Øster Velling church/ Øster Velling kirke, Middelsom herred, Viborg amt.

Øster Velling church, ab. 10 km west of Randers.

Øster Velling parish, Middelsom herred, Viborg amt. 

The church without a tower in Øster Velling has a choir and nave and a new porch on the nort side. The older sections: the choir and nave origin from the Romanesque period, built in granite ashlars upon a bevelled plinth, but the church was in 1875 rebuilt because of dilapidation, but with use of old material -  and inaugurated 2 january 1876. The porch seems also to have been renewed in 1875, it was rebuilt again in 1940. The three Romanesque windows of the north side are undoubtedly of Romanesque origin, but extended in the lighting. The north door with old kragsten is still in use, but partly renewed.

The inside of the church got its new look in 1875; it has a beamed ceiling, while the choir was remade again in 1940-41, when a new brickfloor was laid. The altar section is from this last restoration with a table of yellow bricks and above this a crucifix group, made by J.Th. Skovgaard. The former altar decoration, a crucifix from 1875, hangs upon the wall. Three Gothic Saint-figures in wood, found at the loft of the porch, was sent to the National Museum in 1940. A Romanesque granite font with male heads and foliage. The strange square-sided pulpit with winding columns and double fields with sawn balusters is in Renaissance from ab. 1600. In front of this an old parish clerk stool with carved year 1588. The bell without inscription in a hole in the gable, is from early Middle Ages. In the west wall of the nave is inserted a gravestone for Søren Pedersen Velling (+ 1624). In the north wall of the choir a stone for parish priest H.M.Berg. (+ 1787) .

At the rebuild of the church was found a piece of a runestone, now in the National Museum, the only left of the inscription is " -- Thorg-- ".


 
















Øster Velling birk: (judicial)  the king had already in Valdemars Jordebog considerable estate in "Wæling". Later it became a special vasalry, which by queen Margrethe I was leased to Stig Andersen (this must be Stig Andersen Hvide). Around 1500 Erik Ottesen Rosenkrantz was the vasal, after him his son-in-law Predbjørn Podebusk. 5 September 1569 Ø.Velling birk was deeded to Erik Podebusk, it consisted of 13 farms in Øster Velling, Velling Mølle, Torup and Madegård. If Erik Podebusk died without heirs, his wife must keep the vasalry for life, whereafter it again had to go to the Crown. Since the married couple had no children, the king took over the birk. Ab. 1680 the Thing was held at Helstrup mark (field) by the road to Randers. 

 
Listed prehistorics: 7 hills and two petroglyph-stones which were found in the demolished Mandbjerghøj close to Velling Vandmølle (water mill), one stone has several small circles of which some are rewritten with ovals.
Demolished or destroyed: 20 hills, Mandbjerghøj contained a grave from early Bronze Age with sword and belt with gold plate. 


Names in the Middle Ages: Øster Velling (1231 Wæling, 1355 Østerwælyngh).




Source: Trap Danmark, Viborg amt, 1962.

photo: borrowed from Google earth 2013, gb.

Gosmer church / Gosmer kirke , Hads herred, Århus amt.

Gosmer kirke, foto: stig bachmann nielsen, Naturplan.dk

The large church in Gosmer was possibly dedicated to Sct. Theobald, since a reliquary was found in the communion table in the beginning of the 1700s, which had a note "in honorem Skt. Theobaldi". The church has apse, choir and nave which repeats the Romanesque building, a late Gothic tower to the west, a porch from 1866 to the south and a chapel to the north. The Romanesque building was totally rebuilt in 1866, probably mostly in the old materials and in its old figure, but strongly normalized. It is built in granite ashlars upon a bevel plinth, in apse with a double plinth. On the southside of the choir is a priest-portal with half-pillars and tympanum with a characteristic relief of the Deposition. The south portal has also half-pillars and tympanum, but the relief is here a human figure between two lions and two dragons, framed by a foliage edge, related to portals in Tranbjerg and Stjær church. The reconstructed choir arch inside has the old plinth with an arcade frieze. Apse has a half-cupolar vault, choir and nave have a flat loft. The late Gothic tower, where the bottom room is furnished to a burial, is built in monk bricks and has a staircase in the south wall. The upper section is heavily rebuilt in 1775 and especially in 1866. A chapel at the north side of the tower was removed in the rebuild in 1866, and the porch was built and later the chapel at the north side of the nave.

portal

portal, tympanum

apse, pillar with human heads.

stone mason mark

in chapel

The altarpiece is a carving in late Renaissance by Peder Jensen Kolding from 1637 with "somehow sweety" 1800s biblical paintings - an older and rather worn out alterpainting stands behind the altarpiece. Candelabres from 1790 with coat of arms and initials of Joachim O. Schack-Rathlou. A  Romanesque granite font in Horsens-type with lions between cross friezes and leaves and with a palmetta frieze on the foot piece. A South German bowl from ab. 1550 . A sounding board from ab. 1640, probably by Peder Jensen Kolding like a crucifix. A bell without inscription, probably from the 1400s.

