated a rare bronze weathervane to the church around 1250. It is thought to have originally been mounted on his Viking ship and later served as the church’s weathervane for centuries. The vane currently on the spire is a replica made in 2014, crafted in copper and coated with 24-carat gold leaf.