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