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The detailing around the door, which was
influenced by medieval church art, was highly coloured with yellow
ochre and rust red pigments traces of which can still be seen. The inner room was used to house unmarried
women in the working seasons on beds that were wall mounted.
The upper gallery of the loft is lit by three small openings.
This would provide the main source of daylight and ventilation to
the sleeping area.
Log construction was introduced to Norway from
Finland and Russia during the Viking Age and improved over the
ages. The corner detail, the way the logs were held together,
developed over time to ensure a tighter fit with the long grooves
being lined with moss to keep out the wind.
Norwegians used birch bark on the roof to keep out
the rain. Birch bark has a very long life but is a very
lightweight material and requires something heavier to hold it in
place. The most common and easiest material was turf which also
helped to insulate the roof, hence the
green roof was born. The Sondre Tveito lofthus
has a runic inscription dating it
to 1300. It survives as a wonderful example of the durability
and charm of untreated wood. You can see this and other ancient traditional
natural buildings at the folk museum in the panorama below. |
