Bigum church / Bigum kirke, Nørlyng herred, Viborg amt.

Bigum church 17 km northeast of Viborg
Bigum sogn, Nørlyng herred, Viborg amt.

Bigum church is situated in a lonely place outside the village close to the northern shore of the big lake Tjele Langsø. The nave and chorus are Romanesque, built in granite ashlars. The tower and porch are additions in the late Middle Ages. The north door is still in use. In its vertical frames are human heads. The cover stone is a solid oak beam, probably originating from an earlier stave church.

Inside are beamed ceilings. The Romanesque granite baptismal font has carved male heads in the foot. The pulpit is from the late 1700s. In the tower room is an old rapier, probably a piece from 'Svenskekrigene' (The Swedish wars) in the 1600s. Between nave and porch is an old door with iron furniture.


At Tjele Langsø


The old wood at Tjele Langsø close to Bigum church

Names in the Middle Ages: Bigum (1447 Bigvm); Erikstrup (* 1470 Estrup, 1664 Errichstrup).

Østergård (* 1470), a farm/manor in Bigum and Posevig (* 1471 Poszeuigh) was in 1471 and 1490 owned by Simon Spend, after him his son Anders Spend (+ bef. 1511); his brothers Jens and Niels Spend sold in 1511 and 1513 their parts of Ø. to Mogens Munk (Lange) (+ 1558), whose daughter Ide Munk (Lange)(+1586) owned it in 1573; she was then a widow after hr. Oluf Nielsen Rosenkrantz. Later the farm came probably to Marine Juuel (who owned Vestergård).

Vestergård in Bigum (Bigumgård) was in 1467-75 owned by Jep Mogensen, after him in 1489 by his daughter Gyde Jepsdatter, a widow after Philip Unger (Bøistrup), who already in 1482 had achieved estate by law in Bigum. At the exchange in 1499 V. went to Otte Philipsen Unger (Bøistrup) who is written to the farm in 1501 and 1524. He was probably the last male member og his family, and V. came to his sister's children Edel and Maren Jepsdatter Brenderup. The last mentioned was married to Erik Juul of Hedegård, whose daughter Marine Juul (+ 1600) owned Vestergård. Her husband Jesper Nielsen Basse (of Vendsyssel) was in 1601 married to Maren Knudsdatter (Tridie-family), who in 1613 is written to Bigumgård. (NB: Vestergård was later named Bigumgård). Later various owners: Munk, Juul , Lykke, Levetzau. Later transferred to Thele Manor.

Listed prehistorics: North of Bigum a large passage grave with a 4 m long chamber, built with 10 supporting stones and 3 cover stones, from here was a finding with a war axe, several dagger-blades, clay pots and amber pearls. Furthermore 25 hills, close to the passage grave are two Klephøje and a little furhter to the south two Myrhøje, of which a very large is in a garden; a large hill is in the south border of Bigum skov; another in Tårupgård skov.
Demolished or destroyed: 29 hills.

Source: Trap Danmark, Viborg amt, 1962


photo Bigum kirke March 2002: grethe bachmann