Kvinnherad kyrkje

Kvinnherad Church

Fotograf

Kvinnherad (Skåla) Church.

Kvinnherad Church

The stately Kvinnherad Church with its characteristic profile set out against the mighty Malmangernuten in the background, gives you a rare feeling of being present in a historic landscape as you come around Nes and face the well-kept houses at the Skåla farm. The church at Skåla is one of four “fjordungskirker” (one of four main district churches) and this farm was the centre of this coastal administration district.

Kvinnherad Church and Skåla Church are names that we come across in the written sources and that seem to be interchangeable. The first time we see a mention of the church is in 1306. The Gothic details in the style on the west portal and the chancel windows show that the church was built around 1300. Originally it may have had a western steeple, but today the roof spans the entire steeple walls. To the north of the choir there is a burial chapel from 1670 and an added sacristy from 1913. The restoration of the church at this time was lead by cathedral architect Olaf Nordhagen. The stained glass painted window in the east of the chancel is made by the Englishman C.O.Skilbeck.

The burial chapel is built by baron Ludvig Rosenkrantz and contains 15 sarcophagi. Here rest Axel Mowat and his wife Karen, Ludvig Rosenkrantz and his wife Karen Mowat and bishop Edvard Londemann Rosenkrone with is wife Anna Nyegaard.

The altarpiece, which is decorated with the Rosenkrantz family’s coat of arms, was painted in 1705 by Hans Sager. The pulpit, with scenes from the Bible, and carved details in the renaissance and baroque style must be from the time around 1640. In the nave hangs a large brass chandelier with engraved coat of arms and the inscription: “Anna Godzen Sc Müller 1766”. In the church spire hang two bells from the Middle Ages.

Knapt noko anna stadnamn i Hordaland står det ein friskare dåm av enn Rosendal. Og den tradisjonsrike bygda med baroniet i blomebunad er vel verd ei vitjing. Men namnet er ikkje gammalt. I eit dokument frå 1723 står det «Rosenthal – tilforn Hatteberg kaldet». Og «tilforn» må vera før 1678; det året garden vart opphøgd til baroni. Baroniet vart namngjeve etter mønster av adelsseta Rosenvoll og Rosenholm i Danmark. Namneleddet Rosen- har såleis runne av tysk rot.

 

Langt eldre er altså namnet Hatteberg. Føreleddet Hatte- reknar ein med går attende på ei eldre genitivform av ordet hott, brukt om runde fjellknattar. På garden er det fleire slike, m.a. ein som har vore kalla Skolten. Mel er laga av det vanlege ordet (sand)mel, sandgrunn, sandbakke. På Mel skal det i mellomalderen ha stått ei kyrkje. Seim, som ligg litt lenger sør, går attende på Sæheim: 'garden ved sjøen'. Enda meir historisk interessant er Skåla (uttala på same måte som verbet å skåla), ein av grannegardane til baroniet. I eldre tid vart skåle brukt om 'forsamlingshus, gildeskål', (jf. Gildeskål i Nordland), og det er grunn til å tru at Skåla tidleg har vore ein samlingsstad for folk frå distriktet ikring.

See also

Places in muncipality