Norderö kyrka

Fragments of late-medieval limewash paintings survive in the sacristy. The paintings connect to the medieval sacrament cabinet, which is hidden behind the cabinet door of a later period. The church's font stand is a work from Jämtland, made around 1680. The model is common in Jämtland, but entirely unique for the rest of Sweden. The angels on the upper part of the font stand may be forerunners of the christening angels of later centuries. In the church there are traces of so-called sprätthuggning on the parts of the roof truss that remain intact. Sprätthuggning is a medieval technique for making building timber flat using a special axe. Timber worked in this way is recognisable by the characteristic fishbone-like pattern that results. The technique was still in use as late as the early 1400s. The church's early roof construction follows the same advanced construction principles as those in the early Norwegian stave churches. It is likely that the roofs were built by travelling carpenters, craftsmen skilled within their field. The carpenters who built the roof of the 12th-century church at Vaernes by the Trondheim fjord in Norway used the same type of roof truss construction as the carpenters at Norderö and Hackås churches.

Iron Age graves, house foundations and cooking pits testify that the island was settled at an early date. In 1438 the name Naerdrö was recorded, which has been interpreted as meaning the island of the goddess Njärd. Another interpretation is that the island is named after the Old Norse god Njord, father of Frö, the god of fertility. Njord was believed to rule over the winds and to be able to calm both fire and water.