Mære Church


Mære Church 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 in the Diocese of Nidaros of the Church of Norway.

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.
The church is noted for its medieval roof featuring carvings of heads 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 found during excavations.
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 and was therefore likely the site of a ceremonial pole.
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. The most recent restoration was during the 1960s.