Show Viking Dragons Still Decorate Norway's Nor Old Wooden Churches OSLO Dragons Dragons still flaunt the sky from Christian churches not in China or the Orient but In Norway Nor Nor- way land of the midnight sun ma Carved centuries ago when Christianity Christianity Chris Chris- was young In that land dragon drag drag- on heads even today leap from the gable ends of the famous ker ken or wooden churches and now form one of the few remaining links between modern Norway and her romantic Viking past It Is a curious tale is the tale of the and their dragons For centuries the dragon wa was one of the favorite emblems of pagan Norway Nor Nor- way especially as a figurehead for forthe forthe forthe the prows of her sturdy Viking ships and the men who built the ships and decorated them with dragon drag drag- on heads also built the nations nation's first churches The church structure allowing allowing al al- lowing them more exercise of Imagination Imag imag- Viking carpenters not only put dragons on the gables but also carved those emblems Into the columns col col- the capitals and even the thedoor thedoor thedoor door frames of the buildings I About 20 may still be seen in Norway states Peter I Berge general manager of the Norwegian Norwegian Nor Nor- Amerl Mr Berge Derge believes be be- that the are both curious sights for travelers and also allo apt pt illustrations of boat building for yachtsmen who visit the locality 7 Those who study the churches he tie says will find in them the same building principles used in the fa year old Viking ships preserved In Oslo The word stav stay itself was an early one for mast planks in the churches were locked together as they were on Viking vessels and knees were used to strengthen the structures Norway's largest stav stay church the Hitterdal has windows but those were added in the Nineteenth century cen cen- tury tury-a tury a very late thought after-thought in in- deed The buildings originally had no natural lighting at all the priests and the choir depending on candles and the church goes goers kneeling Fantoft church one of the most famous Is only about six miles from Bergen the gateway to the fjord country Fantoft once stood at the end of the but was brought to Its present location in 1848 latS The best preserved stav Stay church Is the Borgund near Dear Laerdal In hi the fjord district Two of the most accessible are the Gol Col and the Garmo churches both now museum pl pi pieces ces Th The Got Gal today is a great feature of the No k museum at Oslo while church is a highlight of the famous Sandvig collections collections collections col col- at a S |