Wooden portal

The main entrance of Uvdal stave church is framed by a carved wooden portal, constructed for the westward expansion of the church during the 14th century. The portal at Uvdal differs from similar older types of stave church portals. Normally, these have a firm composition with dragons and shooting branches growing out from lions' heads at the bottom panel. On the portal from Uvdal, there are two small dragons crossing on the highest panel only. On the left lower panel, there is a shooting ranch rising from a lion's head as expected. However, the right lower panel shows a scene from the ancient mythological cycle of Sigurd the Dragon Slayer. The scene pictures Gunnar in the snake pit, bound and left to die. As the myth and the image illustrate, Gunnar manages to play the harp using his bare feet, so beautifully that all but one of the snakes fall asleep. The myth goes on to share how the snake bit Gunnar and he perished. The reconstructed portal is carved by Egil Jansson. 

Carved church portals from the early Middle Ages illustrate many ideas of the supernatural, divine entities, and the power of the church space. As a gateway to the inner holy space, the portal leads us into a sphere of power, a place where interaction between humans and the divine is made possible. The space you will enter is the same size as the stave church built in the 12th century, approx. 40sqm. Here the congregation would stand tightly packed, following the clergy and the Latin mass. The church held the holy inner space, a place for God´s holy presence on earth.  

To make a close interaction with divine power possible, people would perform sacred rituals. Such rituals may be traced in archaeological materials. Through this portal, you will see examples of such materials, objects hidden and forgotten under the church floor of Uvdal stave church.