The Cathedral Behind My Poem “Heaven”
Heaven is a poem I wrote, inspired by the cathedral in Trondheim, Norway.
It’s a poem with evocative lines, powerful sentiments, stories, and messages about life, love, and fate.
On the journey of our life, everything that happens or comes across our path
for a reason is a fact. It doesn’t matter how hard we pursue to achieve our desires, for if it is not our destiny, it will never happen.
As a born and raised Catholic, I know precisely that this poem will have different perspectives amongst believers (community) due to the lyrics, but in the end, the message behind the poetry that I want to convey to the reader is all that matters. Let me take you on a small tour through my pictures. It is an amazing architectural Gothic cathedral that has a history in the Norwegian tradition.
The place that inspired me to write my poem ‘Heaven’’ is called Nidaros.
It’s an old Cathedral located in Trondheim, Norway. The Cathedral is the most northerly medieval cathedral in the world and the second-largest in Scandinavia. The cathedral was constructed on the grave of St. Olav, the Viking king who led Christianity into Norway and died in 1030 in the battle of Stiklestad. Its construction began in 1070 and was completed around 1300, but the cathedral was already opened in 1152 for certain ceremonies and services. It was appointed the cathedral of the Catholic archdiocese of Nidaros from its inception in 1152 until 1537 under the Reform.
Since the Reformation, it has served as the cathedral of the Lutheran bishops of Trondheim. In the Middle Ages, The crowning of kings of Norway occurred in this church from 1818 to 1906. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nidaros_Cathedral).
Heaven
Standing here in the silent church,
I’m begging for your Heaven.
Heaven for your mercy,
Heaven for your compassion,
Heaven for your forgiveness
A visit to the cathedral will vary according to the season. In autumn and winter, you can easily be enthralled by the thousands of sculptures and ornaments that give the cathedral a mysterious expression in the season of darkness. In spring and summer, you can experience a spectacle of light inside the cathedral when the sun plays with the colorful stained glass windows.
Sitting here in the dark church,
I kneel in prayer to my Heaven.
Heaven of my hatred,
Heaven of my betrayal,
Heaven of my sins,
In summer, you can climb up to the tower through the dark, narrow hallways
and it has only 172 steep stairs! Can you imagine the visual reward with stunning, spectacular views from the top? Unless you are afraid of heights…
Honestly, looking at the altar and its background, I got shivers because the altar was amazing yet a bit frightening at the same time, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
In this peaceful paradise of Saints,
The sound of the bell has resonated.
The sound of your everlasting bliss.
The bell of my evil regrets.
Look at those pink-colored glasses and the ceiling! And just in front is the altar, an extraordinary artwork that has been chiseled out of stone observed by my mother-in-law.
During the tour inside the cathedral, only a few statues of Saints can be seen around the altar. I thought it to be a bit unusual because most Cathedrals are known for their statues of Saints, especially on the pillars. But… who I am to judge, I am just a tourist.
This Dope font is another spectacular work of chiseled art.
Olaf Tryggvason was the founder of the beautiful city Trondheim. You can find his statue on the pedestal at the central market square.
So, whenever you are in Norway, and you intend to visit Trondheim, do not hesitate to visit Nidaros Cathedral as one of the city’s highlights. It’s definitely worth your visit.
Thank you all for taking the time to read my post.
Debby J Tumanduk
@copyright
Some lines are drawn from the author’s poem “Heaven”.
References;
Wikipedia Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Norway; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nidaros_Cathedral; Retrieved 15 June 2022.
Nidaros Cathedral; https://www.nidarosdomen.no/;
Retrieved 15 June 2022.
Visit Trondheim; https://visittrondheim.no/en; Retrieved 16 June 2022
