Aaron Tkac | The Chapel of Christ the Æsir

The Chapel of Christ the Æsir Master’s of Architecture Thesis by Aaron Tkac

Committee Chair: Joss Kiely, Ph.D. Committee Member: Heather Bizon, M. Arch.

Pfarrkirche St. Sebastian in Dardin, Switzerland was built in 1848 following the Sonderbundskrieg, which was a monthlong civil war caused by swelling tension between the Orthodox Catholics and a group of Catholic cantons who were publicly persecuted and forced to separate from the church. The town of Dardin was at the heart of this dispute as their religious history and practices differed in some ways from the Catholic church and eventually spread to surrounding areas between the 11th and 19th centuries, causing unrest.

Pfarrkirche St. Sebastian, Dardin, Switzerland, 1848

These Dardin Stones, found at the site of the old church – which stood on the same site as Pfarrkirche St. Sebastian before it was destroyed in the war – date back to the 11th century and were commissioned

by King Harald Bluetooth, the Viking King who united Switzerland and converted the Norse people to Christianity. Following his death, a stone ship was built in the hills outside the town to assure him safe passage into the afterlife. Bluetooth would leave behind not one, but two legacies, as the transition from Old Norse to Christianity took some unexpected turns.

The Dardin Stones, Dardin, Switzerland, early 11th century

The history of this transition at Dardin is told through the story of the previous church which was the main place of worship for centuries, from which a triptych painting and the written documentation of a Christian monk dating back to medieval times were saved.

The exterior of the triptych depicts, a battle between the Vikings (left) and the Christians (right). These battles would ultimately be the end of the old Norse religion...

... but the beginning of a little-known Norse-Christian hybridized religion called Christoheiðni, which is represented on the interior of the triptych. This story is also told in parallel through the writings of a Christian monk traveling from France as a missionary. He wrote the following:

“The year is 1023 and I, Amis of the Tironensian Order, have traveled east as far as the Viking settlement known as Breil. The people here have captivated me with their unique misunderstanding of the Christian faith and its histories. I have attempted to the extent of several weeks, and to no avail, to remedy their misinterpretations which have proven rather confusing and grossly incoherent in the details of which our Lord has inscribed in the Scriptures. As these are a converted Heathen people, I have instead decided to record the history as they believe it and to return home to allow the Archbishop Delmas to decide how to further proceed. Their false history is as follows:”

“The people settled this area of the River Vorderrhein many generations ago. Here, they believed their gods to be present, often seeing them in the villages and high up in the mountains.”

“It was their belief that the gods would take on the form of a human or an animal to guide them at important moments.

Many times, they said, Odin would appear and lead their warriors to a strong victory in battle with the Christians.”

Odin’s raven on the roo

of

Thor fighting Jörmungandr

Freyja in her chariot pulled by cats

“By the grace of God, after generations of conflict with our own holy armies, this community of Norsemen, as large and bloodthirsty as they may have been, were finally and decisively defeated some hundred years ago, immediately after which, while many were doubting the favor of their heathen gods, they were taught the ways of the Lord Savior Jesus Christ. Many were baptized in the river, and many of those who refused were executed.”

“A man by the name of Erik, a large Viking man who the village people loved was made to translate the first sermons given to the converted people. Through the translation of Erik, the priest taught them about their new Gods.”

Norsem

men gathered around Erik

The river in which many Norse people were baptized

“They learned of the great sailor, Noah, and how he put the world on his boat in order to save his village and his livestock from an angry flood. They were taught of the mercy and wisdom of Joseph and his magical armour of many colors which he used to conquer Egypt...

... and forgive his jealous brothers who betrayed him by selling him into slavery.

They listened with interest to the priest as he told them the story of a traitor in a garden who spoke to snakes and brought great suffering upon the world.”

Eve with the Serpent (foreg

ground)

Daniel after taming the lions

The story of Noah’s Ark

“The story that excited them most, however, was indeed the story of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, his great sacrifice on the cross, which they falsely believe to resemble an X rather than a cross, that allows the spirits of those who dedicate their lives to the service and worship of God to go to Valhalla and be with him forever.”

“To celebrate this new knowledge and faith, they elected Erik to be their priest and leader of the ceremonies and they began the construction of a church high on the hill above the villages in which they would commence their worship of the divine trinity of Odin, Thor, and Freyja.”

The crucifixion of Jesus Christ (holding Mjölnir)

“The church was designed to be composed of three chapels connected by narrow corridors, one chapel dedicated to each face of the Trinity and each ornamented with an X over the threshold to remind the patrons of their dedication to the Christian moral code under penalty of crucifixion. Once at the start of every lunar cycle on the first morning after a new moon, every individual passes through each of the three chapels as part of the Christian spiritual-cleansing process.”

“Every individual enters the darkest chapel first to confess their sins to Odin.

Next, they make an offering and pray to Thor in the second chapel. Finally, they move into the third chapel to take communion and celebrate the favor they have gained from the Gods.”

1. Confession

2. Sacrifice

3. Communion

“The first chapel is small and dark. It is a place for confession where people cast their sins into the well and be rid of them under the watchful eye of Odin, the Father. On the roof above the confessional well is a skeleton tower, constructed as a wood frame to symbolize the broken relationship the sinner has with the Heavenly Father and also to serve as a reminder that the relationship can be rebuilt.”

“The entry to this first chapel, and thusly the rest of the worship space, is small and modest. There is but one small window which contains a stained glass image of Odin’s all-seeing eye, projecting his presence into the room with the confessing sinners.”

Confessional well, Odin

“The second chapel is a place for sacrifices to be given, offerings to be made, and baptisms to be performed.

