Viking Dragons on Christian Stave Churches | From Odin to Jesus (Part 1 of 2)

Why are dragons perched on top of medieval churches in Norway? Learn about the slow transition from worshipping Viking gods to the Christian religion, and the strange architecture that came out of it.

Books in order of publication:
"Norwegian Stave Churches", by Roar Hauglid, Dregyers Forlag, 1970.
"Vikings!", by Magnus Magnusson, Dutton, 1980.
"Stave-Churches in Norway", by Gunnar Bugge, Dreyers Forlag, 1983.
"Norway's Stave Churches: Architecture, History, and Legends", by Eva Valebroke and Thomas Thiis-Evensen, Boksenteret, 1993.
"Vikings: Raiders, Traders, and Masters of the Sea", by Rodney Castleden, Chartwell Books, 2015.
"The Viking Heart: How Scandinavians Conquered the World", by Arthur Herman, Mariner Books, 2021.
"Dictionary of Norse Myth & Legend", by Andy Orchard, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2023.

Online references:
"House of Norway", Balboa Park, San Diego, CA. https://www.houseofnorway.org/
"The Secret of the Dragon’s Head" - https://www.drakenhh.com/news-1/2017/7/8/the-secret-of-the-dragons-head

Screenshots from "The Vikings", starring Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis, directed by Richard Fleischer, 1958.

Images of Odin from https://godofwar.fandom.com/wiki/Odin shown under fair use policy.

Images of the House of Norway from https://www.facebook.com/houseofnorway/photos used under fair use policy. No copyright infringement is intended.

Images of Borgund stave church shared by Bjørn Erik Pedersen and Selfoss under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

Image of Borgund stave church shared by Frode Inge Helland under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.

Image of Heggefjorden stave church shared by Erik Den Yngre under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

Image of Hylestad stave church shared by Marieke Kuijjer under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

3D Image of Hopperstad stave church copyrighted and shared by Micha L. Rieser.

Image of Lillehammer stave churched shared by Yair Haklai under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

Image of Lom Stave Church shared by W. Bulach under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

Image of Urnes stave church shared by Nik under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

Carvings of dragons available for purchase at:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1121325981/wooden-figures-dragon-saga-set-grotto
https://skrami.com/product/1208259
https://artcarving.store/products/dragon-statue-norse-pagan-gods-jormungandr-wooden-dragon-wood-carving