Framlev church / Framlev kirke, Framlev herred, Århus amt.

Framlev Church, 10 km west of Århus

The large Romanesque church in Framlev was built in the 1100s. The choir and the nave are travertine and raw granite. The eastern gable of the choir has three large round-arched blind archades and above in the roof gable is placed a limestone ashlar portraying the crucified Christ above an animal head. Two Romanesque windows are bricked-up, while four others are in use. The north door is bricked-up, while the south door has a tympanum with a lion figure. The tower with a pyramid roof and the porch are both in monk bricks and added in the late Middle Ages. Except for the tower the church is white-washed.



In the late Middle Ages the choir was equipped with an octagonal vault without wall curves. Two Romanesque frescoes are preserved - a decoration in the north window of the choir and a Maria-image from ab. 1250. An oak plank with a round-arched window-opening from an earlier wooden church is now at the National Museum. The communion table in monk bricks is covered in a Renaissance panel. The altar piece is from 1590 with an new painting and upon the communion table is a large medieval lectern in oak with carved Gothic ornaments, and upon the lectern a bible from 1633 , equipped with a new binding. The Romanesque granite font has double lions. A carved font sounding board from 1663 and an akvamanile from ab. 1350 are now at the National Museum. The pulpit with a sounding board is Renaissance from 1602 with an entrance panel from 1604 made by Morten Snedker and with original paintings, fx. the coat of arms of Arild Huitfeldt. A late Gothic parish clerk chair with the coat of arms of Niels Clausen Skade. Closed pews with triangle gables and with the year 1654. In the porch is walled two Romanesque gravestones with cross and other figures. Besides gravestones from the 1600s.



Chicken yard with both hens and cattle opposite the church.


Jes Bonde bought estate in Framlev, exchanged with Ribe Chapter and sold it before 1341 to hr. Ove Hase.

Rural dean Jens in Århus endowed 1313 among others a farm in Lillering for an altar in Århus Cathedral.

Estate in Labing was exchanged by hr. Stig Andersen Hvide 1336 to the chapter in Århus.

Labinggård was after having belonged to Palle Bryning and hr. Markvard Rostrup the object of an exchange and belonged in 1484 to Erik Ottesen Rosenkrantz; in 1514 it was owned by Tvilum Kloster, which had pawned it to bishop Niels Clausen Skade of Århus.

Labing mølle is mentioned in 1385; in 1587 it was endowed to Christen Munk of Gjessinggård, but it belonged in 1613 to Skanderborg Slot, later to Lyngbygård.

Hørslevgård was by Albert Skeel exchanged to the Crown in 1541.

Vorgård was sold by Erik Hvas (of Ormstrup) 1475; still in the 1600s there was only one farm. The esquire Thomas Jensen of Snåstrup is mentioned in 1460.

In the parish are two sacred wells, Hulken between Hørslevbol and Skovby, now an ordinary watering place, and Sct. Thomas kilde south of Framlev; the last is said having been used in the 1800s.

Højbygård is the rest of a village Højby (1398 Høyby), which is mentioned as desolate in 1683. In the parish is also mentioned a farm Kirkegård (1492 Kirchygarden); it had burnt down in 1683.

Listed prehistorics: A dolmen chamber without cover stone west in the parish and 3 hills, of which one at Labing is large.
Demolished or destroyed: two dolmens and 34 hills.

At Snåstrup have been found a burial site from Roman Iron Age with clay pots, bronze buckles, pearls etc.

Names in the Middle Ages: Framlev (1310 Framleff, 1341 Framløf); Labing (1336 Labum, 1480 Labing) ; Hørslev (1480 Hørsløff); Hørslevbol (1541 Bolen, Bolem, 1573 Hørsløffbuoll (e)); Lillering (1263 Lille Rings marck, 1313 Litlærind); Snåstrup (1398 Snalstrup, 1460 Snalstrvp); Vorgårde (1475 Wordgaardt); Labinggård (1418 Labinggaard); Hørslevgård (1480 Hørsløffgaard). 


Source: Trap Danmark, Århus amt, 1963

photo 2004 Framlev:grethe bachmann

Elev church /Elev kirke, Vester Lisbjerg herred, Århus amt.

Elev Church, 10 km north of Århus

The small building in ashlar stones has a choir and nave from the Romanesque period , built in the 11100s. The porch in monk bricks was added later in the Middle Ages. The west wall of the porch is in line with the nave and the heavy walls in monk bricks might suggest that a tower was planned here. The whole church is white-washed except the choir gable. The south portal of the porch shows a tympanum with the crucified and victorious Christ, portrayed like a strong Viking chief, under his arms are four persons , two on each side. One can be identified as the apostle Peter with the key. Rests of another tympanum with pieces of an angel is walled in the western wall of the porch. At the entrance to the porch are a couple of bases from a Romanesque pillar portal, probably from the missing north portal. The bell hangs in an opening in the western gable of the nave.



