Sjelle Church, ab. 15 km northeast of Århus
Sjelle sogn, Framlev herred, Århus amt.
At the southern border of Sjelle parish runs Lyngbygård å (river) through a broad valley , and north of this rises a hilly land where the highest point (117 m) is north of Sjelle Fredskov. ( A Fredskov is a forest protected against clearing, grazing etc, and which areas must stay forested).
Sjelle church lies in the middle of the villlage and is a longhouse-building with a Romanesque nave and a later added eastern extension, with a tower to the west and a porch to the south. The original part of the longhouse was built in granite ashlars. The Romanesque south door with a smooth tympanum is still in use, while the north door with half pillars is walled. The three cross vaults of the nave are Gothic, but of the same character (late Middle Age) like the west tower, built in ashlars and monk bricks. The tower room has a beamed ceiling with a broad pointed arch in connetion to the longhouse. The porch in monk bricks is possibly late medieval, but was rebuilt in 1879 in connection to a restoration. Tower and porch are white-washed.
The walled communion table is hidden in a wooden panel and an antepedium. The altar piece is Renaissance and much alike in Skovby Church nearby, with 4 carved coat of arms for Hans Rostrup of Sjelle Skovgård (+1611) and fru Anne Gundesdatter Lange. In the middle field is a new painting. The altarpiece was equipped with new colours in 1940. The baptismal font has a square foot and a half circular basin and is probably rather new. The pulpit is from 1598, made by the same carpenter as the altarpiece with the names of Hans Rostrup and Anne Gundesdatter Lange. The sounding board is Baroque. (bruskbarok: 1630-70). A klingpung (= a purse placed on a long stick for collection in church) is kept in the museum "Den Gamle By" in Århus.
In the floor of the church was a large runestone, which is now placed in the porch; it is mentioned in 1591 by Anders Sørensen Vedel. In the top is a face masque and the inscription is : Frøsten satte denne sten efter sin lagsmand Gyrd, Sigvalds broder - - Tvegges (?) - - på - - ed. (Frøsten put up this stone after Gyrd, Sigvald's brother etc). Anders Sørensen Vedel presumed that the stone must be the famous legendary hero Svend Felding's gravestone, but that was before it was possible to read the runes!
Sjelle Skovgård (1424 Skoffgardt; 1465 Selloff Skouffgaard) probably belonged to hr. Laurids Hvas of Ormstrup, in 1465 his son Erik Hvas had a part of the manor, his brother-in-law Svend Torbernsen (Udsen) owned it in 1468 and a sister's son Laurids Rostrup was the owner in 1494. The manor was inherited in the Rostrup-family until the 1600s. The main building is placed high in the hilly terrain down to Skørring bæk. (brook) The present building was probably built ab. 1770 by grev Erhard Wedel Friis. Anders Sørensen Vedel says in 1591 that Jørgen Rostrup of 'Seluff Skaffgard' once found a foundation of a house where Svend Felding had lived. Here was also found a great copper pot and armor and sword which were in the borgestuen (big hall) for a long time. Ca. 1760 it is mentioned that the copper pot ' Svend Feldings Øllebrødspotte' (pot for bread-and-beer soup) was still at the manor.
According to Pont. Atlas was at Sjelle Skovgård a water mill, Skovgårds Mølle, which was demolished when Frederik IV broke down the farm buildings. Large dam systems across the water stream at the farm must be traces from this.
There are no listed prehistorics in the parish but there were 4 hills.
Names in the Middle Ages:
Sjelle: 1308 Sieløue; 1495 Sylluf; 1544 Sello.
Source: Trap Danmark, Århus Amt, 1963.
photo Sjelle kirke 2005: grethe bachmann
No comments:
Post a Comment