Karup church / Karup kirke, Lysgård herred, Viborg amt.

Karup Church, 20 km southwest of Viborg
Karup sogn, Lysgård herred, Viborg amt.

Karup church is a late Gothic longhouse in monk bricks to which was added a porch to the south in 1940. The doors in the western section are the originals (round-arched with a point-arched frame), the south door still in use, the north door walled-in. Ab. 1900 were above the two doors placed two fine Romanesque granite-tympana from an earlier church, the north door with a relief of Christ, the south door with a cross. The white-washed building got its present look after 1744. Karup was in the Middle Ages a famous place of pilgrimage with a sacred spring, visited by pilgrims and diseased in large numbers; rich gifts poured to the church. The origin of the church's reputation of being sacred was due to the legend about a blind man, who bathed in the spring and got his sight back. Then a chapel was built and later a church. After the reformation the church was falling into decay. In 1714 the tower was destroyed by lightning, and in 1744 the choir, cross-nave and the tower were demolished, and the present east gable was built with a place for the church bell.


The north door with Romanesque tympanum

The communion table is in monk bricks with a round-arched opening through the table. The table panel has arcade-fields with carved biblical monograms and the year 1601. The altarpiece from 1745 with paintings; in the postament field is an inscription saying that Steen Jørgensen of Aunsbjerg was the giver of the church-restoration in 1744 and paid the altarpiece and the new decorations on pulpit, parish clerk-chair and the altar in 1745. Three large figures from a late Gothic altar piece were placed in a new cupboard and is now in Viborg Domkirke. Other saint-figures are at Viborg Museum.


A simple gable


The north door.

Altar chalice with an inscription: that king Frederik in 1652 gave this chalice to Karup instead of another one. Under the bottom are engraved coat of arms and "Mogens Høg". The king took the other chalice , which had an insription from 1486, to his kunstkammer; it is now at the National Museum. Late Gothic altar candelabres. From a late Gothic monstrans-cupboard the spire is now at Viborg Museum. Rectangular altar rails from 1940. The basin of the baptismal font with four roughly carved male heads upon a primitive foot in boulder is hardly Romanesque;it was probably originally a secular trough. A granite aspersorium on its original place, east of the south door, roughly carved. Pulpit from ab. 1700 , now without pictures or inscriptions, ornaments from 1940. A heavy iron-bound money block from ab. 1600. Church bell recast 1913 at Åbyhøj Støberi. The old bell, which was cast in 1525, cracked during the funeral ringing for king Fr. VIII; its reliefs were out-sawed and came to the National Museum. Another bell was according to Pont. Atlas transferred to Bording church. Gravestones: a portrait stone from 1480s in the choir for Johannes Avonis, presbyter et provisor, he still lived in 1489.


Karup Å

Names in the Middle Ages and 1600s:
Karup (*1419 Karup); Vallerbæk (1578 Vallebeck); Bøvllund (1578 Byglundt, 1608 Bøgllundt); Majlund (1683 Mayelund).

The sacred spring was re-discovered in 1906 southeast of the church, close north of Karup Å, where once was a small chapel.

In connection to the church was a hospital, the priest was often the principal. The hospital is mentioned in 1480 and it is hardly earlier than the church. Among the principals are Johannes Avonis 1480, hr. Anders Nielsen 1484-87, hr. Jens Ouszen 1489, hr. Peder Clementsen 1511, hr. Mourids Poulsen 1525 and hr. Søren in 1537. Soon after 1537 it was probably abolished.

A chapel at Karup is mentioned in 1482, maybe the same which is named St. Margrethe's Kapel, which supposedly was identical to the Grå Kapel (Torning parish).

Listed prehistorics: 9 hills, besides some hills on the border to Frederiks and Resen parish. Two near the north-border are rather large.
Demolished or destroyed: 15 hills. At Vallerbæk was found a bunch of weapons from late Roman Iron Age.

Source: Trap Danmark, Viborg amt. 1962.


photo Karup 2004/2006: grethe bachmann