Mariager Abbey /Mariager Klosterkirke , Mariagerfjord Kommune

Mariager klosterkirke, Mariagerfjord Kommune, Region Nordjylland

 










Mariager Abbey  (Danish: Mariager Klosterkirke) was a Bridgettine abbey founded in 1430 which became an important pilgrimage site, in the present town of Mariager in northern central Jutland. The abbey was established in the rule of king Erik of Pommern in the period 1425-1432. The real founding year is regarded as 1446, where Pope Eugenius 4. confirmed a transfer of the two earlier Bridgettine abbeys in Glenstrup and Randers to the Bridgettines in Maribo. .

In the abbeys of the Bridgettines lived both monks and nuns, but in separated buildings on each side of the church. The nunnery consisted probably of 3 wings which formed a closed yard, where the church was the south wing. The monastery were several buildings south of the church and the north wing as an addition. Preserved till present is the church and the north wing of the monastery, while the other buildings were demolished once in the 1700s and the beginning of the 1800s.


Mariager abbey, (Mariager Klosterkirke) lies in the town Mariager by the beautiful Mariager fjord
Like in Maribo at Lolland a small town grew up around the abbey, but Mariager is still one of the smallest market towns in Denmark.

The abbey in Mariager was built as a three-naved church with a characteristic stepped east gable and a later added slende tower to the west. The reformation meant the final days of the abbey, although it was first abolished as late as 1588. The large church became the parish church of Mariager town - and during the next 200 years there were financial problems about maintaining the large building. The town management gave up in 1788, and the church was rebuilt in 1788-1789. The drastic rebuild was a demolition of the four eastern sections, including the choir, while the rest was rebuilt from a three-naved church into a cross-armed church, supported by outside pillars. At the cross arm was in the 1930s rebuilt a longhouse choir

Inventory
Frescoe on the north wall of the choir is a fragment of a freso from the first building period,. a magnificent descriptions of persons, artistically some of the best frescoes from the 1400s. Upon a pillar in northern cross arm is a strange image, meant to show a coat of arms of Thor Degn from the 1200s, but it was obviously painted much later.

In the tower room are two famous procession- figures, the wooden sculopturres are realistic but also typical for the period ab 1500s. The figures are concentrated about Christ and his suffering and death.

The Renaissance pulpit is a simple work ab 1720s, the decoration is from 1724. The altarpiece is a fine Baroque woodcarving  from 1690. In the big field is the big supper which is the main motif with the crucified Christ above, surrounded by the nearest , Maria, Johannes and the apostles in woodcarved free-standing figures.

Upon the south wall of the nave hangs a large late Gothic crucifix . The baptismal font is in wood from the middle of the 1700s and given to the church by its benefactor etatsråd Matthias de Thestrup (+ 1769), whose burial chapel was abolished in 1931. From earlier burial chapels were Holger Eriksen Rosenkrantz from 1495, which was abolished in the 1560s when Jørgen Rosenkrantz of Rosenholm collected the bodies of his late forefathers in Hornslet kirke. Also the family Løvenbalk from the manors Tjele and Aunsbjerg had built and owned a burial chapel by the church.

by the kloster lake

The most famous headstone in Mariager belongs to the last Catholic Børglum bishop, the excessive Stygge Krumpen, who died in Asmild kloster in 1551,  a magnificent portrait stone celebrateds his memory,but he is not buried under the stone, his mummified body was shown to the public until 1871- 1873 in an open coffin, but common good manners demanded that the body was moved to the burial chapel of the noble family Krumpen. The bodies from this chapel were in 1931 buried in the church yard.





On the big church yard are kept pieces of pillars and some debris of graves from the abbey period. The church yard was extended in 1894 and is marked by the civil grave memorials of the market town Mariager. 

by the klosterlake.

Source: Danmarks kirker, Niels Peter Stilling, 2000; Nordens kirker ; National Museum; 

 photo: grethe bachmann

Øland church/ Øland kirke and Oksholm manor, Hjørring amt.

Øland church, ab. 14 km east of Fjerritslev., Google earth.

Øland parish, Øster Han herred, Hjørring amt. 

