Fuglslev church / Fuglslev kirke, Djurs Sønder herred, Randers amt.

Fuglslev Church, 10 km from Ebeltoft
Fuglslev sogn, Djurs Sønder herred, Randers amt.

The church was in the Catholic period named Vor Frue Kirke (Church of Our Lady). It is placed openly at pretty meadow areas and has a Gothic longhouse with a narrow pyramid-covered tower on the western gable. The former Romanesque church was built in raw and cleaved boulder, and there are still traces of this in the northern wall. In the late Gothic period the south side and the choir were broken down, and the church was extended to the east in the broadth of the new longhouse - at the same time was the whole building vaulted, and the choir had a triangular finish a the east. The tower of uncertain age is built in monk bricks , it was originally open in front with a round arched arcade. It might have been built in ab. 1500; the open front was closed in the late 1800s and a porch was established in the bottom. Both Gothic doors are bricked-up. At the south side was earlier a porch.

The altar piece is a painting from 1908 in a richly carved frame, it was in 1953 transferred to Fuglslev from Vor Frelsers kirke in Horsens; the earlier altar piece from the late 1800s hangs upon the south wall. A Romanesque granite font, which basin is decorated in rope windings. Upon the north wall of the choir hangs a small late medieval crucifix. In the choir stands a large late Gothic priest stool from ab. 1500 with the coat of arms of the Århus bishop Niels Clausen. A painted panel which according to tradition is a picture of the great hall at Rugård manor was in 1901 transfered to Koldinghus, the panel had earlier portraits of Jørgen Arenfeldt and wife.

Names in the Middle Ages:
Fuglslev (ab. 1300 Fugsløf, * 1484 Fogelszløff); Gravlev (* 1424 Groweloe, * 1430 Groæløt, 1461 Growløff).

Sømølle /1534 Siømølle dam, farm/manor, belonged together with Skærsø to hr. Mogens Gøye's (+1544) maternal estate and was probably exchanged from Jørgen Høeg Banner of Skærsø ab. 1679 to trader in Århus Dines Pedersen Winds. In 1932 it was sold to Erik Wied, who improved the estate and planted out big areas.

Gravlevgård, farm/manor, belonged 1416 to Ove Ovesen Kaas (Mur-Kaas) and in 1424 and 1430 to his son Lange Jens Ovesen Kaas, and 1460 and 1464 to his son Thomas Jensen Kaas.

Listed prehistorics: Two round dolmens, one with a cover stone; a long dolmen with two chambers, one with a cover stone, all at Gravlev.
Demolished or destroyed: 2 round dolmens and 2 hills.

At Søholt were found two necklaces from Bronze Age and at Fuglslev a burial site from early Roman Iron Age. At Gravlev is a kitchen midden.

Source: Trap Danmark, Randers amt, 1963

photo Fuglslev kirke 261003: grethe bachmann