Norway' s Ancient Stante Churches

By E. R. Yqrhom

Our Norwegian friends are much in our thoughts this Holiday season. Amid the ice-cold fjords and majestic mountains stand some of the most remarkable timber churches on earth, built lty their ancestors, the olcl Vikings, exactlv like the famous long-boats or "Serpent Ship.r" in u'hich thev discor.ered -\merica (they called it "\A/inelancl" centuries before Columltus got across).

'f,hese ancient stave (wooden) churches. relics oI the: early davs of Christianitv in the countrr',':rre arnong the nrost fascinating oltjects to the traveller. With theil grcat timbers black rvith age and cor.ered u'ith grotes(lrlt: c:rr\'irrgs, these venerable ltuildings are uniclue in l-urope. Irr the occupation Nazi vanclalism halted short of their dcsccrlrtion.

Often the venerable churches of rvood star.rd in :r narr()w valley flanked by giant peaks, or perched precariously on the rocks at the head of a winding fjord. 'fhev are built with the same type of mighty plank that went to make the "Serpent Ships" of the Vikings, in rvhich thel' sailed to ravage the coasts of Europe. When thev became Christians it was only natural that the shipltuilders should be the craftsmen who were called upon to ltuild cl.rurches. Tl.rev remind one irresistibly of a boat lying upon tl're stocks. bearing irrefutable evidence of the skill of the shiprvright.

The oldest stave church, at Urnes, is 900 years old; the biggest is at I{itterdal and its impressive exterior rises in the exact lines of a shapelv ship. The finest is at Rorguncl, situated amid magnificent scenerv in the grandest portion of Laerdal, a ravine-like cleft among the mountair-rs. It is guarded as a national monument, and dates back to thc twelfth century. Like all the stave churches it is very dark within, for the severe climate amid the mountains rlid not call for manv windor,vs. The roof is strangelv pagoda-like and the gables are adorned rvith fearsome 'dragon heatls like those on the prows of the \/iking boats, and l.rere and there are small crosses.

'l-hc construction of these stave churches is distinctive that four square sills are laid or-r the ground and staves r.nake up the u'alls. These are then tied together rvith beams follo'rving a very ancient custom. The first of the stave churches .ivere constructed about the year 1050 and quite a fer,v of them r.vere built during the llth and l2th centttries. It is estimated that approximatell, 900 churches of this style were built in Norway.

Today there are 20 of the old stuve churches in excellent state of preservation rvhile .50 more have onl,"- parts left.

Returns to Plywood Concern

Berney A. Hondo, who was directly in charge of so{tu'ood plywood allocation during the closing years of the war rvhile fir plywood u'as the most critical of all building materials, has reopened Chicago sales of;fices of OregonWashington I'lyr,vood Co.

Har.ing been affiliated with the O-W firm as Chicago district sales rnanager for several years before the war Mr. ]'{ondo joined the War Production Board in 1943. In April the follou'ing year he was appointed administrator of limitatiorlotders regulating softwobd plywood sales and chief of the softt'ood plyrvood section of the WPB lumber division.

He held that position until leaving government service early in September. ' ii:: !. j fn remembrance of the opportunities afiorded us to serve you-we wish our friends