Øland church -  which represent the north wing of the manor Oksholm, ( former Øland kloster) - consists of a large nave and choir in one bulding (ab. 32 m) with a threesided eastern finish, a low sidenave to the north and in the eastern extension of this a more narrow chapel building - and at the west gable of the main nave a slender tower. Everything was built at the same time, in the beginning of the 1500s, in yellow monk bricks and in a clean late Gothic style. Similar to the northern sidenave was along the south side of the church a  cloister (noted in excavations in 1910), which was the cause why the large point arched windows of the southside were placed very high in the wall. The main nave gets furthermore light through a couple of high windows in the east and southeast bays of the choir-polygon. The entrance is now via an original door in the north wall of the sidenave.  Two original doors in the south side of the main nave are bricked-up. A prettily profiled point arched door, which did connect the choir with the chapel building, became visible after the taking down of Levetzau's epitaph in 1958. The large well-proportioned church room is covered by highly placed rib-vaults, 5 in the main nave, 5 in the sidenave and 1 in the chapel. The vaults are counterbalanced by outside supporting pillars,except at the south side, which two pillars are newer and built after the cloister was demolished.

Øland church, photo: wikipedia

From the vaults of the sidenave are the two western only half as big as the others, and the same goes for the two western of the five pointed arches, which originally made a connection between the two naves. The explanation is that the western bay of the main nave former had two storeys of which the upper storey (ab. 3,5 m above floor)  was the special choir of the nuns, who according to the rules had to stay in the west end of the church. The nun choir was carried by four cross vault in the bottom story, resting upon a midlle pillar. The bottom storey probably opened out to the main nave in two small pointed arches in the same way like the present towards the side nave. A pointed arch connected also the nun coir with the very high, vaulted tower room, which functioned as a front hall, and where is still  seen traces after bricked stairs which led up to the nun choir. Since the present door of the tower, to the south and north, hardly are original, the access from the kloster-buildings must have taken place via the south doors of the nave and an opening below in the western wall.  In the 1600s the eastern wing of the sidenave and the chapel east of this were furnished as a burial chapel with access through a portal with a wrought iron gate in the eastern arcade. Upon the tower are the initials of H.F. Levetzau and Anna Margrethe Brockdorff and the year 1758, since the upper section was restored and probably rebuilt. the church is white washed  and the roof leaded. A fragmentary frescoe-decoration from early Renaissance was found in 1958 behind the above mentioned epitaph, which was taken down.



Interior:  

interior, photo: wikipedia.

The altarpiece is a late Gothic triptychon from the beginning of the 1500s, in the late 1600s the altarpiece got a Baroque frame (large wings) (with the coat of arms and initials  of H.F. Levetzau and L. E. Brockdorff)  and a top piece with a carved Christ-group. The altar chalice was given by H.F. Levetzau  (+ 1696) and wife Lucie Emerentze Brockdorff. The ore candelabres in a late Gothic type are probably contemporary to the altarpiece. Next to the altar stands a magnificent, almost 6 m tall monstrans house from the beginning of the 1500s, richly carved in oak and with the name of prior Jens Nielsen in Ø Kloster. A thurible in Romanesque type is kept in the choir. A baptismal font in hourglass-shape in wrought iron from ab. 1700. The pulpit with a sounding board is a Renaissance work from the beginning of the 1600s. The pews are from the 1800s. An organ is placed upon a western gallery.  One of the chandeliers was given by G.D. Levetzau of Tjele and Elkær. A bell from 1513 is now in the National Museum.

Burials and Epitaphs::
In the burial chapel stand three marble sarcophagus and one sandstone coffin, belonging to Theodosius v. Levetzau, (+ 1719), his wife Anna Margrethe Brockdorff (+ 1763), their son Hans F. Levetzau (+ 1763) with wife Sophia v. Eyndten (+ 1795). Several coffins were in 1889 placed in a now bricked-up grave-cellar under the eastern vault, and the coffin plates hang in the chapel. Upon the north wall of the choir, east of the portal towards the burial chapel, was set up in 1726 a magnificent 5 m high epitaph in black and white marble in Rococo style for Hans Fr. Levetzau (+ 1696), and wife Lucie Emerentze Brockdorff (+ 1699)  with their white marble statues in natural size.  The epitaph, which was possibly created by the sculptor Fr. Ehbisch, was in 1958 taken down as the beginning of a restoration. Upon the south wall the rests of a sandstone epitaph from 1595 for Jørgen Thube (Taube) (+ 1611) and wife Ellen Banner (+ 1590).