A fragment from a Romanesque gravestone is placed above the entrance to the tower . A worn out figure stone for a priest from 1600-1700s.

Gosmer church in a distance

In the tower room an inside burial for the family Rathlou. The tower arch is partly closed by a richly carved epitaph for Chr. Rathlou (+ 1752) and Sophie Schack (+ 1771), whose coffins and several other coffins stand in the room, which is closed by an iron gate from 1759 with their initials. In the cellar several other coffins : with Gregorius Rathlou (+ 1681), and wife etc. In the chapel at the northside of the nave is an inscription table from 1783 and here are three marble sarcophagi by Wiedewelt with Joachim O. Schack-Rathlou and his wife and daughter. The chapel, which has now disappeared at the northside of the tower, contained members of the family Holstein-Rathlou - they were removed to the burial chapel in the forest at Rathlousdal.

Dybvad

Dybvad was a farm under Åkær Manor. The famous professor Jørgen Dybvad (+ 1612) was born here as a son of the tenant Christoffer Eriksen. In 1617 it was inhabited by Ejler Gabrielsen Akeleye; the farm was very dilapidated at that time. In 1630 he got a life's letter on it, but in 1647 he got a letter on Skovsgård and Bjerager Hovgård instead,  whereafter D. was inhabited by Valdemar Lykke. In 1664 D. was with all estate  laid out to Joachim Gersdorff's heirs. The son Frederik Gersdorff's guardian conveyed in 1665 D. to Laurits Brorson (+ 1681). After the death of his widow Anne Jakobsdatter Friberg in 1693 some of the heirs conveyed their part in D. to her son-in-law Oluf Friis (+ 1698), priest in Hundslund, who in 1694, together with Magdalene Sibylle Brorson (+ 1734) widow after Iver Joh. Bredal, priest in Dover and owner of 2/7 of D.,  conveyed it to Otte Krabbe of Åkær, who in 1695 transferred the buy to his administrator Mads Nielsen Rosenlund (+ 1696); whose widow Anne Jensdatter Lasson in 1698 married Peder Thøgersen Lasson of Rødslet. In an exchange after him in 1738 D. was taken over by the son Thøger Lasson, who 1750 also became the owner of Åkær, under which D. was placed until 1798, when Diderich Henrik Koch bought it. He conveyed it in 1801 to Mourids Chr. Piper, who in 1806 was allowed to do some out-parcellings (in 51 parcels). In 1809 it was bought back to Åkær, but in 1914 it was sold to Chr. Kreutzfeldt (+ 1953), whose son Bent Kreutzfeldt owned it in 1963.

The main building is listed in class B.

Skovsgård in Søby (later Gersdorffslund) belonged in 1381 to Jens Pors, it is possibly the same farm, which in 1559 under the name of Porsborg was conveyed to the crown by Jørgen Rosenkrantz. The Crown gave in 1572 mayor in Horsens Adser Sørensen a life's letter in the farm, in 1577 he renounced it in return for Hansted Hovgård in Voer herred. In 1633 and 1652 Rasmus Thøgersen is mentioned in P. The last mentioned year he received some timber, when the farm had burnt down. On 1664 P. was with all estate by the Crown laid out to Joachim Gersdorff's heir, who from P. and Højbygård and estate established Gersdorffslund. Joachim Gersdorff's son-in-law Gregorius Rathlou (+ 1681) built the halftimbered main building in 1674; it burnt down in 1713 by arson, but was rebuilt at once by the son, Christian Rathlou (+ 1752), who in 1749 incorporated it in his newly established entailed estate Rathlousdal. After the abandonment of this in 1921 G. was in 1921 sold after some outparcellling to Chr. N Lind, who in 1924 sold it to Gregers Juel of Juelsberg, who submitted land to the jordlovsudvalg, before he in 1925 sold the main parcel to T. Viggaard-Jensen. In 1953 it was bought by T Sand, Stidsmølle.

The present main building is a cultured little building-work in the 1840s style. The large three winged avlsgård (farm building) is contemporary to the main building.

