Were Norway's iconic stave churches built by slaves?
"All indications point to the fact that the earliest phase of church construction in Norway was not just a matter of communal duty – it also involved slave labour," researcher says.
Borgund Stave Church was likely built towards the end of the 12th century. Probably not solely through voluntary efforts, according to two Norwegian historians.(Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB)
There is much to suggest that they also built Norway's churches.
During the Middle Ages, between 1,000 and 3,000 churches were likely built in Norway. Paid labour alone could not have been sufficient to accomplish this, art historian and economist Morten Stige tells sciencenorway.no.
Forgotten in history
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"Thralls must have been of great importance in the 1100s," says art historian Morten Stige.(Photo: Fabrica Kulturminnetjenester)
"All indications point to the fact that the earliest phase of church construction in Norway was not just a matter of communal duty – it also involved slave labour," says Stige. He works for Fabrica Kulturminnetjenester (Fabrica Cultural Heritage Services).
He believes that the use of thralls, or slaves, has been significantly underreported.
It seems that slaves have, to some extent, been forgotten in the history of the Norwegian Viking Age and the Middle Ages.
A large number of churches were built during this century, including many of the medieval churches that still stand today.
Both written sources and Stige's calculations indicate that this large-scale construction required communal work.
In the early centuries of Norwegian church history, the builder was often a nobleman or the king himself. Over time, responsibility was distributed among the people in each parish.
The laws at the time required farmers to contribute to church construction.
Believes thralls played a significant role
"During the church-building period of the 12th and 13th centuries, it's likely that there was a significant element of more or less forced labour," says Stige.
But who actually carried out the work? Stige writes about this in a chapter of the book Værnes kirke – en kulturskatt i stein og tre (Værnes Church – a cultural treasure in stone and wood).
Wealthy landowners commissioned Urnes Stave Church in the early Middle Ages, but who built it – farmers or slaves?(Photo: Martin Lerberg Fossum / NTB)
'On farms in the 1100s, there were both thralls and workers. Much of the heavy construction work was likely carried out by thralls,' writes Stige.
"Thralls must have been of great importance in the 1100s. Everything indicates that this was a time when thralls were still being used – even though Norway was greatly Christianised," he elaborates.
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Both skilled and heavy labour
Stige's argument is supported by Professor Jon Vidar Sigurdsson at the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo.
"It seems that many ordinary farmers had slaves," says Professor Jon Vidar Sigurdsson.(Photo: Ellen Johanne Jarli / University of Oslo)
"Slaves were used for farm production, but I find it obvious that they also participated in large-scale construction projects," Sigurdsson tells sciencenorway.no.
Throughout the Viking Age and into the first half of the 12th century, enslaved people carried out a variety of tasks, including building farm structures, extracting iron, and making wool products, he explains.
Sigurdsson believes that slaves contributed to many aspects of the church-building process, even if their involvement is not widely documented.
"They could handle all aspects of construction, such as felling timber and transporting it to the site. With clear instructions, they could have built the entire church," he says.
Norwegian stave churches required large quantities of logs with specific dimensions. Slaves could have been sent into the forests to locate and harvest the necessary timber.
This illustration shows the chieftain Erling Skjalgsson with some of his thralls.(Image: National Museum / Anne Hansteen, illustration by Erik Werenskiold)
Slaves made the best of their situation
Slaves ere likely entrusted with more than just hard labour – they may also have taken on skilled tasks.
"They could undoubtedly be craftsmen," says Sigurdsson.
He explains that most of the slaves were likely captured or purchased abroad and then imported. Many of them were probably craftsmen in their home countries, which, despite their circumstances, could have worked to their advantage.
Upon arriving in Norway, they would have faced limited opportunities, surrounded by people speaking a language they did not understand.
Sigurdsson believes they must also have been painfully aware that escape was impossible.
"They had to make the best of their situation and show demonstrate their skills," he says.
Thralls also had the possibility of gaining their freedom. Written sources suggest that this was an important way to motivate them in their work, explains Sigurdsson. By working intensively for a few years, they might earn the chance to become free individuals and establish their own small farm.
"A bit like owning a Tesla today"
How common was slavery in Norway at this time?
"It seems that many ordinary farmers had slaves. It was commonplace; a bit like owning a Tesla today," jokes Sigurdsson.
He believes that around a quarter of Norway's population in the 11th century may have been slaves.
In addition to being an important workforce, the thralls were an important part of the household. For instance, they took care of the children of the wealthiest farmers.
"That's an aspect we shouldn't underestimate the significance of," says Sigurdsson.
Why is this not talked about more?
Stave churches are among Norway's most important tourist attractions, yet the fact that they were largely built by slaves is rarely mentioned.
The way the Viking Age and early Middle Ages were portrayed in the 19th century may be partly to blame for this.
"The Norwegian self-image and the idea of the independent Norwegian farmer were strongly emphasised in the 19th century," says Sigurdsson.
At the time, the prevailing narrative was that the Norwegian farmer was entirely self-sufficient.
"Acknowledging the role of slaves doesn’t align with that national self-image," he says.
Stige, M. & Petterson, K.E. (Eds). Værnes kirke – en kulturskatt i stein og tre (Værnes Church - a cultural treasure in stone and wood), Stjørdal Historical Society, 2016.
