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By Valdres standards the Bagn church is a new church, having served the community only two and one-half centuries! It was built in 1736 and was first painted with tar, like so many of the old churches, but in 1879 it was painted white.
The church with its surroundings was a community center. In addition to the church, in the old days, there was "Tingstugo" or "Tinghuset" where court was held from 1680 and on. This building was also called "Prestestugu", for here the pastor met with the confirmation class. Here, too, parents came with their babies before the baptismal ceremony and church-goers from a distance might have a snack after a long walk.
Tinghuset was demolished in 1845 and a community hall and school built on the site (shown in photo). This was the
Oystre (East) Bagn school, which itself, was demolished in 1958 when a centralized school was constructed.
The site, "Bagnsmoen", was donated as a church site and meeting place by two farmers from East Bagn, Tosten Olsen Bagn and Iver Siversen Bagn. The site was also used for military drills by the Ytre Valderske Kompani.
The bells in the church tower were recast by M. K. Skioberg in 1821. They then became so heavy it was risky to have them in the steeple so in 1826 a "stupul" (bell tower) was built for the bells. This was constructed before the main entrance. It was constructed by Ola Braaten and Aslak Olsen Li, and stood for a hundred years.
In the old churches the altar areas were always decorated with paintings and carvings. In the Bagn church there is
an elevated bar (korskranke) separating the chancel from the nave. This bears the monogram of King Karl Johan, with a lion carrying a halbard on either side. 'This dates from the first half of the 1800's and was fashioned by Aslak Olsen Li. The altar piece at Bagn is apparently as old as the church; included in this are carvings of Christ, Moses, Aaron and John the Baptist.
Church properties include a chalice which probably dates back to 1736. There is also a pair of old brass candlesticks, and a wooden dish, said to have been used as a baptismal basin, but there is also one of pewter, stamped with the mark of J. 0. Jordan, London. A beautiful painted tablet tells of the church's construction and lists the men who paid for the painting and how much they gave. A picture of the crucifixion was painted and contributed to the church by Simen Erlandson Skaran of Bagn. A major restoration of the church was done in 1937.
While not the first church to be built in South Aurdal, Bagn is one which was important to ancestors of many Valdres Samband members.
by Jahn Bore Jahnsen
The present church at Bruflat, Etnedal was inaugrated in 1750 and moved to its present site in 1774. Before this church there was a timberlog church which probably was built in 1641, maybe not finished until 1662. The parson Peder Joakim Landt in Aurdal writes that in 1743 Bruflat church had no income, the church was maintained by the local inhabitants and built about 100 years earlier because of great difficulties for the increasing population (in 1743: 35 farmers) to bring their dead over the hill to Aurdal, especially in winter with much snow. If the parson is right, it seems that Etnedal had had no church for a long time before 1641.
The first church in Etnedal is mentioned in the year 1327 as "ecclesia de Erthedal." The name Bruflat is mentioned in 1317 and the Bruflat parish is mentioned in 1401 and 1446. This first church must have been a stave church, since all other churches we know from the same time were stave churches. The smallest of the bells in the tower of Bruflat church today is dated to about the year 1200. We know that for a long time after the plague "The Black Death" in 1350 Etnedalen was completely deserted. During this time the stave church must have fallen down, although some sources indicate that the stave church or another church might have existed in 1552.
The altar piece is from the year 1789, made by "Kviteguten." The baptismal font is from 1793, also made by "Kviteguten." The organ is from 1896. The oldest church bell is already mentioned, the others are from 1706 and the two newest are from 1912, one of them given by people from Etnedal who had immigrated to America.
The Bruflat parish was made by part of South Aurdal in 1893. At the same time the North Etnedal parish was made by a part of Skrautval in North Aurdal. These two parishes form the parochial district of Etnedal.
The North Etnedal church was built in 1866 as a chapel for a part of Skrautval. It is a white wooden church, drawn by the architect J.W. Nordan. Since 1893 the church is the parish church of North Etnedal.
Reprinted with permission from the Budstikken, December 1980.
Lomis Teppe Again Graces Altar in Lomen Church
The Lomen church again has a Lomisteppe on the altar. Ever since the 1200's or 1300's such a weaving has adorned the altar of the Lomen stave church. But in 1972 the old teppe was taken to Oslo as a part of an exhibit of church art. At that time experts discovered it was so fragile from age that it ought to be preserved under controlled conditions at the Kunstindustrimuseet, Oslo, to retard further deterioration. Thus the teppe remained in Oslo.
It was felt however, that the church should have its own Lomis-teppe. To accomplish this, Marit Anny Loken Tvenge went to Oslo to examine the original teppe, to make notes on colors, dimensions and to sketch the pattern (see Budstikken May 1978). Then she sat down at her loom and produced an exact copy of the precious altar covering.
On Ascension Day, 1980. after the church services, Marit Tvenge presented the teppe to Pastor Per Vaernes, who placed it on the altar. The teppe is 130cm. by 85 cm. and is thus the largest of the three such teppe type preserved in Norway. Tvenge also produced a second teppe - a kristneteppe from yarn which remained after the Lomis-teppe was finished. This has received a spot as a wall hanging near the baptismal font.
Marit Tvenge is an expert weaver and has been at the Vesterheim Museum, Decorah, both in 1979 and 1980 conducting courses in weaving. On her first visit she was perturbed to note the museum did not have a Valdres bunad on display and determined to remedy that. On her visit in 1980 this was done. Husfliden, managed by Ingrid Bolstad, gave a complete bunad. Fossen-Helle made bunad silver consisting of a belt, two soljer, cuff links and veskelas. The cuff links were a gift from Fossen-Helle, the other silver offered at a very low price. The Skogstad store presented bunad shoes. The Valdres-Decorah committee, headed by Mrs. Ada Alnaes Vegan, solicited money to pay for the silver. And thus Vesterheim Museum in Decorah has a Valdres bunad.