Højby (1386 Howby, 1403 Høybye) belonged to Niels Knudsen and went after his death before 1386 to his mother Ingeborg, a widow after Tyge Puder. Her son Bent Puder is in 1406 written of H., and he willed in 1408 half of H. and the main part of the other half to Århus cathedral. His brother Tyge Puder had part in the farm and bought in 1409 his halfsister Marine Knudsdatter's part (she was m. to Iver Munk). The estate was probably inherited by the daughter Abel Tygesdatter, m. to Niels Kalf, for the son-in-law David Saxesen was in 1446 written of H., and his widow Mette Nielsdatter Kalf sold in 1483 her part of H. to the bishop in Århus; in 1518 he complained that H. was used without his allowance. In 1492 H. was written in documents  among the estate of Erik Ottesen Rosenkrantz and was laid out in 1499 to his late son Holger's children; Holger Rosenkrantz' son's son Jørgen Rosenkrantz exchanged in 1559 H. to the Crown, who placed it under Åkær. It was later divided in 2 half farms, of which one in 1632 was decided as a residence for a fændrik (soldier). In 1654 Ejler Gabrielsen Akeleye got a half farm in H., and here he lived still in 1662,  80 year old. In 1661 the 2 farms with Åkær were laid out to Joachim Gersdorff's heirs, who let them demolish, the lands were placed under Gersdorffslund.

Bjørnkær (1427 Biørnkiers gaartzsted) belonged to Niels Kalf, whose widow Abel Tygesdatter Puder in 1427 conveyed B. gårdsted etc. to bishop Ulrik in Århus.

Bjørnkær Voldsted (castle bank) in the southeastern outskirt of Vandmoseskoven consists of two square banks, each surrounded and divided by a moat. The eastern bank is on three sides surrounded by an outer, higher placed dry moat. In the excavations in 1930-35 was on the eastern bank found a granite boulder foundation of a monk brick building (ab. 4,5 x 6,5m inside measure), in which western wall was seen a door in monk bricks. In the south and east wall are traces of windows. In the cellar room's northeastern corner was found a well, from which bottom came interesting finds of clay pots, dishes and funnels. This find was shared between Odder Museum and the National Museum. It seems to origin from the 13th or 14th century and must have been used for some kind of destillation.

Gosmer was among the estate, which hr. Niels Brok gave to Ring kloster in 1330, in 1345 Per Jensen of Nim, a canon in Lund and Århus gave G. Church all the new houses, which he had built on the church site in Gosmerholm (1345 Gasæmærholm); in 1444 the væbner Jens Mikkelsen of Gosmerholm is mentioned. G. was possibly placed where Præstholm now lies; P. was earlier an annex-vicarage, but in 1579 the vicar in Ørting-Gosmer was allowed to moved to here, since the vicarage in Ørting had no water; Chr. IV stayed here 20-22 February in 1609 at a journey from Dronningborg to Haderslev.

According to Valdemar's Jordebog the king owned 7 mark gold land in Søby. Fensten was among the estate, which Erik Plovpenning's daughter's son Erik Valdemarsen was given by law in 1327. Lindegård (1372 Lingaardt) in F. was sold by Ilved Andersen in 1384 to Thomes Vestenie, who in 1401 conveyed it to Poul Stigsen (Hvide), who in 1414 sold all his estate in F. to bishop Bo in Århus.

In the parish were the villages Husby (1427 Huszby), who was disappeared in the beginning of the 1400s, and Lemmestrup (ab. 1492 Lemestrup, 1544 Lymmerstrup), which was built 1688 with 5 farms and 2 houses. It was demolished partly in 1674 by the establishment of Gersdorffslund.

A Voldsted, the castlebank of Fensten Hovgaard was placed in the meadow close west of the present farm. The castle bank, which was surrounded by water, is described as being 3-4 m high. It was demolished in 1860, and on that occassion was found a large iron key, which later just disappeared. The leveling has been so thorough that the placement of the castle bank is not visible.      

Listed prehistorics: In Ravnskov is Kæmpehøjen with a passage grave of 10 supporting stones and two  somewhat downfallen cover stones; furthermore a longhill, two hills and a stone with 39 hollows - all in the forests under Rathlousdal.
Demolished or destroyed: 3 stone graves and one hill. 

In a moor at Smederup was found a large wooden vessel with handles, placed in the moor as a well, here were broken pieces from 14 clay pots; not far from here were found 311 bronze rings, armrings, necklaces and eyelet rings - in Celtic Iron age, from where all the finds come, the moor was probably used as a sacrifice place.

Names in the Middle Ages:
Gosmer (1302 Gasæmær, 1534 Gosmer); Præstholm (1534 Prestholm); Fensten (1231 Phynsten, 1438 Finsteen); Smederup (1384 Smerup, 1544 Smerop); Søby (1231 Sæby); Dybvad (1544 Dybwadtt).

