Ousted church/ Ousted kirke, Voer herred, Skanderborg amt.

The whitewashed church in Ousted is the highest placed church in Denmark with a wide view to the south and east. It has a Romanesque choir and nave with late Gothic additions, a tower to the west and a porch to the north from the late 1700s. The Romanesque building is built in travertine and boulder, the choir stands on a pretty plinth which consists of two circular parts, stepped above a horisontal part; the nave is a little younger, it stands upon a beveled-edge plinth. Two very large round arched doors are bricked. The choir had from the beginning a strange form, in spite of the flat eastern wall inside it is a triangular apse, which travertine vault are carried by hjørnetromper (corner-trompes). In the northeast corner is a re-opened low door to a narrow spiral staircase, which leads up above the vault. Under the southern trompe is a piscina with two outlets. The high slender choir arch has beveled-edge bands. In the late Gothic period, probably ab. 1475, was in choir and nave built cross vaults, in the choir one, in the nave four, of which the westernest is very narrow. the vaults are contrary to custom carved into the walls without  skjoldbuer (= the cut-line between the vault and the wall).Later the tower was added in monk bricks to the west. Its rather narrow bottom room, which has a cross vault,opens in a pointed arch in the full broadth of the room towards the nave. A straight-running staircase in the north wall with entrance from outside leads up to the middle storey. The wallwork of the tower is very face-walled, and it had its pyramid spire in ab. 1769.  The porch is probably from the same time.

                                                                              
The altarpiece is a fine carved work in Renaissance from ab. 1600 with two pillars and a triangular top section. Its painting is from the middle of the 1800s. Three carved bishop saints, Erasmus, Dionysios and a NN, which hang in the nave, probably origin from a late Gothic disappeared altarpiece ( ab. 1500s). Renaissance candelabres ab. 1600 (given by?) name: Knud Andersen upon the bell-shaped foot. A heavy, Romanesque granite font of the Sjørslev-type with double lions and achantus trees. A south German dish ab. 1575 with initials KID. As a baptismal jug was used a Romanesque akvamanile shaped as a lion ( now at the National Museum). A pulpit from the beginning of the 1600 with Tuscany pilastres upon the corners and portal fields.

A small shield with the letter P, which curve continues into a small cross left of the vertical stick, it might be a joiner's signature.  The pulpit and altarpiece were restored 1921. A colossal church ship from newer time "Fredericus Quintus". The bell 1591 with the names Christen Mortensen and Knud Andersen in Eir.


Tammestrup belonged in the Middle Ages to Øm kloster. At the reformation it came to the Crown and belonged to Skanderborg vasalry, later to the Skanderbog rytterdistrict (military).When the rytter-estate was sold T. was made a main farm (manor), and it was bought with estate by etatsråd Gerhard de Lichtenberg's widow Bodil Hofgaard in 1767. She had in 1795 a confirmation that the farm must keep its freedom although the estate was sold off, and in 1796 T. was with tiender (taxes) and estate conveyed by her estate to the manager of the farm Rasmus Damgaard, who in 1804 sold off Havreballegård. T came to Hans Andr. Møller, who in 1811 sold it to H. Nic. Sønnichsen, later of Slumstrup, and in a forced sale in 1815 it came to Peter Herschend of Herschendsgave. In 1826 it was laid out to proprietær Jensen, who at once sold it to the manager of the farm Jens Hviid (+ 1842). H.V.C. Güsloff, later of Vester Hovgård, bought in 1843 T. and sold it in 1855 to Harald Valdemar Neergaard (+ 1903), from whom it in 1866 came to Nic Nyholm (+ 1874). When his son A.J.C. Nyholm died in 1896, it was taken over by jægermester J.K. Dinesen of Kragerupsgård, who in 1898 sold it to Christian Adolph Heilmann (+ 1938). Owner in 1964: his son J.E. Heilmann.

Ejergård is from the 1800s. Owners in 1964: C.W. Jacobsen and fru I. Iversen.

Fredenshjem is from the 1850s. Owner in 1964: S. Nielsen.   

Sneptrup præstegård (vicarage) has a main building in half timber oak from 1747.