Gravestones:
1) above mentioned Ellen Banner; 2) manager at Oksholm Mads Andersen (+ 1706), and wife; 3) Anne Nielsdatter, died at Oksholm 1721; 4) Thomas Olsen (+ 1721), and wife; 5) birkedommer Anders Vognsen (+ 1740), and wife; 6)  parish priest Anders Lund (+ 1765), and wife; 7) manager at Oksholm Søren Glud (+ 1790) , and wife ; 8) Magdalene Christensen, née Hass, m to manager Christensen at Oksholm, (+ 1796); 9 ) birkeskriver Laurids Madsen,  b. 1672, and wife.

It is not known if the earlier Kloster church stood in the same place. Some granite ashlars are inserted in the present building and a Romanesque column-capital in cube form is kept at Oksholm. In 1562 the parish people had a royal permission to break down the Sct. Laurentii Kapel and use timber and stones for a repair of Ø Kloster church. The chapel stood close west of Oksholm upon a flat bank south of two joined dams, called the Silaus-dams. ( note from Trap Danmark: misrepresentation of Sct Laurentius?)

Oksholm/Oxholm 1869, wikipedia.

Oksholm, the earlier Ø Kloster (1268  claustro Hø, 1272 Øø) was in the Middle Ages a nunnery of the Benedictines, inaugurated to Vor Frue (Our Lady) ( 1475 Monasterium Beatæ Mariæ virginis de insula ordinis S. Benedicti). The kloster was supposedly founded ab. 1175 by bishop Tyge of Børglum (+ 1177), who probably came from Øland, according to his fatherne properties, which he before his death gave to the establishment of the kloster. It is latest mentioned in a will. In 1272 and 1279 king Erik V. Klipping confirmed the freedom of its estate and of the tenant farmers. Under this estate was also the birkeretten (judicial rights). The same was done by king Valdemar III in 1327; and still in 1524 Frederik I confirmed the fishing rights of the kloster. The leader of the nuns was a  prioress (Edele is mentioned in 1462, Maren Pedersdatter in 1525), while the management of the estate was led by a prior (originally a priest); from these are mentioned Aage 1293, Anders Pedersen 1356, Niels 1391, maybe the same as Niels Ovesen, who was  mentioned 1418-22, Thomas Nielsen 1440, Jep Thyrysen 1447, Peder Dus 1458-59. The Crown began however in the 1400s to appoint laymen as managers, but in 1475 the pope transferred the patronat-righs to Børglum Kloster. The last known priors are Gerluf Mortensen Glob 1462-98 and Jens Nielsen Sparre 1504-20.

Børglum kloster, grethe bachmann

In the first decades of the 1500s were the bishops of Børglum (Niels Stygge (+ 1533) and Stygge Krumpen (+ 1551) mis-ruling the kloster and -  acc. to a written complaint from 1536 - only 3 nuns were left, the others were driven away or had escaped. The estate of the kloster was gradually rather extensive, especially the estate in Vendsyssel, in Salling and at Mors. Furthermore were eel-farms and other fishing rights in Limfjorden. Everything was withdrawn to the Crown at the reformation. The Crown handed in 1542 the kloster and estate over to the earlier Odense-bishop Knud Henriksen Gyldenstierne  (+ 1560) as a pawn-vasalry. Some of the bishop's duties was to provide for the nuns. In 1566 Josias Qualen (+1586) released the royal permission, but the later rigsråd Axel Knudsen Gyldenstierne of Tim (+ 1603) got it already in 1571. In 1573 Frederik II exchanged the kloster with a part of the estate for Rygård (at Sjælland) and some spread estate to Frants Banner of Kokkedal, while a part of the estate stayed pawn-vasalry under Axel Gyldenstierne and since came under Voergård. Frants Banner let now the kloster be named Oksholm after his wife Anne Oxe, but he died in 1575 and she in 1601. O. possibly was inherited by their two daughters Karen Banner of Gisselfeld and Kokkedal + 1616, m. to Henrik Lykke of Overgård (+ 1611) and Ellen Banner (+ 1590 at O), m. to Jørgen Taube (Due) - a nobleman who was born in Livland ( = a historic landscape in the Baltics, now divided between Estonia and Latvia). He took up residence at O. - also after a new marriage to Lene Christoffersdatter Juel (+ 1629) - until his death in 1611.