Source: Trap Danmark, Århus amt, 1963.
photo: grethe bachmann and stig bachmann nielsen, naturplan.dk

Ølst church / Ølst kirke, Galten herred, Randers amt

                                                                          












The church in Ølst is an ashlar building with a Romanesque choir and nave upon a bevel plinth -  and an added porch on the south side. In the northern side-wall of the choir is kept a bricked-up Romanesque window; two Romanesque windows on the northside of the nave are still in function. The original doors of the nave are still kept, the north door bricked-up, both with frames of monolits and column strips. In the lintel of the south door is carved a loop decoration. The porch is built in small, red bricks, probably in the 1700; the gable peak was rewalled in 1857. The church was restored in 1867.
Chessboard upon the outside wall. 













The walled communion table has upon the front a copy of the Romanesque golden altar, known by the name "Ølstalteret", made in beaten and gilt copper, later inserted in a Renaissance altarpiece and now at the National Museum. A later altarpiece had a biblical painting from 1896. Altar candelabres from 1586 with coat of arms, given by Niels Jensen (Viffert) of Torstedlund; a limestone font, a Gotland work with animal figures and masks upon an octagonal basin. A south German baptismal bowl from ab. 1575. Pulpit from the late 1800s, same type as in Værum church. A medieval bell without inscription.

Brusgård belonged in 1393 and 1398 to Christiern Jensen, from 1408 hr. Niels Munk (Bjælke-M.) of Sostrup (+ ab. 1460),  his son Anders Munk (+ 1504), his son Niels Munk (+ before 1515) and then the sister Maren Munk, m. to Mikkel Krabbe (of Østergård) of Tandrup. After their death B. was probably shared between the children. Lucas Krabbe is written to it 1580, while Anne Krabbe (+ 1564) brought her part to Jon Madsen (Viffert) of Torstedlund (+ 1560). Their son Niels Jonsen (Viffert) died unmarried 1595, and B. came with Torstedlund to the cousin Niels Krabbe (+ 1626), who in 1618 conveyed B. to statholder Jens Juel of Kjeldgård (+ 1634). It was in 1638 owned by his daughter Elsebe Juel, m. to Ove Juul ( + 1644), whose son-in-law Rudolf v. Offenberg in 1675 is written to B., but in 1678 has Marie Worm, widow after kommissær Peder Lassen, pawn in the farm, and in 1679 conveyed Elsebe Juel B. to her. Marie Worm married in 1680 general Matthias Numsen of Saltø, enobled in 1688, and they sold 1695 B.with taxes and estate to colonel Holger Rosenkrantz (+ 1704); it came to his widow Anne Brahe (+ 1722) and son Niels Rosenkrantz  (+ 1746), who in 1744 sold B. to grev Conrad Ditlev Reventlow (+ 1750), who placed B. under the entailed estate Frisenvold.

Later owners: Hans Jordhøj and skovrider Ulrik Thomsen Jæger; baron Jens Krag-Juel-Vind of Juellinge; S. Søndergaard; C.E.Bay, Rasmus Faurschou; J.P. Hansen; Alfred Hansen;  statshusmandsbrug + hovedparcel Kaj Brødsgaard: owner from 1930 V. Sørensen.

Eriksborg is a parcel from Brusgård. from the 1800s.
Havgård is a small parcel from Brusgård from the 1800s, was named Birkeholm. 

Hr. Stig Andersen (Hvide) conveyed in 1342 among other property his estate in Ølst to his brother Uffe Andersen (Hvide). Jomfruklosteret in Randers sold in 1355 estate in Ølst to Hans Pedersen, and his widow Bodil bought in 1361 all the estate of Essenbæk kloster in the parish.

At Brusgård was the village Ugelvore (1354 Vgæluuor) disappeared in the 1400s. In this village was Vestergård (ab. 1400 Westhergaardt). In the parish were some houses Agerhuse (1637 Aggerhus), still mentioned in the late 1700s,  and the farms Hedegård (1607 Hiey gaardt) at Brusgård , abandoned in the 1600s., and Komgård ( 1679 Kombgaar).

A little downside Teglgård at Askildrup hede (heath) was in the Middle Ages a church where were found several granite ashlars. The name Askildrup kirke is not known, it is possibly a church named Hinge kirke .

No listed prehistorics in the parish, but there were three hills.

In a ditch-digging at Ølst were in 1852 found 105 coins from king Erik Klippings time, put down ab. 1284.
By digging a field at Teglgård -  where according to legend was a church (see above)  -  were in 1846 found 868 coins from king Erik Menved -  king Christoffer II's time, put down ab. 1328.

Names in the Middle Ages and 1600s:
Ølst (1342 Ølstæth); Askildrup (1398 Aschilstrup, 1453 Askildrvp); Robdrup (1468 Ruptrvp); Trustrup (1398 Truustrup); Ginnerup (1460 Ginderup); Mikkelstrup (1425 Michelstrup, -trop); Brusgård (1393 Bruusgaard); Teglgård (1618 Theiggelgaardt).

Source. Trap Danmark, 1963

photo 24 September  2011: grethe bachmann

Bjernede church / Bjernede kirke, Alsted herred, Sorø amt.

Bjernede church, 8 km northeast of Sorø

The church in Bjernede is the only fairly kept round church at Sjælland and the richest designed among the Danish round churches, but it has also a contemporary inscription upon two limestone tablets above the entrance door, saying that "Ebbe Skjalmsen and his wife Ragnhild built a church here, which his son Sune later raised in stone in honor of God, Sancta Maria and Sanct Laurentius." The death year of Ebbe, who was a son of Skjalm Hvide, is not known, and therefore neither the time of the building of the oldest church, which according to the inscription must have been a wooden church. The son Sune died in 1186, and before this must the present church have been built (maybe ab. 1170). As it stands now is it essentiaslly  a real re-creation of the Romanesque building, completed by H. Storck in 1890-92.

The church has an apse (rebuilt), a straight-edged choir and a circular nave in two storeyes, above which is a mid-tower, and to the south a Gothic porch. The Romanesque section has a double plinth  in carved granite; apse and choir are built in small granite ashlars of unequal size, the same goes for the bottom section of the nave, where the stones are curve-carved; details in travertine; in a height of 7,2 m above the plinth the material changes into small, often groove-carved monk bricks in irregular monk-bond; the change of material is without doubt due to the knowledge of the new building of the large brick-churches in the Sorø-Ringsted. The base and plinth of the apse were kept, the rest is a reconstruction like the barrel-vault of the choir, from which were traces on the wall of the nave; the north window of the nave is changed in the glade , the south window is new; an unusually high triumph arch  (5,6 m) with profiled bands and  flanked by two high side-altar niches. 

Contrary to custom has the nave only a south door; it is slim and round arched and was, like the four windows at the bottom of the nave before the restoration, made in travertine. (now re-newed). The nave has a diameter of 10-11 m, and  the wall is 1,5-1,7 m thick. In the middle stands - as a support of the tower - four heavy round pillars, at the bottom  in curve-carved ashlars like the outer wall, above in bricks and with trapeze capitals in travertine; between these and the wall are eight grat-vaults and between them a rib-vault.  Up to the upper church, which possibly was used in troubled times, is access by a staircase in the wall west of the door; in the middle of this room (only 3,6 m high) - which has six double windows (the west window was kept) and an open tagstol (earlier was probably a beamed ceiling) -  are four square monk brick pillars, upon which the tower rests; the crossing from the square room between these to the octagonal tower (upper storey re-newed) is done by tromper (shell-like curves across the corners) .

Font in Kalundborg church the same type as Bjernede

The nave was re-created, probably in the 1400s , its truncated cone-roof was changed into a pitched roof, a change which , caused by the circular shape, made the building look like a mitre; large sections of the wall of the upper church to the south and north were demolished, and to the east and west were pointed gables bricked in. About 1700 were the apse and the vault of the choir broken down and the choir extended to the east. 1861-1862 carried Chr. Hansen a necessary repair through, but it was in the later restoration - which was provoked by the contemporary interest in the Romanesque style - that the look of the building was robbed of its strong picturesque effect, created by the "mitre", and following this the stylish reconstruction seems a little trite; from later additions were only kept the porch and the big west window of the nave from the 1600s. Surrounding the church is a large medieval wall-hedge to the west, north and south. Bell-frame and burial chamber from 1892 at the church yard.

At Storck's restoration were found and repaired rests of simple frescoes in zigzag- and disc patterns and a large lily from the first building time. Communion table and decoration: a crucifix-group, from 1892. The earlier altarpiece in Renaissance, ab. 1600, with paintings, hangs in the nave. A bishop's figure origins from a late Catholic altarpiece. A strong, iron bound late Gothic monstrans house. Gothic altar candelabres. Romanesque fourleaf-clover shaped granite font in Kalundborgtype. A Gothic choir arch crucifix, 1450-1500, upon a contemporary cross. The pulpit ( one bay and the sounding board are in the National Museum) is in Renaissance, ab. 1600, with corner pillars and niches. A chandelier given by Didrik Severin Jelling. The earliest bell is from the 1300s, without inscription. Various epitaphs and grave stones.

Bjernedegård: Since Bjernede church is built by Ebbe Skjalmsen (Hvide) (+ ab. 1150), have members of the Hvide-family in the 1100s probably built and lived at Bjernedegård, which is known in written sources from the 1200s. From the oldest farm were north of the church found insignificant rests. B. went probably directly from the Hvide- family to the Roskilde bishop, who made it a vasalry. In 1287 the bishop calls Oluf Lunge "our bailiff in Bjernede and Fodby". The vasalry was possibly hereditary. In the 1300s it came to the family Moltke, possibly by marriage. 1370-83 is mentioned fru Helene (née Lunge?) of B., widow after Evert Moltke, and with her also the son Conrad (Cort) Moltke of B. 1377-88. From the Roskilde-bishop came B. in 1414 as a part of an exchange to Sorø kloster, whereafter it possibly was demolished and the land distributed among the other village-farms.   

From the 1650s is the origin of the present Bjernedegård traceable southwest of the church. In 1654 is mentioned birkefoged ( a judicial bailiff) in Sorø birk, Peder Selgensen in B. His son of the same name took over his father's job and the farm  in 1669, the farm was now called Birkefoged- or Birkedommergården.
In 1770 had the manager of Sorø Akademi's estate Caspar Peter Müller (grandfather of the poet Fr. Paludan-Müller) the farm in  livsfæste (= he had it for life). He had it moved to another place in 1771-72 and it was now called Stokholtegård.  As a part of a re-organization of the Academy-estate it was moved back in 1783 to the old place with its old name.  At the same time was the village Bjernede abandoned,
and B. was now a main farm with adjoining land of 75 hectare . In exchange for the village-abandonment were built 6 houses with land.

In 1809 was the farm transferred as a copyhold to manager Niels Peter Neergaard (+ 1821). Later was it sold to Joachim Kähler (+ 1884), who in 1876 sold it to sculptor Gundo Seiersfred Vogt (+ 1939),  later of Selchausdal. He sold in 1886 B. to Christian Madsen, who in 1904 sold it to lawyer Niels Søren Svendsen, Ringsted. He sold it in 1924 to the county Lerchenborg, who used the land for outparcelling. The main building was in 1944 sold to proprietary B.W.Andersen. Owner in 1954 was Axel Madelung.

Names in the Middle Ages:
Bjernede (ab. 1370 Byernwithæ); Fulby (1414 Fulby) ; St. Ebberup ( 1414 Ebbethorp); Bjernedegård (1287 Byærnøftæ).


Listed prehistorics: In St. Ebberup the round dolmen Blankedys, 3 long dolmens and the dolmen chamber Bregnebjerg, with a cover stone. North of Fulby 2 round dolmens, one with a cover stone.
Demolished or destroyed: one round dolmen, 2 long dolmens, 13 undefinable dolmens and other stone graves, 3 hills, mostly at St. Ebberup and Fulby fields.

 - In a moor by B. was found a prettily decorated antler-axe from early Stone Age.

     
 Source: Trap Danmark, Sorø amt, 1954.

photo 2004: grethe bachmann

Fjenneslev church / Fjenneslev kirke, Alsted herred, Sorø amt.

 

Fjenneslev church, ab. 8 km east of Sorø

The church in Fjenneslev has a Romanesque apse, choir and nave. Above the west end of the nave were later, but still in Romanesque period, built two twin towers. The church in Fjenneslev is among our most interesting village churches. According to a reliable tradition was it built as a farm-church by Skjalm Hvide's son Asser Rig, who lived in Fjenneslev like his father. (Skjalm Hvide and his son Toke were buried in the church, but later moved to Sorø church). The wellknown legend that Asser's wife fru Inge built the towers, when she gave birth to the sons Absalon and Esbern Snare, while her husband was with the army in Sweden is not historic, partly because the two sons were not twins, partly because the bricks used for the towers were not used in Denmark as early as in the 1120s. Fru Inge might have built the towers, but earliest when Asser died, and it is more probable that they were built toward 1200.

The small original building with very high walls (nave 6,85 m) is built in small, raw, cleaved boulders with ashlars in granite and Fakse-limestone. The apse-window  is outside in the shape of a fourleaf clover , the two windows of the choir and the four east windows of the nave are original, but extended in the glade; a window in the north wall was blinded, when the towers were built, and the round arched door in recent times; the straight edged south door was remade.  The half cupolar vault of the apse and the choir arch are untouched.

The south, west and north wall of the tower-section rest upon the walls of the nave, its east wall upon three arcades, supported by two pretty granite pillars with polished shanks, palmette-decorated bases (similar the font in Kalundborg church) and cube capitals. Two groin vaults cover the two soutern bays of the tower room, and through the northernest leads a re-newed walled staircase to the second storey, which probably in the beginning was a gallery; it opens toward the nave in three arcades, each "square"-divided with three glazed, burnt-clay pillars with leaf ornament upon the capitals (familiar to a younger south portal in Sorø); only the northernest bay was kept until the restore. After a crash of the south tower were the two towers combined in 1561, and when the southern part of this tower crashed, probably in 1657, was a new tower built, which southeast corner rested upon the southern of two pillars, concluding parts of the old north tower.












The church stands now with a flat ceiling in choir and nave and a pyramid spire on the towers. It is completely marked by restorations from 1872-74 and 1898. In the first restoration were removed three cross vaults, which in the late Gothic period had been built in choir and nave, and which almost hid the pretty tower-gallery, the Romanesque windows were re-opened, the south tower re-built and like the lower equipped with south and north gables; furthermore was a medieval porch in front of the south door replaced by the present porch. In the last restoration achieved the two towers their present look with pyramid-spires, they were shaped according to the church-model on the frescoe founder-picture, which was found on the triumph wall (and like the related church in Tveje-Merløse). A chapel to the north, probably a grave-chapel for the farm Mørup in the 1500-1600s, disappeared latest in 1808.

From the valuable frescoes from 1150-1200 (restore 1947) are - besides rests above the vaults - only kept some on underside of the choir arch , two bishops, and on the west side of the triumph wall, the kings' worship from a Byzantine diagram, and under this the legendary picture of the founders of the church: the lord of the manor handing the church model up to God and his wife offering a ring behind him. It is uncertain if the figures depict Asser Rig and fru Inge or Asser's father Skjalm Hvide and wife, but it is probably the first mentioned, since the church frescoe shows the two latest built towers.

The communion table is probably the original table with an original cover plate in black-polished marble. The altar decotration is a late Gothic crucifix, ab. 1525, from Claus Berg's workshop and probably coming from Brahetrolleborg church, where the original cross is still kept. Chalice from ab. 1550 by the Køge-goldsmith Anders. Romanesque granite font in Roskilde-type. Baptismal brass bowl, given in 1779 by Joh. Henrik greve Knuth. Early Gothic choir arch crucifix 1250-75 on a contemporary cross. The simple pulpit with fluted corner-pillars in Renaissance from ab. 1590 was earlier placed as a "lektoriestol" in front of the choir arch. Bells: 1) 1589 cast by Matthias Benninck, 2) from 1614.

lektoriestol =   like a gallery.
In the church yard is a runestone. It was found in 1830, when the old dike was demolished, and it was raised in 1910. The stone is ab. 1,70 m long. The inscription is: "Sasser rejste stenen og gjorde broen". ("Sasser raised the stone and made the bridge"). In Slaglille parish is a bridge across Tuelå (river) south of Fjenneslev, called Sasserbro, probably built once by the Sasser, who's mentioned on the stone.


 Mørup manors history can be traced back to the 1500s. When Pont. Atlas III p. 78 and VI p. 321 mentions Hack Nielsen (or Hack Hacksen) and Christen Mikkelsen (+ 1609), who both are buried in the church, as owners of Mørup,  then this is hardly true. It appears from a royal letter from 1584 that Mørup at that time belonged to Sorø kloster and thus to the Crown. Reinholt Berckhus (+ 1585) earlier bailiff in Sorø kloster, was endowed with M., probably like some form of pension. He was succeeded by the king's stoker, above mentioned Christen Mikkelsen (m.to Reinholts widow), who had M. as a copyhold, not as owned. Hack Nielsen was probably in a similar position. A missive from 1633 says that M. was always ordained as the king's hunting farm, and that the king's servants were especially endowed with it. After Christen Mikkelsen succeeded in 1609-23 Magnus Lakaj, 1623-34 Hans Sørensen and then the king's saddle boy Rasmus Ibsen. Daniel Denov, Christian IV's livknægt( king's personal servant), who in 1644 had a letter for life on M., was probably only a copyhold farmer like the previous. He died 1666, and the life-letter was given to his second wife who still lived in 1672. The same years deeded the king M. to Ulrik Frederik Gyldenløve ( + 1704), who sold it in 1678 to Frederik Gabel (+ 1708), who 1686 sold it to Niels Christoffersen  (+ 1691), from whose heirs (the son Christopher Ørnfelt Nielsen in Copenhagen and the sons-in-law, vicar of Svallerup, Jacob Fribert and manager at Sorø farm Johan Lange) it in 1695 was sold to major Frantz Christian Bonorden. He sold it on already in 1698 to Johan Haxen (+ 1704), whose widow married Niels Fogh (lived still 1710). This year was M. sold at public auction to Mads Nielsen Lind in Holbæk, who in 1711 sold it on to Otto Korff, who in 1716 sold it together with Fjenneslev church to colonel Christian Luxdorph (+ 1726). His widow Susanne Magdalene Worm left at her death in 1735 M. to her son, Bolle Willum Luxdorph (+ 1788) under whom the farm burnt down in 1743. He sold it in 1748 to Laurs Biørn, who in 1755 after having bought Gundetved (later Selchausdal) the same year sold M. to Holger Skeel (+ 1764) whose widow Regitze Sophie, née baroness Güldencrone (+ 1779) in 1772 sold M. to Eggert Christoffer greve Knuth (+ 1776),  who had it established as an entailed estate. After him it went to his son Johan Henrik greve Knuth (+ 1802), At his death went M. and the greve-title to a younger halfbrother Frederik Knuth  (+ 1818) Iin 1803 was the fideikommissariske band abandoned and M. was sold to Iver Amnitzböll (+ 1816), whose widow Dorothea Elisabeth in 1817 married Peter Diderik Ibsen (later parish priest in Kgs. Lyngby, + 1855). In 1825 was M. with farm estate sold at auction to Sorø akademi.