In a digging in Sneptrup vicarage's forest were in 1876 found a silver cup, in 1878 3 silver spoons and 26 speciedalere, mostly German, from the years 1590-1635, in 1899 were found 9 silver spoons and in 1938 a Nürnbergdaler from 1628,  probably everything belonged to the same treasure, hidden during the Torstenssonkrigen 1643-45 (Swedish war).

Ejer Bavnehøj with tower seen from highway.

Upon Ejer Bavnehøj,which is the next highest point in Denmark, was in 1924 raised a square viewing tower in red bricks. The surroundings are listed.

In a hollow in Tebstrup village, ab. 200 m east of the country road, is the medieval castle bank Voldhøj, a square ab. 3 m high bank, which measures ab. 20 m at the foot. The terrain around the bank is very leveled out, but it seems there have been double moats to the south and east and a single moat to the west, while the bank to the north faces the original swampy meadow. The top surface slopes to the northwest. Upon the north side is a cut, from where the earth was used for the moat. The farm building of the castle was probably at the weak ridge, which stretches from south to the castle bank.

Listed prehistorics: a long dolmen with a cover stone above the chamber in Balleskov and the rather large Staghøj at the eastern border north of Tebstrup.
Demolished or destroyed: 38 hills; one was upon Ejer Bavnehøj.  

At Ris-Tebstrup school was found an important settlement and an iron extraction-place from Celtic Iron Age; a settlement from the same period is known from Tammestrup.

Names in the Middle Ages: Ovsted kirke (1403 Ousted sogenn, 1413 Ousted kircke);  Sneptrup præstegård (1459 Sneptrup); Tebstrup (1373 Typstrop marck); Ris (1444 Aggisted ris, 1445 Rijsz; Ejer (1437 Eyer marck, 1492 Eyerd); Elling (1234 Jlingh, 1470 Elling); Bjødstrup (1488 Biornstrup marck, Biornestrup); Tammestrup (1283 Thumestrup marck, 1373 Thomistrop); Ejergård (1499 Eyergaardt).  

Source: Trap Danmark, Skanderborg amt, 1964.

photo 2002/2007: grethe bachmann

Mesing church, Mesing kirke, Hjelmslev herred, Skanderborg amt.

The small church in Mesing has a Romanesque choir and nave and a late Gothic tower to the west and a porch to the south. The choir and nave are built in granite ashlars upon a bevel plinth. From original details are traceable in the wallwork the straight-edged north door of the nave, a window in the middle of each of the longwalls of the nave and the east and north window of the choir, all bricked. At the foot of the tower lie three monolith lintels from Romanesque windows. The southdoor is outside, but the Romanesque tympanum is preserved with lion figures around a tree.  In the late Middle Ages was built a cross vault with halfstone-ribs, one bay in the choir, two in the nave. At the same time the choir arch was changed into a pointed arch. The church has neo Romanesque windows. The narrow tower is open to the west in a high round arched arcade ("stilt"). It is built in monk bricks with a spread use of boulder, and it has stair gables to north and south above the point arched peepholes. The large porch in granite ashlars, boulder and monk bricks has a flat curved door in a point arched mirror, above the door is inserted a sundial with Fr. V.'s monogram and the year 1756.

Canopy-altarpiece in Renaissance from ab. 1600, in the big field a newer crucifixion-picture upon canvas, upon the top-field allegoric pictures from ab. 1800. Altar chalice from 1684, by Bartholomæus Stur in Århus, acc. to inscription given by Ober Förster Petter Zeibiegh and wife Margaretha von Gabbels, whose coat of arms and initials are on the cup. Two pair of candelabres from respectively 1600 and 1952. A small Romanesque granite font with lion reliefs. Baptismal dishes: 1) ab. 1550, south German, 2) 1688, in pewter, with initials SKE and AIDN. Pulpit 1613 with carvings in stiff high Renaissanc and the name Rasmus Jensen. Pews from ab. 1900. Organ in a gallery in the west end of the nave. Bell 1928 (de Smithske jernstøberier), recast from en older bell by Jens Asmus Smit 1591, which inscription is repeated on the new bell.

The monks at Kalvø (later at Øm kloster) gave ab. 1168 10 mark silver land in Mesing to Niels Nødd and Glip of Åbo.

