Photos

Technically the subject of this photo dates from 1212, therefore after the Viking age officially ended, however it shows the beautiful mastery of woodcarving stemming from earlier Viking traditions. The Vikings were known for their beautiful flowing artwork in which elongated animal forms twist and intertwine with one another, giving a sense of movement and life to an otherwise still carving. Door frames and church rooves are some of the places where such beautiful artwork can still be seen today, thus showing the adaptation of a traditional style from a heathen culture to suit the uses of a newly-converted Christian one.

This particular carving is from the Gol stave church, which was built in 1212 in southern Norway, and moved to Oslo near the end of the 19th century when threatened with demolition.