Farsø church, Himmerland, Vesthimmerlands Kommune

Farsø Sogn is a parish in western Himmerland in Vesthimmerlands Kommune..Until the reform in 1970 it was in Gislum herred (Aalborg Amt). Farsø Kirke is situated in Farsø village 12 km west of the town Aars. The church was restored and had the walls replaced in 1991.

The church in Farsø was possibly inaugurated to Our Lady in the Middle Ages. The choir and nave are Romanesque in finely carved granite ashlars above a double plinth. Both original doors are preserved. The southdoor is bricked up. In front of the southdoor is a Romanesque grave stone. In the southern wall of the choir is a somewhat worn-out chess board ashlar. At the northern wall of the nave is a grave stone for Anne Cathrine Ørum of Farsø, who died in 1726, the grave stone is a re-used Romanesque profile ashlar, around the stone are several Romanesque building remains. The north door is still in use , here is a tympanum with a double lion like the lions on the baptismal font. In the porch is a rune stone; the inscription is: Toste og Esben rejste denne sten over Tue..... in the bottom of the stone is a Viking ship, maybe this is Nagelfar, the death ship in the Ragnarok-legend. (the Armageddon). The tower was built in the late Gothic period, the porch is from present time. Upon the new church yard is an obelisque-like stone, decorated with cross-shaped birds, carved by Erik Heide. 

Upon the church yard south of the church is a grave site for veterinarian Hans Jensen (died 1923) and his daughter, the author Thit Jensen (died 1957). Hans Jensen was the father of the author Johannes V. Jensen and Thit Jensen. Some years before her death Thit Jensen moved to Farsø and lived directly south of the church. Johannes V. Jensen is buried in Bispebjerg church yard in Copenhagen.

The Romanesque choir arch is preserved with a slant plinth. The choir has a beamed ceiling, the nave had a vault in the late Gothic period. The altar piece is from the late 1800s, the painting made in 1943. The original painting is now placed upon the church wall. The pulpit is from the beginning of the 1600s. The Romanesque granite font has double lions and male heads in strong reliefs.

Upon the triumph wall to the north hangs a crucifix, carved by Johannes Josephsen from Viborg in 1965, the figure is carved after the ivory crucitfix from ab. 1250 in Herlufsholms kirke. In the choir is an epitaph from 1651 for Søren Hanssøn Wiborg. A sculpture by Thorvald Odgaard hangs upon the southern wall of the nave from 2004. It shows the angel by the empty grave.

In Farsø is a museum for Johannes V. Jensen  and memorial rooms for Thit Jensen.


http://www.jensenmuseet.dk/


http://www.visitvesthimmerland.dk/thit-jensens-mindestue-gdk623594

Upon the nave was in 1904 revealed frescoes from the middle of the 1500s. The motifs were from the old and the new testament. The frescoes are attributed the Torum master and was paid by Poul Vognsen and wife Anne Hansdatter Bildt of Støtterup. (in the 1500s) The frescoes were washed over again. In 1989 some frescoes were revealed and restored in the first bay of the nave.

photos from wikipedia

Johannes V. Jensen: