It had all the makings of a Hollywood thriller..intrigue, mystery, possible murder, and one widow's plight for revenge...
June 2018: My cousin and I had a couple hours to kill, so we drove to Vangen Church in Aurlandsvangen to visit with some old relatives...centuries old.
The white stone church sits in the center of small village where you can't miss it. We parked in the large lot in front of the church, and then scouted the grounds to locate the gravesites of our ancestors.
While photographing the tombstones, we noticed how beautifully and immaculately the cemetery was maintained with gorgeous flowers. We did not explore past the cemetery though, so who knows what lies beyond the grave(s)?
The church was open, so we decided to take a peek inside. We were the only visitors at the time, allowing us to fully experience the old building's acoustics, squeaks and creaks, and peaceful ambiance.
Influenced by thirteenth century English Gothic architecture, the interior was simple with impressively thick walls (1.3-1.6 meters), and green carpeting that echoed the lush green backdrop of the fjord church. Five original windows remain, with stained-glass windows by Emmanuel Vigeland added in a restoration in 1926.
But amidst the straightforward design and decor hid a more complex fixture...a plaque commemorating a man and a mystery worthy of a Dateline episode. The plaque was created by Trine Henricksdatter in memory of her late husband, merchant Niels Michelson from Bergen.
Flash back to year 1613: Niels drowned during a trade expedition, though his widow suspected foul play. He was later buried at the Vangen Church.
Keith Morrison, with furrowed brow, and curled hand on chin: "Then what happened?"
The angry widow included a psalm of revenge on the plaque, Psalms 109:7, along with a motif of a wailing woman. She hoped the killer would feel guilty when he came to church and saw the message. Did the suspect ever return to atone for his actions? Was Niels' demise indeed a homicide, or merely just a drowning accident?
While we stood alone in the quiet church contemplating these questions, the door shuttered. We wondered if it was just the wind, or perhaps Trine, still waiting to avenge her husband's death.
Overall we couldn't imagine a better place to connect with our history, and to appreciate the beauty of this impressive old church. With that, our hour had come, and we had to depart Aurland to rejoin our (live) family.
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