Tilst church / Tilst kirke, Hasle herred, Aarhus amt.

Tilst church , photo stig bachman nielsen, naturplan.dk

The whitewashed church in Tilst has a Romanesque choir and nave and a later western tower and southern porch. The original walls are raw, cleaved granite boulder with ashlar-carved corners. From the earliest round arched windows are two left and still in function in the choir - two in the wall of the nave are bricked-up, but is  traceable from outsid. The southdoor is kept with carved ashlars, with a half circular thympanum field and flanked by two columns. Inside the choir arch is kept with heavy various kragsten. The church was in the late Middle Ages overvaulted with one bay in the choir, three in the nave - and a tower was added with an overvaulted bottom room and also a porch. In 1873 was brought up three frescoe apostle.figures from the 1400s and in 1927 three other apostles. In 1934 were found more frescoes, a fine decoration along the ribs and curves of the vaults and a large picture field on the nortside, under the picture are painted drapes. In the eastern vault of the nave was the coat of arms of Jens Iversen Lange - so the frescoes must be made during his time as bishop 1449-82.


Chessboard at a corner of apsis. 














The large altarpiece is a carved work in bruskbarok (a variety of Baroque in interior, DK 1630-60) from the 1600s, it has a painted year 1688 and the initials and coat of arms of Otte Bielke and Beate Rosenkrantz. A Romanesque font with double lions. The pulpit with carved year 1633 is of the Lyngå-type,  with low and a little heavy pillars and small carved evangelist-figures in the fields. The pews with gables and gates are mostly renewed, but an old carved gable from ab. 1600, probably from a parish clerk stool, stands by the entrance. In the porch are four large gravestones.

Christmas-decorated grave with a dog figure.

Bishop Peder Vognsen gave in 1203 some estate in Tilst to the chapter in Århus. Jens Erlandsen's (Galen) widow, Ingeborg, conveyed in 1295 estate in Tilst parish to Broder Degn, a canon in Århus. From 14 farms in Tilst 6 farms still belonged to Århus Chapter in 1648.

Brendstrup is mentioned among the estate which bishop Skjalm Vognsen inherited after his brother Jens and ab. 1210 gave to the cathedral in Århus. The væbner Kjeld Mogensen sold in 1392 a half-farm in B. to archdeacon Peder Gylling, who later gave it to the chapter. From 6 farms of the town 5 farms still belonged to the chapter in 1648.

Brendstrupgård in Brendstrup is from the 1800s, in 1924 owned by Aage Pedersen.

Brendstrup Hovedgård (also called Neder Brendstrup or Brendstrup Nedergård) is from the 1800s, owned in 1933 by A. Nielsen.

Marienlyst at Brendstrup Mark was from the 1800s, in 1910 sold to Århus Amts Udstykningsforening (outparcelling).

There are no listed prehistorics in the parish. There were 34 hills, now demolished.

Names from the Middle Ages:
Tilst (1203 Tislæst, 1295 Tilest);  Geding  (1548 Geddenng, 1573 Gieding); Brendstrup (ab. 1210 Brendistorp).

Source: Trap Danmark, Århus Amt, 1963

  photo 26. December 2011: stig bachmann nielsen, naturplan.dk & grethe bachmann .