In Mesing is a small hjemstavnsmuseum (local museum), mainly with old utensils from the district. It was established in 1936 in the old rytterskole(military), a halftimbered building which this year was moved upon rolls to its present place and given to shoemaker Ansgar Andersen Horn whose collection got its location here. 

In the parish was a village Ravndal (1287 Rauffndall). There were in the 1500s feuds between Ringkloster and the Mesing-farmers about the right of the land of the disappeared village. The mill dam of Ravndal is still traceable at Møllebækken 2 km south of Mesing.

Listed prehistorics: in Illerup ådal is a 35 m long dolmen with a chamber without cover stone. 10 hills in Sønderskov, one rather large.
Demolished: one hill.  

Names in the Middle Ages: Mesing (1477 Mesingh).

Source: Trap Danmark, Skanderborg amt, 1964.

photo 2009: grethe bachmann

           

Skovby church / Skovby kirke , Framlev herred, Århus amt.

foto: stig bachmann nielsen, naturplan.dk

Skovby church has a nave and choir from the Romanesque time and a later added tower to the west and a porch to the south. The choir and nave are in granite ashlars upon a plinth with a bevel edge, but almost rebuilt in 1887. Two Romanesque north windows, one in the choir and one in the nave, are bricked-up, while the outside window in the east gable is in use. The northern door opening is bricked-up. The choir arch with profiled kragsten is smooth plastered like the walls of the church. The choir and nave have beamed ceiling. The tower is a late medieval building in monk bricks and a few granite aslars. The southside is face-walled and a flatcurved south door is bricked-up. In the tower room, which is connected to the nave in a point arched arcade, is built an octagonal vault. An earlier porch was replaced in the restoration in 1887 with the present monk brick building in Romanesque style The church has blank walls. The tower's pyramid roof is roofed with slate, the other roofs are with tiles.

tower wall

foto: stig bachmann nielsen, naturplan.dk

A communication table panel with Renaissance fillings  from ab. 1590. Altarpiece in Renaissance style from ab. 1600, almost like in Sjelle church, in the middle field a painting from the beginning of the 1800s. Altar chalice from 1596. Altar candelabres in brass plate from Baroque period. The kneeler is from the 1700s. A Romanesque granite font with no less than eight lion figures, who two and two have a common human head. A new baptismal dish in brass. A small pewter dish is not used anymore. The pulpit with a sounding board in Renaissance style is from 1601, signed "Moten Sneker", the narrow arcade fields have biblical paintings, possibly contemporary with the decoration from 1654, which was rediscovered in 1916. The pews are probably from the 1600s. A late medieval ironbound oak chest is now in "Den gamle By" in Århus.

Øm kloster had in 1264 a deed on Skovby. A main farm in belonged in 1480 to Christen Steen; the same year and still in 1508 his son Knud Steen is written of it; the daughter Else was married to Mourids Jepsen (Benderup), and their son Niels Mouridsen, who is mentioned of S. in 1551, exchanged in 1575 a farm (Nørregård in S.) to the Crown.

Lundgård (1508 Lundgaard) was possibly the farm, which Erik Henriksen (Hvas of Gerholm) in 1508 was written of. It was later under Skanderborg slot, was laid out for ryttergods and was in 1767 bought on auction by grev Erhard Wedel-Friis of Frijsenborg, who gave it the name Kristinedal. In 1790 it belonged to Christian Fischer.
Later owners: Thomas Rosenkrants, Peter Gottlieb Koch, Ove Mohr, Hans Ostenfeldt, D. A. Lorentzen, H. H. Krogh, P. Horn, A. and E. Juul. Owner in 1958: N. R. Bønløkke.

There are no listed prehistorics in the parish, and it is not known if there have been some.
South east of Skovby station were found a couple of claypot graves from early Roman Iron Age.

Names from the Middle Ages:   Skovby, (1253 Scobi, 1264 Skouffby).

Source: Trap Danmark, Århus amt, 1963.

photo 25. February 2012: grethe bachmann and stig bachmann nielsen, naturplan.dk. 

The Valdemars and the Catholic Church

Christianity and Church in the early Middle Ages IV
Overview

Ringsted, Zealand

When Valdemar 1. after 11 years of war in 1157 went on the Danish throne and became " the Great" the way was opened for the ultimate alliance between king and church. In 1170 his murdered father Knud Lavard was beatified in Ringsted, and Valdemar's son was anointed as elected king by the archbishop. The divine inherited kingdom had been introduced. And in 1177 Valdemar's foster brother Absalon was appointed archbishop.

