Ødum church / Ødum kirke, Galten herred, Randers amt.

Ødum Church, ab. 12 km north of Århus
Ødum sogn, Galten herred, Randers amt

The large church in Ødum has a choir and nave and a tower to the west. The choir and nave are from the Romanesque period, built in small well-carved travertine stones upon a granite plinth. The church was originally decorated with a frieze, which is kept at the choir, while rests from this are seen in the walls of the nave; in the southeast corner of the choir plinth is a carved male granite head. Above the later built vaults is seen the original wall work: "herringbone patterns". In the southside of the choir was once a priest-door; both the portals of the nave are bricked-up, but traceable. In the late Middle Ages a tower was built, and vaults were built in the whole church, two in the choir, four in the nave. All the north windows have been bricked-up; the church only gets its light from the south. The tower in monk bricks has been higher , but the upper section fell down in 1734; its bottom room was in the 1800s changed into a porch with entrance from the west. The broad circular choir arch has cornice shaped kragsten. In the upper section of the choir walls above the vaults is an unusually well-preserved row of lydpotter (sounding holes), and both here and in the nave and also above the vaults are the rests of a frescoe painted Romanesque band, and a few details from the Romanesque roof work is preserved in the choir.

Upon the walled communion table, which is covered in a Renaissance-panel is a Renaissance altar piece from 1593. The piece has inscriptions on the back from 1635 and 1749 ;it was restored 1896. Simple Romanesque granite font. A pulpit with carved year 1634 ,in the fields the evangelists, initials for Niels Nielsen Fogh (+ 1654), whose chair from 1652 is below the pulpit. Much from the old pews is preserved, i.e. a manor pew with the coat of arms from 1671 of Niels Drostrup of Kollerup and Anne Graves and pew gables from 1678. Baroque epitaph for parish priest N.N.Fogh (+ 1654) and portraits of him and his family, restored 1910.


Names in the Middle Ages and 1600s:
Ødum (* 1330 Ødum); Astrup (* 1425 Astrup); Tåstrup (* 1500 Thostrup); Selling (* 1496 Sellyng); Røved (* 1423 Røffue, * 1477 Reffue); Langskov (1552 Lang skou)); Haraldsmark (1627 Haruldmark, 1633 Harrildsmark, 1664 Harild); Ebbestrupgård (* 1468 Ebbistrup); Tobæk mølle (1607 Thobeck mølle).

Peder Hind got Ebbestrup in Borup 1468 in an exchange with his brother-in-law Nis Prip. 1661 it was by the Crown sold to Gabriel Marselis, and in 1770 it was under Clausholm. At present often change of owner. Belonged since 1953 to E. Bach Andreasen.

Hr. Stig Andersen (Hvide) gave 1330 a farm i Ulstrup and Romme mark to Essenbæk kloster.

The only listed prehistorics is the large Store Lynghøj northwest of Selling.
Demolished or destroyed: 56 hills mostly under Langskov , Gunderuplund, Røved, Selling and Tåstrup. - Early Roman period lerkargrave (clay vessel graves) are known from Ødum mark.

Source: Trap Danmark, Randers amt, 1963.


Ødum kirke 2003: grethe bachmann