Øland/Oksholm from air, Google earth.

His son Frands Due (+ latest 1627) had - because of debt - to refrain O. in 1620 to Palle Rodsteen of Hørbylund (+ 1643), who still the same year must have transferred it to Georg (Jørgen) Ernst Worm (Wurmb) of Vår and Ørndrup (+ earliest 1625). In 1623 Iver Jørgensen Friis (of Haraldskær) of Ørbæk owned the farm, but he died the same year, his widow fru Dorete Budde of Volstrup (Hjerm herred)( + earliest 1638), deeded 1626 1/2 of O. to her son Jørgen Iversen Friis (of Haraldskær) who died under age in 1631. In 1638 she and her two sons-in-law Henrik Sandberg of Bøgsted (+ 1651), m. to Mette Iversdatter Friis (of Haraldskær)( + 1684) and Knud Seefeld of Bjørnkjær (+ ab. 1680), m. to Karen Iversdatter Friis (of Haraldskær) owned O. in common, but since Knud Seefeld became the sole owner, he lost O. in 1667-68, when mayor in Randers, Mads Poulsen (+ 1676) made claim  in O. for his credit . In 1670 Mads Poulsen transferred O. together with three other creditors to Hans Fr. Levetzau (born in Mecklenburg) of Restrup, after whose death in 1696 the farm and estate went to his son Theodosius v. Levetzau (+ 1719), whose widow of 2. marriage, Anna Margrethe Brockdorff (+ 1763) in 1729 deeded O. to her son Hans Fr. Levetzau (the Younger),( + 1763). His widow Sophia v Eyndten kept the farm until her death 1795. The estate of the deceased was in 1795 sold to her next son Albert Philip Levetzau (+ 1817), who still in 1795 sold both farms to Søren Hillerup of Asdal (+ 1829), who 1797 sold O. to Ole Tønder Lange of Bratskov, Hans Hansen of Lyngholm and Jakob Bregendahl.

Later owners: Sophus Peter Fr. Skeel; Niels Chr. Rasch;  Hans Peter Nielsen; Nikolaj Nyholm; Carl Julius Sønnichsen; Carl Friederich Heinrich Goedecke ; Henry Johan Jacob Louis Bruun Neergaard; Claudine Caroline Elisabeth Bruun Neergaard, née Skeel; Otto Skeel; Hendrik greve Bille-Brahe-Selby; Sigurd Andersen.

Source wikipedia Owners: (1961-1962) Vera Alfredsdatter Blom gift Andersen; (1962-1968) Frode Hansen; (1968-1998) Steen Pedersen Glarborg; (1998-) Kirsten Vibeke Frodesdatter Hansen gift Glarborg

house opposite Oksholm, Google earth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is no knowledge of prehistorics at Øland, but there was some Stone Age settlement. Besides spread findings was at Selbjerg examined a kitchen midden, which was inhabited both in early Stone Age and late Stone Age. A magnificent gold necklace from Iron Age was in 1857 sent to the National Museum with the information that it was found in the *vejle between Øland and the mainland. It was later informed that it was ploughed up at Oksholm's land, but the finder was afraid if the landlord at Oksholm would claim the ring, if he knew this.

* vejle is a wet area, (Vejlerne is a nature area in North Jutland)  

Names from the Middle ages and 1600s: Østerby (1573 Østerbye); Vesterby (1573 Vesterbye); Oksholm (1638 Oxholm); Hvolgård (1573 Hvolgaard); Vester Knudegård (1479 Knud..., 1573 Knudergaard, 1688 Knudegaarde).