During the Valdemars' great period between 1157 and Valdemar 2. Sejr's death in 1241 the Catholic church culminates in Denmark. The period was characterized by a close co-operation between the royal power and the church, and the organization of the church was the basis for the display of force. Stone churches were built all over the country and closters were established - and new cities and agricultural growth provided a breeding ground for boom. Around 1250 only few wooden churches were left. In return were inside the present Danish borders ab. 2000 Romanesque stone churches. Furthermore about 500 churches in the lost lands east of Øresund and in south Schleswig.


Esrom, Zealand

The closters also had a flowering period during the Valdemars. At its peak were ab. 150 closters, as many as the rest of the North alltogether. Valdemar the Great and his allied was behind the establishment of another important closter order in Denmark: the Cistercians. A mother closter in Esrom (Zealand) became a starting point, and in ab. 1170 important closters like Holme at soutwest Funen, Løgum and Ryd in Sønderjylland (south) and Øm and Vitskøl in Nørrejylland (north). At the same time Sorø closter was converted into a Cistercian-abbey and important nunneries were founded in Slangerup, Roskilde and Odense. Finally were the closters of the Augustines from the second half of the 1100. : Æbelholt in north Zealand and some Jutland closters, which churches are kept as parish churches in Tvilum, Asmild, Grinderslev and Vestervig.


Asmild (Viborg, Jutland)

In the 1300s came the Dominican order which was based upon sjælegaver (soul gifts) and the Fransiscans based upon begging. From practical reasons the closters of both orders were placed in the cities and in their own way they are a symbol of the decline in the second half of the 1200s. The Romanesque church was strong, international and far-sighted and based upon agricultural economy and the alliance between the king and the church, while the Gothic church after 1250 was an expression of a development towards mildness, suffering and guilt. The architecture was aiming at heaven, but artistically Denmark grew isolated in line with that the German Hanseatic League was an insuperable bank between the cultural exchange of Scandinavia and southern Europe.

Next: Church Feud and Civil War

Source: Niels Peter Stilling, Danmarks kirker, 2000.

photo: grethe bachmann

Tulstrup church / Tulstrup kirke , Ning herred, Aarhus amt.

Tulstrup Church, ca. 15 km south of Århus
Tulstrup sogn, Ning herred, Århus amt.

Tulstrup sogn is a high-placed hilly land, stretching from Kattegat across Malling and Odder to Uldrup bakker at Horsens fjord. The pretty white-washed church with red tiled roofs is placed in the northern part of Tulstrup village. It has a Romanesque choir and nave and a late Gothic western extension in monk bricks. The tower was built shortly after the extension; its east wall rests upon columns in the western extension. The top of the tower is heavily re-walled, possibly in 1791, when it got its still existing pyramid roof. The porch to the south is mainly late Gothic in monk bricks, but is marked by a rebuild in 1871 with small bricks. The Romanesque building is rather late, it is in raw granite boulder with carved corner ashlars. The south door is in use, all original windows have disappeared. At the tower lie three monolit cover stones.

The whole church has a flat beamed ceiling. The altarpiece is partly made in 1790 and partly a Renaissance altarpiece. Two Apostle-figures from a late Gothic altar piece is placed above the present. A fine Romanesque granite font with double lions of classical type and evangelist symbols. Simple pulpit in late Renaissance ab. 1630-40 with a contemporary sounding board. In the choir is a portrait stone for Jost Ulfeldt of Østergård (+1563) and fru Anne Kaas (Sparre-Kaas).



Jens Ebbesen gave 1447 Øm Kloster his rights in Østergård (1447: Østergaard) ; in 1543 it belonged to Jost Andersen (Ulfeldt) of Moesgård (+1563), in 1579 to his widow Anne Kaas (Sparre-K.), later to his daughters Kirsten (+ 1632) and Hedvig Ulfeldt (+1638) and their sister's son Johan Brockenhuus of Lerbæk (+ 1648), who before 1643 sold the farm. It was said to have belonged to Niels Friis (of Vadskærgård) and Favrskov (+ 1651) and his son Mogens Friis, but in 1662 it belonged to Birgitte Krabbe (of Østergård),who in 1678 conveyed it with 5 farms and bol to baron Vilhelm Gyldenkrone of Vilhelmsborg; his sons Vilhelm and Jørgen Gyldenkrone sold in 1701 all their inheritance in Ø. to their brother baron Christian Gyldenkrone of Vilhelmsborg. Later owners: Charisius, Kaas, Gyldenkrone,Koch, Schultz, Dahl; 1911 Eleonora Bang (+ 1922), her sister's son Thorkild Dahl.