The church room itself is small, the nave is only 54 square meter. The Romanesque choir arch with kragsten (oblong relief stones) is preserved and in the late Middle Ages the choir had a cross vault. The triptychon is Renaissance from the 1600s. In the middle field is a new painting. The simple Romanesque granite font is placed upon a square foot. The pulpit is a cabinetmaker's work from the end of the 1500s with simple panels. The entrance to the pulpit is from the same period as the triptychon. The sounding board above the pulpit is from 1683 and below it hovers a Holy Spirit Dove. In a renovation 1998 the pews from the 1600s were painted in olive and grey- blue colours. In the eastern wall of the porch is placed a gravestone from early Middle Age with a cross stick and bird images.

There are no listed prehistorics in the parish but there were 3 hills, like Stabshøj where were found Bronze Age pieces.

At Elev were examined several claypot graves from early Roman period.

Names in the Middle Ages:
1431 Edeløffue; 1439 Ætheløff


Source: Trap Danmark, Århus Amt , 1963. 

photo Elev 2004: grethe bachmann

Elsted church Elsted kirke, Vester Lisbjerg herred, Århus amt.

Elsted Church, 10 km north or Århus

The sun dial

Elsted Church has a choir and nave from the Romanesque period built partly in granite ashlars, partly in cleaved granite boulders. The church has white-washed walls and a tiled roof. The tower and porch are late Gothic in monk bricks. The tower is the narrow East Jutland-type, originally open in front. Later the opening was walled and in the 1700s a portal was added. In the gable of the porch is a sun dial with the year 1727.

The high-placed Romanesque windows are brought to light as niches on the north side of the nave and a Romanesque window is vaguely seen in the north and east wall of the choir. Both doors in the nave are preserved, the north door is walled, while the south door still functions with a round-arched opening and relief stones.

The church has a beamed ceiling, while the choir has a Gothic cross vault. The tall choir arch is preserved from Romanesque period with kragbånd. (oblong relief stone-band). Upon the vault of the choir was in 1944 brought to light a rib-decoration from  the late Gothich period - and upon triumfvæggen (wall between church and altar) was found a small bit of a Romanesque frescoe. A Gothic cupboard with old furniture and grating is framed below the walled window in the north side of the choir. It was possibly once a monstrans cupboard .The Romanesque granite font has lion figures - the simply decorated pulpit is from 1636. There are several large gravestones, partly in the porch and partly in the nave.


Kirkegaden, the village street leads to Elsted church

New Art in Elsted kirke:
Jens Urup, who has created much art in Danish churches, has decorated the ceiling of the nave as a wonderful violet evening sky. The beautiful new altar wall is created by Bent Exner, the great gold- and silversmith, who also has created unique church art. Bent Exner died in 2006.
 

Names in the Middle ages: Elsted (1374 Elstedt, 1439 Æstet, Ælstethæ).

Øm Kloster exchanged 1490 a farm in Elsted with the Crown.

The now disappeared Såstrupgård was the last rest of a village Såstrup (1425 Sastrop). A bol (a small farm) Fornebol (1490 Forneboer, Fæderneboel) is mentioned in the parish in 1490.


Listed prehistorics: two hills, of which the large Blindemandshøj. (Blind Man's Hill).
Destroyed: two hills.

Claypot graves from the Roman period have been found at several sites in Elsted parish.


source: Trap Danmark, Århus amt, 1963.


photo Elsted 2003: grethe bachmann

Borris Church, Special section of burial place
The Vilstrup Family(for Wendy)
See article about Borris Church below.






photo 2008: gb and
stig bachmann nielsen Naturplan foto

Hoven church / Hoven kirke, Nørre Horne herred, Ringkøbing amt.

Hoven church, near Ringkøbing

The small church has a beautiful place by Omme Å (river). It has a Romanesque choir and nave while the porch is later. The tower is from 1961 - it replaced a a ridge turret from 1874. The church has gone through some thorough main restorations, where the walls were enlarged and new windows were placed.

The building materials are granite ashlars in the nave, raw boulder and ashlars in the choir. The south door is in use, while the north door with a cover stone is walled-in. Vague traces of two original windows.

The inside of the church has beamed ceilings. The communion table is walled and washed and has a Late Gothic triptychon from the end of the 1400s. The altar chalice is from about 1600. The Renaissance candle sticks are from the beginning of the 1600s. The Romanesque granite font is West Jutland type with a walled bottom. The pulpit is from ab. 1600 but much changed, probably in 1875. At Herning Museum are the reliefs from the big fields. The church bell is from the second half of the 1200s.


Omme Å

Source: Trap Danmark, Ringkøbing amt
photo 2003: grethe bachmann