Country Norway Churchmanship Evangelical Lutheran Functional status Active Capacity 250 | Denomination Church of Norway Status Parish church Address 7710 Sparbu, Norway Phone +47 74 14 57 00 | |
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Location Steinkjer, Nord-Trøndelag Similar Egge Church, Henning Church, Skei Church, Beitstad Church, Old Sakshaug Church | ||
Mære Church (Norwegian: Mære kirke) is a parish church in the municipality of Steinkjer in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located in the village of Mære. The church is part of the Mære parish in the Nord-Innherad deanery in the Diocese of Nidaros. The church is famous for its medieval roof with heads (human, beast and mythological) projecting from the top of its walls.
The stone church likely dates to 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 (1183–1202) found during excavations. The pagan site buried under the church may possibly be the one referred to in the Icelandic Landnámabók 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. Lidén felt this represented the remains of a building, but a critique by Olsen (1969:26) in the same work suggested this may have been a site for pole worship. A recent review of the evidence by Walaker Norddide (2011: 107-113) concluded that this site was similar to the site in Hove (Åsen, also in Nord-Trøndelag) and was therefore likely the site of a ceremonial pole.
Several renovations and restorations have been undertaken over the years, most recently in the 1960s.