Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
tails worth lingering over. Good English information throughout the church
brings meaning to the place.
Cost and Hours:
30 kr, free weekdays after 16:00, open May-mid-Sept
Mon-Fri 8:30-14:00 & 16:00-19:00, Sat 9:00-13:00, Sun 13:00-19:00, free
and open shorter hours off-season, tel. 51 84 04 00,
www.kirken.stavanger.no
.
Visiting the Church:
St. Swithun's Cathedral (its official name) was ori-
ginally built in 1125 in a Norman style, with basket-handle Romanesque
arches. After a fire badly damaged the church in the 13th century, a new
chancelwasaddedinthepointy-archedGothicstyle.Youcan'tmisswherethe
architecture changes about three-quarters of the way up the aisle. On the left,
behind the baptismal font, notice the ivy-lined railing on the stone staircase;
this pattern is part of the city's coat of arms. And nearby, appreciate the color-
ful, richly detailed “gristle Baroque”-style pulpit (from 1658). Notice that the
whole thing is resting on Samson's stoic shoulders—even as he faces down a
lion.
Stroll the church, perusing its several fine “epitaphs” (tomb markers),
which are paintings in ornately decorated frames. Go on a scavenger hunt for
two unique features; both are on the second columns from the back of the
church. On the right, at the top facing away from the nave, notice the stone
carvings of Norse mythological figures: Odin on the left, and a wolf-like beast
on the right. Although the medieval Norwegians were Christians, they wer-
en't ready to entirely abandon all of their pagan traditions. On the opposite
column, circle around the base and look at ankle level, facing away from the
altar. Here you see a grotesque sculpture that looks like a fish head with hu-
manhands.Noticethatitsheadhasbeenworndown.Oneinterpretation isthat
early worshippers would ritualistically put their foot on top of it, as if to push
the evil back to the underworld. Mysteriously, both of these features are one-
offs—you won't find anything like them on any other column in the church.
