Places with a story
Hellemalingen ved Trontveit
Hellemalingen ved Trontveit preserves rare prehistoric paintings on a rock face beside Nisser in Nissedal. Also known as Munkeskrifta, the site brings together archaeological evidence and a local story about a monk commemorating a drowned wedding party.
About the place124
The figures were painted onto the rock rather than cut into it. Their surviving reddish colour is weathered, and not every trace can be identified confidently. The county heritage service describes a possible animal followed by an ornament-like sequence of human figures. This uncertainty is part of the site's significance: the images survive, but their original meaning is not known.
History and local connections13
The county places this type of rock painting broadly within prehistoric cultural traditions. The later name Munkeskrifta belongs to a legend in which a monk made the images after a wedding party drowned on its journey to church. Nissedal's heritage plan explicitly distinguishes this oral tradition from an archaeological interpretation of the paintings. The legend should therefore be read as local storytelling rather than an account of their creation.
What to look for24
Look for the relationship between the vertical rock face and the lake, as well as the faint traces of figures. The county's digital three-dimensional model offers a way to study details without approaching the fragile surface. The possible animal and repeating human shapes can be compared, while keeping the distinction between visible marks and speculative explanations.
Plan your visit1234
This is a lakeside archaeological site rather than a conventional roadside attraction. The specialist location account describes a steep shore and figures approached from the water. Confirm local access arrangements and lake conditions before attempting an outing. Do not touch, trace or paint the images. The county's digital model provides a useful alternative when a physical visit is impractical.
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