Mære Church

Mære Church (Norwegian: Mære kirke) is a parish church in Steinkjer municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located in the village of Mære. It is the church for the Mære parish which is part of the Stiklestad prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Nidaros of the Church of Norway. [1]

Mære Church
Mære kirke
View of the church
Mære Church Location of the church Show map of Trøndelag Mære Church Mære Church (Norway) Show map of Norway
63.9338°N 11.3947°E / 63.9338; 11.3947
Location	Steinkjer, Trøndelag
Country	Norway
Denomination	Church of Norway
Previous denomination	Catholic Church
Churchmanship	Evangelical Lutheran
History
Status	Parish church
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Architectural type	Long church
Completed	c. 1150
Specifications
Capacity	250
Materials	Stone
Administration
Parish	Mære
Deanery	Stiklestad prosti
Diocese	Nidaros

History

The stone church was built in a long church style during the 12th century by an unknown architect. The church seats about 250 people.[2][3]

The church is noted for its medieval roof featuring carvings of heads (human, beast and mythological) projecting from the top of its walls. The stone church likely dates from between 1150 and 1200; this is suggested by stylistic dating of its dedicatory inscription as well as coins dating from the reign of King Sverre (1183–1202) found during excavations. [4]

Mærehaugen, the pagan centre buried under the church, may possibly be the site referred to in the medieval Icelandic Landnámabók in chapter 297. The floor of the church was excavated in 1969 and found to contain the remains of a pagan cult structure. The nature of that structure was not clear. Hans Emil Lidén felt this represented the remains of a building, but a critique by Olsen in the same work suggested this may have been a site for pole worship. A recent review of the evidence by Walaker Norddide concluded that this site was similar to the site in Hove (Åsen, also in Trøndelag) and was therefore likely the site of a ceremonial pole. [5] [6][7]

Several renovations and restorations have been undertaken over the years, including in 1859, in 1878 and during the 1920s, under the direction of architect Claus Hjelte (1884-1969). The most recent restoration was during the 1960s. [8] [9]

See also

• List of churches in Nidaros

References

1. "Mære". lokalhistoriewiki. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
2. "Mære kirke". Kirkesøk: Kirkebyggdatabasen. Retrieved 2018-04-10.
3. "Oversikt over Nåværende Kirker" (in Norwegian). KirkeKonsulenten.no. Retrieved 2018-04-10.
4. "Mære Church in Nord-Trøndelag". dokpro.uio.no. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
5. "Mærehaugen". Steinkjerleksikonet. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
6. Lidén, Hans-Emil (1969). "From Pagan Sanctuary to Christian Church, the Excavation of Mære Church in Trøndelag". Norwegian Archaeological Review. 2: 3–32.
7. Walaker Nordeide, Sæbjorg (2011). The Viking Age As a Period of Religious Transformation: The Christianization of Norway from AD 560 to 1150/1200. Brepols Publishers. ISBN 2503534805.
8. "Mære kirke" (in Norwegian). Steinkjerleksikonet. Retrieved 2011-07-31.
9. "Claus Hjelte". lokalhistoriewiki. Retrieved September 1, 2018.

Other sources

• Liden, Hans-Emil (1969) Utgravingen av Mære kirke (Nord-Trøndelag Historielags årbok)