 

Source: Trap Danmark, Hjørring amt, 1960:  

 

photo from google earth, wikipedia.

Børglum kloster: grethe bachmann  

 



      

Skallerup church / Skallerup kirke, Vennebjerg herred, Hjørring amt

Skallerup Church, ab. 10 km west of Hjørring
Skallerup sogn, Vennebjerg herred, Hjørring amt.

Chessboard pattern

Skallerup church is situated a few km from the north sea behind the inland dunes. North of the church was the village Skallerup, which has disappeared like many other villages in the area caused by the sand drift. The church has a Romanesque choir and nave, a western tower, sacristi and porch from the late Gothic period. The Romanesque building is in granite ashlars, the north door is walled-in while the extended south door is still in use. Two round-curved monolit-cover stones from two original windows are placed in the south wall of the choir. A chessboard pattern in the wall of the nave.The round choir arch inside is preserved. The cross vaulted sacristi in monk bricks and ashlars was added in the late Gothic period and at almost at the same time the tower was built to the west. Its bottom room opens to the nave in a pointed arch.The church bells han g in a bell frame. the whole building was restored in 1942. On several occassions , latest in 1910 and 1939, were found badly preserved late Gothic frescoes which were covered in white-wash again.

The communion table in ashlars has a niche for hiding and a reliquary in the top plate. The altar piece is a Lutheranian triptychon from 1600 is placed by Hans Rosenberg like the pulpit from 1605, both probaby from Niels Ibsen's workshop. A half-circular basin upon a round foot. (baptismal font). A fine late Gothic choir arch crucifix, repaired in 1914. A pretty late Gothic cupboard from 1529 with a minuskel-inscription stands in the choir, where is also a large painted anetavle (genealogical table) with 62 coat of arms for the ancestors of Hans Wulf Unger of Villerup and his wife Berete Kaas, who with other members of the family were buried under the choir. Some coffin plates are preserved from the 1600s and 1700s. At the church yard a Romanesque grave stone with a curved top. Bell 1) 1562 2) 1789 from Bakker, Rotterdam, saved in 1875 from the wreck "The Crescent".



Dunes with an access to the sea.

Names in the Middle Ages and 1600s:
Skallerup (* 1413 Skelrum, 1433 Scheldorp); Sønderlev (1325 Synderlyugh); Nørum (*1471 Nørrum); Villerup (*1436 Willerup); Størup (1484 Størop); Hunderup (1355 Hundorp); Klitgård (1662 Klitten).

A Petrus Niclessun de Synderlyngh is mentioned in 1325. In 1438 rigsråd Jakob Nielsen Basse of Nielstrup (Sunds herred)(+ earliest 1439), conveyed Synderleffgaard and more estate in Vennebjerg herred and Jerslev herred to bishop Gert (Gerhardt) of Børglum )(+1452). In 1534 came Sønderlev by law to Børglum kloster estate.
Villerup was already a main farm in the late Middle Ages, and according to tradition it belonged to hr. Stig Pedersen (Skovgaard), who lived in the beginning of the 1300s and was a høvedsmand for Vendelbo ships. From him the farm came to his son hr. Niels Stigsen Skovgaard, whose daughter Kirsten Nielsdatter Skovgaard ( died as a widow earliest 1361) by marriage brought Villerup and Linderumgård to her husband Otte Eriksen Lunov (+ latest 1361). One of their daughters Nille Ottesdatter Lunov was married to Jens Havgaard, who thus got a part of V. ; another daughter seems to have married Henrik Clausen Smalsted (+ earliest 1435) whose son Otte Henriksen smalsted in 1436 wrote himself of Villerup. Various owners: Smalsted, Friis, Kaas (Sparre-K.), Unger, Giedde, etc.

