At Norheim, on the eastern shore of Karmsundet, five tall standing stones rise up to five metres from the ground in a star-shaped formation. They have stood here since roughly 350 AD, at the narrowest point of the strait that gave Norway its name.
When archaeologists excavated inside the stone setting, they found a grave from the Late Roman period containing a bronze vessel filled with burnt human bones and bear claws. The star-shaped arrangement and the combination of phallic standing stones with the triangular form of the setting suggest this was a site of ritual significance, not just a burial.
The name comes from a legend about King Olav the Holy. Sailing south through Karmsundet on his way to the royal farm at Avaldsnes, Olav saw five girls standing on the shore waving at him. He called out: "Stand there and turn to stone, until I come back again." The girls turned to stone instantly, and since Olav never returned this way, they stand there still. The name references the biblical parable of the foolish virgins who were unprepared when the bridegroom arrived.
The stones are easy to reach, just off the road near the Karmsund Bridge on the mainland side.
When archaeologists excavated inside the stone setting, they found a grave from the Late Roman period containing a bronze vessel filled with burnt human bones and bear claws. The star-shaped arrangement and the combination of phallic standing stones with the triangular form of the setting suggest this was a site of ritual significance, not just a burial.
The name comes from a legend about King Olav the Holy. Sailing south through Karmsundet on his way to the royal farm at Avaldsnes, Olav saw five girls standing on the shore waving at him. He called out: "Stand there and turn to stone, until I come back again." The girls turned to stone instantly, and since Olav never returned this way, they stand there still. The name references the biblical parable of the foolish virgins who were unprepared when the bridegroom arrived.
The stones are easy to reach, just off the road near the Karmsund Bridge on the mainland side.
