Mary's Needle

Mary's Needle is one of the tallest standing stones in Norway, measuring 7.2 meters high. It is located at St. Olaf Church in Avaldsnes and dates back to the 3rd century AD.

There is a fascinating legend associated with the stone - when it touches the wall of the church, the end of the world will come! To prevent this, the priests secretly climbed the stone and forged its fragments.

Originally it was one of five huge standing stones that were part of a pagan place of worship. The name comes from the runic inscription 'Mikjall Maria næstr', attesting to the Christianization of pagan cultures.