The farms Knolde and Størup belonged in the end of the 1400s to some noble siblings of the family Palnesen, Kalli Palnesen, who already in 1469 lived in K.; the væbner Niels Palnesen (+ latest 1487), who in 1484 wrote himself of K. and then pawned Størup to Økloster; Mogens Palnesen in K. who in 1480 sold his part of Knolde and Knolde estate to Vil Thomesen Galskyt of Odden; Karine Palnesdatter, who in 1486 was married to herredsfoged in Vennebjerg herred Thomas Sivordsen (+ earliest 1515) and Dorte Palnesdatter (+ bef. 1505), married to selvejerbonden Ilfar Eskesen in Brøndum (Kollerup parish). Kalli Palnesens daughter Anne Kallisdatter married Peder Terkelsen who in 1501 conveyed the last family-rights in the two farms. Various owners later.

In 1400 Johannes Nikkelsen (Jens Nielsen?) wrote himself of Nørlev. In 1434 Erik Iversen conveyed a farm in Nørlev to the Børglum bishop. In 1456 bishop Jakob (Jep) Friis gave a Nørlev-farm of Børglum bishopric to Maren Pedersdatter, widow after the væbner Anders Thomesen of Ormholt (Dronninglund herred) and her son Lars Nielsen for life-time, when she gave Ormholt to the bishopric. In 1496 and 1500 is mentioned Christen Berg in Nørlev, he had a rose in his coat of arms. In 1532 Hans Rytsland had livsbrev (stay for life) upon one of the copyhold farms of the Crown in "Nørløng" in Vennebjerg herred.

Niels Jonsen wrote himself in 1380 of Torstrup, he was taken under protection by king Oluf. In 1440 Jes Andersen is mentioned in Torstrup, he was endowed for life with Dalsmølle and Skielledal by Hundslund kloster. In 1480 Boel Jensdatter conveyed Torstrupgård and other estate to the same kloster, and it is probably this farm which is mentioned when Jens Rugtved in 1509 was endowed with Tolstrup/Torstrup by the kloster.

The parish suffered during the 1500s and 1600s by the sand drift. Several towns disappeared completely. The villages Skallerup north of the church , Ajstrup (1506 Aystrup) and Torstrup (* 1440 Tostrup, 1452 Torstrup), and several farms and water mills.

Listed prehistorics: Staghøj, a hill upon the former vicarage-area.
Demolished or destroyed: At Mellemmølle was a stone grave and possibly also some stone graves in the dunes; furthermore 9 hills. - In several places in the dune area to the west are noted settlements from late Stone Age. North of Nørlev a stone grave from early Roman Iron Age has been examined.

Source: Trap Danmark, Hjørring amt, 1960.


photo Skallerup June 2003: grethe bachmann

Bejstrup church / Bejstrup kirke, Øster Han herred, Hjørring amt

Bejstrup church, ab. 10 km southeast of Fjerritslev
Bejstrup sogn, Øster Han Herred, Hjørring amt.


The tower is rather big for a village church. The bottom part built in granite boulders ends in a fine archade - and the upper part of the square tower is built in 'monk-bricks'. Originally the tower was entirely built in granite boulders. Notice the triangular stone mason mark above the archade.

Bejstrup village church is a socalled 'Forhalskirke' (church with a front hall/vestibule). On occasions the parish priest is arranging evening songs in candle light in the big tower hall, since it invites for special arrangements.
Bejstrup Church was in the Catholic period inaugurated to St. Nicolaus. It has a Romanesque nave and choir, a later added western tower and a late Gothic porch to the north. The nave and choir is built in granite ashlars . Three original windows are on the north side, one in the choir and two in the nave are in use, the north door too, while the south door is an inside glare. The large choir arch with profiled kragsten is preserved. In the late Middle Ages was built a cross vault in the choir. The nave has a flat beamed ceiling. The tower is an interesting piece of Romanesque architecture. The bottom storey is built in granite ashlars upon a profiled double plinth. In several ashlars are carved crosses and other figures. The outer walls are ornamented with slender round arched archade glares. A western pillar portal forms an entrance to the tower room, which is equipped as a front hall and connected to the nave in two round arched arcades, supported by one heavy square pillar. Upon one of the ashlars in this pillar is a carved a swastika.

Stone figures at the bottom of a pillar. On the corner a human face.