North of Fjenneslev church, in the northwestern corner of the church yard, were found rests of buildings, which assumedly belonged to Skjalm Hvide's farm. On this place was the largest farm in the village until the end of the 1700s, when it burnt down. After this it was relocated. The site was examined in 1826, and walls were found of a cellar room ab. 6 x 6 meter in a height of ab. 1,5 m. The material was small boulders and flint in a mortar of chalk  - only the inner of the room was in large boulders. In the western wall were two door-openings with rests of limestone-frames. The southern led up to a staircase ( it was supposedly made on the occassion of Frederik VI's visit), the northern to a smaller cellar room. The floor was in little stones         
doused in mortar. Furthermore were found rests of a strange gutter, made in burnt brick. According to the technique of the walls is the wall work contemporary to the church, but it seems too frail to have carried a stone building. Based on the examinations is it impossible to say something definitive about the age and character of the original farm-plan. Possibly are the out-digged rests only part of a large and not fortificated farm, which seems to hide under the road and west of this. The cellars have all been covered, and on the place is a small  park, where a memorial stone was raised for Asser Rig in 1903.

Names in the Middle Ages:
Kirke Fjenneslev (1201 Fialensleve, 1343 Fiænesløfflitle, ab. 1370 Fyælenzlef); Fjenneslevmagle (1347 Fiænesleffmagle); Mørup ( 1205 Møthorp).

Listed prehistorics: North of the church is Fjenneslev Bavnehøj with a passage grave, where the cover stone is missing. South of the village is a hill Stejlebanke.

Demolished or destroyed: 3 dolmens or undecided stone graves, 2 hills.

In Fjenneslev parish was born in ab. 1127 Esbern Snare, in ab. 1128 Absalon.

Source: Trap Danmark, Sorø amt, 1954. 
photo 2004: grethe bachmann

Værum church / Værum kirke, Galten herred, Randers amt.

Værum Church, ab. 5 km southwest of Randers.
Værum sogn, Galten herred, Randers amt.

The small church has a Romanesque choir and nave and a medieval porch. The choir and nave are in granite ashlars; the south portal has animal figures and windings in the thympanum field, while the north door is bricked-up. From the earliest time is also kept the choir arch with kragsten with animal -windings and a window in the north wall of the choir. The porch, built in the late Middle Ages, was partly rebuilt in 1886.



Inside are flat plaster ceilings. Upon the communion table is a pretty, carved altar piece from ab. 1675 in the carver Henrik Alversen's style, in the middle field a newer painting from the 1800s. A decorated front on the communion table, contemporary to the altar piece. A large Romanesque granite font with lion figures. Upon the triumph wall hangs an early Gothic crucifix. Pulpit from 1877. In the nave is a wooden epitaph for Chr. Pedersen Sommer, set up 1696. Upon the south wall of the nave hangs series pastorum 1691-1796, placed in a Baroque epitaph-frame, probably by the same carver as the altar piece. In the north side of the choir is walled-in a black-painted limestone tablet as a memorial of parish dean Nicolaus Wedel (+ 1779) and wife Elsebeth Ritter (+ 1750) and three children , tablet set up in 1782, a later added memorial inscription for the son parish priest Søren Wedel (+ 1787) and wife Kirstine Bay (+ 1801).


Værum

Names in the Middle Ages and 1600s:
Værum (1342 Wærum); Nørgård (* 1463 Nøregaard); Værum Vandmølle (1683 Wærum Mølle).

Hr. Stig Andersen (Hvide) conveyed in 1342 among others his estate in Værum to his brother Uffe Andersen (Hvide). In 1463 pawned Eggert Vestenie Nørregård in V. to hr. Axel Lavesen Brok.

No prehistorics are known in the parish.

Source: Trap Danmark, Randers amt, 1963


photo Værum kirke 2003: grethe bachmann