The tale of the marble of Giske church

It is said that the owner of the Giske estate, Skofte Ågmundson, set sail on a crusade to Palestine and Byzantine with 5 longships in the year 1102. It was the first crusade from the Nordics through Gibraltar. The journey ended in tradgedy. Skofte died in Rome and all three of the sons who had accompanied him on the trip also died - his son Tord died in Sicily. This was a hard blow for the Giske family waiting back home. It is said that the crew that returned came with a message from Skofte that they should build a chapel in Giske. Local legend tells that the marble in Giske church came from exotic Italy. Is that just a fairy tale? Or could it have been the case that they transported marble and building experts back to Giske in the longships that returned, in order to fulfill Skofte’s wish to build a chapel? Nobody knows for sure. Local historians believe that the church was built in memory of the much loved father and sons, who never returned from the crusades. It was the youngest son Pål Skofteson who took over and managed the Giske estate. If it is calculated that the Church was built around 1135 then it could have been built in Pål’s lifetime.