Chessboard Pattern
The tower room is vaulted with four cupola vaults. In the northwest corner is built-in a stairway to the next storey, where the original look is unknown, since the upper section of the tower already in the Middle Ages was completely re-built in a mix of granite boulders and bricks. Until 1874 the tower had a gable roof, and upon the south side was the year 1797. Caused by dilapidation the whole tower was demolished in 1874. The bottom section was re-built with retention of all original details, while the upper section was re-newed in red bricks and was equipped with a four-sided pyramid spire. The porch was re-built contemporary, it is mostly in granite ashlars which probably origin from the original upper section of the tower.

An inside restoration was made in 1940. The walled communion table is covered in a pine panel. The altar piece is a protestantic triptychon from the end of the 1500s, in the middle field a painting from 1770. Altar candelabres of a late Gothic type. A Romanesque granite font. The baptismal bowl has the year 1689. A pulpit from 1584 with the name of a priest Thomis Pedersøn. The pews are re-newed from 1940. A church bell from 1640. Gravestones from the 1600s on the church yard, one grave stone with an indistinct inscription, probably from 1379. Several old church yard monuments, i.e. cast iron crosses in the eastern section of the church yard. A grave tree from 1822 and a child's grave tree are now at Nordjyllands Historiske Museum.

The tower room is a big hall to which an entrance leads from outside via a port of pillars. The entrance to the apse goes from the hall through two archade openings. The granite baptismal font is the oldest inventory from the first existence of the church. The pulpit is from 1584.
Upon the granite walls of Bejstrup church are many interesting stone figures and stone mason marks.



Bejstrup church

Names in the middle ages:
Bejstrup (1371 Bysdrop, 1410 Beesthorp); Manstrup (1462 Manstrup); Blegebrønde (1552 Blegebryundtt); Tanderupgård (1458 Tandrvp gardh); Sønderstrup (1477 Soønderstrvp).
The Børglum bishop had in the last half of the 1000s undoubtedly a farm in Bejstrup parish. Bejstrup's medieval name was 'Biskopstorp'. In 1086 Knud IV (den Hellige) stayed at the fortification Aggersborg, from where he wanted to gather a Viking fleet for England, but his hard methods made the Viking chiefs furious, and they chased him out of Aggersborg. Knud took temporary cover in Biskopstorp before he crossed Limfjorden by Aggersund and fled from his pursuers all the way through Jutland and to Odense, where he was murdered in the cathedral.

At Tanderupgård died in 1623 Niels Nielsen Griis. In 1664 it was owned by Knud Seefeld of Oksholm. In 1683 it was used by Niels Jensen Manstrup (+1702), whose widow Else Pallesdatter Griis (of Slettegård) in 1703 bought it from Anders Kjærulf of Bjørnsholm; she died the same year, but was then engaged to Peder Laursen Rod, the above mentioned Niels Jensen Manstrup's brother's son, who took copyhold of T. and ab. 1720 bought it for himself.

Nørgård in Bejstrup village was in 1664 owned by Jens Pedersen Rod and Hans Mandixen, or his widow Birgitte Ladebur. In 1688 it was owned by Laurs Jensen Rod etc., his daughter Karen Laursdatter Rod was married to tenant at Ågård and Ålegård Jacob Baltsersen (+ 1716).

Listed prehistorics: a two chambered long dolmen Grønhøj and a dolmen chamber, both at Bejstrup; at Manstrup one 70 m long longhill, possibly a long dolmen, where the stones have been removed. Furthermore 19 hills of which two at Blegebrønde and Manstrup are rather large.
Demolished or destroyed: 5 long dolmens, of which Mulhøj with a pentagonal chamber, a passage grave with a side chamber at Manstrup and 3 indefinable stone graves, furthermore 30 hills.
Source: Trap Danmark, Hjørring amt, 1960.

photo Bejstrup 170606: grethe bachmann

Hørdum church /Hørdum kirke, Hassing herred, Thisted amt.

Hørdum Church


Interior


The Thor Stone is the only picture stone in Denmark.

