|
This church belongs to the Thingeyrar benefice in
the Hunavatn deanery. The second oldest monastery of the country was
officially established at Thingeyrar in 1133, but unofficially about
8-10 years earlier. It soon became the centre of literary learning and
historic documentation. Thingeyrar is an abandoned farm. The present
glory of the estate is based on its former historic achievements in
preserving the old literature and the past and present cultural
influence.
The present church is the work and
was the private property of the farmer, who built it in
1877. It is made of chiselled basaltic stones from a quarry
8 km away from the place of construction. The stones were
prepared during summer and transported across Lake Hop on
sledges pulled by oxen during winter. The church possesses
many precious artifacts from the earlier churches,
such as the beautiful canopy pulpit, decorated with carvings
of holy men, and the excellent canopy baptismal fond.
Because of the elaborate construction work, the 85 cm thick
walls have stood firm up to this date. Ten large windows
have almost equally many small panes as there are gold
plaited stars underneath the vaulted ceiling or close to
1000. The Cornish organ was imported from the USA in 1923.
Opposite the altar on the loft are railings with banisters
and between them are replicas of the original statuettes of
the 12 apostles and Christ above.
The originals were
sold to a lady in Copenhagen. It is safe to affirm that this church is
the most ceremonial and beautiful one in the country. It possesses one
of the few precious 15th century English alabaster
altarpieces from Nottingham. The beautifully carved pulpit from 1695
with bas-reliefs of holy men and wound pillars is one of the most
precious possessions of the church.
The church's Visitors Centre offers refreshments and a
free tour of the church from June 1st to August 31st. |