In the same place as the present main building was in 1665 a ruin of a half-timbered building. It is not known when it was demolished. The present building is from 1835. Østergård has a fine collection of early Netherland and Danish paintings.

Pederstrup was in 1465 owned by væbner Mikkel Bjørnsen, who had the coat of arms of the family Falster. Later it belonged to væbner Christiern Christiernsen, whose widow Birgitte Knudsdatter is mentioned 1504-11; in 1518 Hans Knudsen sold it to Hans Rostrup (+ 1545), whose daughter Ellen, a widow after Ove Skram, still owned it in 1605. Gunde Lange sold it in 1624 to Laurids Ebbesen (Udsen) of Lyngballegård, who in 1625 conveyed it to Otte Kruse, but P. followed Lyngballegård when L. in 1646 came to the Crown. It was placed under Århusgård and went with this to Gabriel Marselis in 1661, later it was divided in several farms.

Names in the Middle Ages and 1600s:
Tulstrup (* 1447 Tullstrup sogen); Pederstrup (1465 Pæderstrop); Hinnedrup (1546 Hindervp); Østergård (* 1447 Østergaard).

There are no listed prehistorics in the parish, but there were once 3 hills.

Source: Trap Danmark, Århus amt, 1963.


photo Tulstrup kirke 2004: grethe bachmann

Elsted church Elsted kirke, Vester Lisbjerg herred, Århus amt.

Elsted Church, 10 km north or Århus

The sun dial

Elsted Church has a choir and nave from the Romanesque period built partly in granite ashlars, partly in cleaved granite boulders. The church has white-washed walls and a tiled roof. The tower and porch are late Gothic in monk bricks. The tower is the narrow East Jutland-type, originally open in front. Later the opening was walled and in the 1700s a portal was added. In the gable of the porch is a sun dial with the year 1727.

The high-placed Romanesque windows are brought to light as niches on the north side of the nave and a Romanesque window is vaguely seen in the north and east wall of the choir. Both doors in the nave are preserved, the north door is walled, while the south door still functions with a round-arched opening and relief stones.

The church has a beamed ceiling, while the choir has a Gothic cross vault. The tall choir arch is preserved from Romanesque period with kragbånd. (oblong relief stone-band). Upon the vault of the choir was in 1944 brought to light a rib-decoration from  the late Gothich period - and upon triumfvæggen (wall between church and altar) was found a small bit of a Romanesque frescoe. A Gothic cupboard with old furniture and grating is framed below the walled window in the north side of the choir. It was possibly once a monstrans cupboard .The Romanesque granite font has lion figures - the simply decorated pulpit is from 1636. There are several large gravestones, partly in the porch and partly in the nave.


Kirkegaden, the village street leads to Elsted church

New Art in Elsted kirke:
Jens Urup, who has created much art in Danish churches, has decorated the ceiling of the nave as a wonderful violet evening sky. The beautiful new altar wall is created by Bent Exner, the great gold- and silversmith, who also has created unique church art. Bent Exner died in 2006.
 

Names in the Middle ages: Elsted (1374 Elstedt, 1439 Æstet, Ælstethæ).

Øm Kloster exchanged 1490 a farm in Elsted with the Crown.

The now disappeared Såstrupgård was the last rest of a village Såstrup (1425 Sastrop). A bol (a small farm) Fornebol (1490 Forneboer, Fæderneboel) is mentioned in the parish in 1490.


Listed prehistorics: two hills, of which the large Blindemandshøj. (Blind Man's Hill).
Destroyed: two hills.

Claypot graves from the Roman period have been found at several sites in Elsted parish.


source: Trap Danmark, Århus amt, 1963.


photo Elsted 2003: grethe bachmann