The Island Kinn - Norway, Vikings and a young lady

Welcome to another adventure with Carol K

The island Kinn, Norway

This is the setting for an annual play taking place on the island of Kinn, close to Floro, off the western coast of e main theme of the play is the introduction of the Protestant Reformation by the Danish-Norwegian king in 1537. The story dates back to July 8th of that year when the congregation of this little island (then Catholic) celebrated their annual mass commemorating St Sunnivaand her men of Selje.

The community was Catholic and couldn't wait to start the play when they were abruptly interrupted by the Bailiff who announced that from the year 1537, the Catholic epoch in Norway is over. From then on Lutherism must be accepted. Norway would no longer be an independant country but a province under the rule of the Danish king from Denmark. 

The community was in uproar over the closing of the church and the Priest's daughter, named Borni, begged the bailiff to allow them to at least finish their festivities as planned. He agreed to the "entertainment"

This set the stage for a story backdating to the 900's.


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In Ireland, the king is dead and his daughter, Sunniva, becomes queen.

The viking king, Ramn, goes to Ireland and plunders the country and demands to marry Sunniva.

 In the middle of the night, while Ramn is celebrating his victory, Sunniva escapes. They flee out to sea in ships without sails, rudders and oars. 

The story goes that finally they drift up on to the coast of Norway and land on Selje where she dies and later sainted. In her honour th monastry / church on Kinn was errected by her men.

The festival ends.

xxxx

After the festival,  the Bailiff decided to give the priest 48 hours to change his faith and convert to being a protestant. With the priest that couldn't make up his mind, the church closed, the bailiff in possession of the key, the community in uproar and her father being so indecisive...  Borni, in despair runs away into the mountains.

The Bailiff returned and after the community fiercely objected to their church being closed, the priest places himself between them and the bailiffs men. A battle on Kinn would be sacrilege

They started to sing a hymn to the old church...... This touches the priest and he decides to stay the priest of the community and accept the new faith and convert to Lutherism. 

Then.........

A little beggar girl interupts everyone and insists on speaking to the priest. She had found Borni in a cave, and tells that she saw a golden cross hovering in the air above her dead body.


Everyone sees this as a sign. A has happened. 


The little girls turns to the bailiff and asks for the key ... "what will the king say if he said no to a child?

The bailiff decided if asked, he should quote Jesus : "whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein."

The people got the key to their church back and till this day the church is in service.

********* THE END *********

This whole play took place outside. We sat on the hills looking down on the stage... the whole panorama of this tiny island.

Inside the church today, services are still conducted 

Beautiful hand carved wooden panels and furniture...

Paintings of all the saints adorn the pulpit.

I enjoyed this day tremendously, and it will be one of my trip highlight points.

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Resources :  Kinnaspelet - the Kinn Pageant by Rolf Losnegard
Published by : Herausgeber,  Printed in Norway.
Photographs : Carol Knight     Facebook : TravelonbudgetwithCarol