The white church of Ulvik now appears by the margin of the blue fjord beneath us. Clustering around the church are the hotels and brightly painted cottages in their orchards. Across the winding fjord rise range after range of snow-topped mountains, forming a panorama as fair as one could wish to behold, and a fitting termination to an enjoyable drive through such varied scenery as that which is found between the fjords of Sogn and Hardanger.
One of the most perfect fjord views is to be obtained from Ullensvang, in the Sör Fjord, a few miles from Odde. This place has the reputation of being the fruit-garden of Hardanger. It has been the favourite resort of artists and poets for generations.
Here we see, across the narrow fjord, the huge snow-field and glacier of Folgefond stretching in undulating line along the graceful mountain masses. Near at hand stands the medieval church on a green promontory, and along the margin of the graceful sweep of bay brightly painted farms nestle in extensive apple orchards.
In the bright warm days of early summer, when these fruit-trees are in bloom, the picture is of exceptional beauty, the wealth of blossom contrasting effectively with the snow masses and blue mountains across the sparkling fjord.
From Kinservik—an easy morning's walk from Ullensvang—comes that quaint and purely national type of wood-carving which has been revived in recent years in Hardanger district by Lars Kinservik. Here he may yet be seen busy at work, assisted by a number of chosen carvers, and surrounded by cleverly designed and skilfully executed work in wood—dragons and other grotesque motifs from pagan mythology being worked into exquisite pattern on high-backed chair, massive sideboard, and roomy settle.
The art of wood-carving
The revival of this national and beautiful art of wood-carving is steadily growing, and in this district it has spread to Östensö and many other places in Hardanger, and from Vossevangen into the Sogne Fjord district, where clever carvers are found at Vik and at Lærdal.
Wood-carving in Norway is one of the most ancient of the industrial arts, and it shows a well-connected development from the days of the Vikings, who carved in bold design the figure-heads which ornamented their warships. But the most interesting and important period of this art is seen in the massive and richly-carved doorways to the wooden "stav" churches.
The earliest of these show distinct evidence of Irish influence, the ornament being usually composed of ribbon festoon, with grotesque figures of animals and snakes. The most characteristic of these carvings date from the eleventh and twelfth centuries.
Following on this interesting period we find the influence of the Anglo-Saxon and Norman, in which twining festoons of vines and various other plants are associated with dragons and other winged monsters in bold spiral design up the massive door portals. Figure subjects inspired by the sagas appear to have been in great demand, and we find quaint designs of this kind taken from the Niflung and Volsung sagas. A number of these richly-carved portals are preserved in the Bergen Museum.