For it is their belief that, through the renewal of this covenant of blood made in the Light of the Lord, their strength, wealth, and prosperity will be renewed. “

“This second chapel is also a place for ceremonies, sometimes including executions and human offerings, when the Trinity demands that they be made.”

Sacrificial space, baptism, Thor

“The third chapel is one of celebration and closeness to Heaven and Lord God, the Allfather. It is a tall, ornamented, echoing space of brilliant light and sound which makes spirits bright and souls pure.”

“On Sunday mornings, the warm chime of its bell echoes through the mountains along the valley carved by the Vorderrhein, calling for all to come and be cleansed.”

Celebration space, communion, Freyja

“As you have seen in small clippings throughout the presentation of the historical text, the same religious mythology described in the writing is also depicted on the interior of the triptych painting which is currently located at the altar of Pfarrkirche St. Sebastian.”

“Looking at the stories outlined in the triptych painting and in the writing of the missionary left me curious about the history of this religion and its practitioners in the centuries leading up to the present. Because these sources took such care in detailing the practices and the traditions of this church,I wanted to examine how the religion changed over time through examination of its architecture. I found several places of worship built in the time between then and now, and did notice some architectural shifts.”

Starting in Danis, a neighboring town to Dardin, in the 1500s, this church retained the use of three distinct spaces of different scales, the pitched roof, and the use of arches. This is also the most similar to what we might think of as a traditional catholic church, which it currently functions as today.

Pfarrkirche zur Heiligsten Dreifaltigkeit, Danis, Switzerland, 1500s

Jumping to the mid 1700s, you can see a number of these structures in a few different villages. Rather than having one center of religious practice, this period represented a shift to having three discrete altars throughout the town – most likely due to growing persecution by the Christians which would eventually lead to the Sonderbundskrieg in 1848.

As you can see, this chapel features a well and a heavy stone base with a wood structure above it, linking it to the confessional chapel typology.

Kapelle Johannes der Taufer, Bellaua, mid 1700s

After the Sonderbundskrieg, it was decided that those who still wished to practice Christoheiðni would be free to do so. This political shift resulted in a few new structures over time, but people mostly enjoyed the tradition and the connection to their religious roots that the chapels provided. In the 1980s, new architecture centered around the church, such as Pfarrkirche der Nordischen Götter, reunited the small chapels on one plot and began to evolve their typologies to include – in this case – a very small, decorative bell tower and a screen to filter light in the central space.

Pfarrkirche der Nordischen Götter, Chur, 1980s

Continuing this evolution of design into the contemporary, and looking back to the story of the religion, the people, and the architecture over time, I have designed a new chapel space for the people of Dardin. This chapel is both a celebration and a product of their history which has been almost completely forgotten by the rest of the world.

It maintains the precedent of three chapel-like spaces within one structure, specifically making use of the well seen on the right, the river or reflecting pool and altars for offerings in the middle, and the communion table at the left.

The process of spiritual cleansing referenced in the triptych painting and the monk’s writing is utilized linearly, moving away from the village and reaching out into the valley, ending in celebration while looking out to the mountains and the river below as well as the site of the original church at Pfarrkirche St Sebastian.

Inside, there are three offering altars which are held by the roof structure to suggest a direct connection to Heaven. The space is tall and bright, allowing light to filter in through the wood screens and refract through a thin, constant stream of water at the highest point of the roof.

While Christoheiðni churches of the past have consisted of three main spaces, I have separated the central space into two intersecting forms which represent the realm of man and the realm of the gods, making the interior space a place for the people and the gods to interact. Taking a look at each piece in more detail, more elements of culture and mythology begin to emerge.

The first area of the chapel is the confessional well, which draws from an old Norse myth in which a well is portrayed as the source of Mimir’s wisdom which allows him to give guidance to Odin. As this is the section of the chapel traditionally dedicated to Odin, he also makes an appearance as the three Xs on the front are made of silver – the metal used to forge Odin’s throne.

This is not only a place for one to confess and unburden, but also for illumination and the gaining of wisdom through deep introspection before departing on the rest of the spiritual journey.

The second space is the realm of man. This is a space in which practitioners work to refine or filter their behavior, thoughts, and emotions before approaching the gods, as reflected architecturally in the way the wood screens filter light. The water running alongside this space is designed for baptisms, and the water running over the roof constantly baptizes the chapel.

This is intersected by the realm of the gods. This is the space that contains the altars – one for each of the three faces of the trinity – which are bowls of holy water hanging from the ceiling. Visitors place small offerings in these bowls as they pray to a specific god or goddess.

Similar to the way the Bifrost connects Asgard and Midgard – the home of the gods and the home of man – so is this space a sort of bridge between worlds.

This interior space of intersection is one where visitors can renew their strength and determination through prayer, continuing to grow in their faith like a tree that grows in even the most unfavorable conditions.

The fourth and final piece of the chapel is the communion table. This section contains a stone gateway similar to that at the entry of the chapel. The two together connect the living to Freyja in Heaven, as she is said to have a stone ship in her sacred grove. This gateway also contains three Xs, and these are plated with the gold tears of Freyja herself.

From this point, looking out over the reflecting pool, the mountains, the river, and their towns, visitors witness the beautiful works of the gods and celebrate their good standing with them through taking communion and singing a hymn.

This chapel both creates and is created by stories of religious turmoil, misinterpretation, persecution, and eventually celebration which took place over many generations. It is inspired by – and deeply connected to – a forgotten history and a mythological landscape which openly confounds multiple religious narratives but still remains a very important piece of the identity of the Norse people of Dardin, Switzerland.

Thank you!