Hørdum church was earlier named 'De fire Evangelisters kirke' (Church of the Four Evangelists). It is built in granite ashlars with a long nave, a northern porch and a choir with a half circular apse. Examinations made by the National Museum in 1955 concluded that the choir and apse are the earliest parts of the building from ab. 1170. The south door is walled, and the north door , which is still in use, has a half circular tympanon and relief cross. Under the floor of the nave were found rests of a wooden building, which had been functioning as a temporary nave in connection to the ashlar built choir. The wooden building was later succeeded by the present stone built nave. In the present church several romanesque windows are preserved, one in the apse, one in the northern side walls of the choir and the nave.

The excavations showed that the Romanesque nave from the beginning was built together with a western tower, since foundations were found of the pillars which supported the long gone three double tower arch. In the late Middle Ages a porch was built plus a tower which was demolished in 1817. A new and distinctive tower was built in front of the western gable in 1955 , in the style of a medieval fortification tower.

Inside the church are beamed ceilings and the old triumph arch is preserved. The Romanesque granite font has four engraved crosses. The pulpit is Renaissance from 1625. Upon the ashlar built altar piece is a modern cross and two high ore-candelabres given in 1650 by Hans Hansen and Maren Andersdatter. Two epitaphs in the church, one for fru Hedvig von Itzen, + 1728, and one for her husband Chr. Helverskov of Irup, + 1733. A Romanesque gravestone with a carved cross is in the porch.

The Thor Stone in the porch is the only picture stone in Denmark. The painting shows the tale from Norse Mythology about Thor's fishing for the Midgard Serpent. During the fight his feets go through the bottom of the boat. The stone was first recognized as being a rarity in 1954 and was used as the last step on the staircase to the belltower at that time. It had also been used as a building stone and is therefore incomplete. The stone dates back to the 11th century.

Names in the Middle Ages and 1600s:
Hørdum (*1405 Øster Hørdum, 1424 Hyrdhom)
Koldby (1556 Koelkoede, 1664 Kold kud, 1688 Koldbye); Tøttrup (*1445 Tottrup, 1556 Tøtterup); Irup (*1449 Yrop); Tøttrupgård (1600 Tøttrupgaardt).
Irup belonged to the bishops of Børglum. In 1449 is mentioned the bishop's official Anders Mathisen in Irup, in 1450 Nis Persen, in 1467 Thomas Persen, but already in 1463 and since in 1475 and 1481 Peder Friis (+1483), in 1484 his widow Christine Nielsdatter of Irup, in 1502 the king's official Niels Hvid and in 1512 he bishop's official Jens Sewrensen, all of Irup. At the reformation Irup came to the Crown and was a vasalry until 1556, when it was sold to Knud Gyldenstierne of Ågård (+1568), after whom his widow Jytte Podebusk was the owner. Probably it was inherited by their daughter Karen Gyldenstierne (+1596) married to Axel Gyldenstierne (+ 1603), their son Knud Gyldenstierne (+ 1636), whose daughter Karen G. married the wealthy rigsråd Tage Ottesen Thott. Their son Ove Thott sold in 1661 Irup with some estate to Albert von Itzen from Copenhagen (+ 1679) . His sister's daughter Hedevig von Itzen brought it in 1684 by marriage to the learned High Court Judge Christian Hermann Helverskov (+1733). Various owners up till present.

In Hørdum was a farm Rævsgård (*1435 Reffs gardh, *1449 Ræffsgardh); in Tøttrup the farms Ringgård (1603 Ringgaardt) and Røkkrup (1606 Røchrup). In the parish is also mentioned the mill Lillemølle (1664 Lille Mølle, 1688 Lild wandmøhle).

Listed prehistorics: 3 long hills and 43 hills of which many are large, the 9 m high Høverhøj, where were found a bronzesword and a goldfingerring, Skjoldhøj, Præsthøj, Hvinhøj at Tøttrupgård, one of the Dåshøjene, a hill at Koldby and 3 at Irup.
Demolished or destroyed: 125 hills, of which were the 3 Hvirvilshøje, mentioned in Pont. Atlas and to which a legend is connected about the sea king Hvirvil, who was killed in a fight at the coast of Zealand. Under a large stone in Hørdum were found 5 large amber axes, and also in Hørdum was found a settlement from Roman period and 3 silverbracelets from the Viking Period.

Source: Trap Danmark, Thisted amt, 1961
photo 2003: grethe bachmann