Harridslevgaard/Harritslevgaard Slot, Skovby Sogn, Nordfyns Kommune

Harridslevgaard slot/ photo gb

Harridslevgaard slot is mentioned the first time in 1231, where it belonged to the king." Haræslef" is mentioned in King Valdemars jordebog of 1232 as one of the king's castles. It had then a value of 144 mark gold.

In the early Middle Ages "Haræslef " was according to the legend a sørøverborg (pirate's castle) . At that time the sea went right up to the castle with a free view across the sea and the pirates hang out lamps to fool the ships to come close to the coast, where they could enter the ships and rob everything they wished for. But there were so many complaints about the pirates at Harritslevgaard that the king took action and had them all executed.

 In 1542 Jørgen Svave got a livbrev of the manor (royal guarantee for ownership for life) and he succeeded in buying it as a free estate in 1560, where the document says that it was sold to the king's vasal Jørgen Svave by Frederic 2.

Harritslevgaard slot/wikipedia

Rigsråd Breide Rantzau (1556-1618) bought the old royal administration-center Harridslevgaard in 1589 from Jørgen Svave. The deal went possibly on under shady shapes. The Svave family led process about the sale still ten years after the sale. Breide however did not care. The spirited aristocrat was one of the young Chr. 4's loyal followers and also a good  svirebroder ("feasting brother"). It was always a great feast when Breide accompanied the young king on his travels to Norway and England around year 1600. Breide Rantzau belonged to the wealthy and powerful Rantzau-family who came to Denmark in connection to Grevens fejde in 1533-36, where Breide Rantzau's grandfather Johan Rantzau was Chr. 3's army chief.  The family was - especially at Funen -  rewarded for its loyalty to the king with several manors like Rantzausholm (Brahetrolleborg), Hellerup, Hindemae and Harridslevgaard. Breide Rantzau broke down the old castle and built a new Renaissance building which was finished in 1606,in three storeys and with a large octagonal stair tower by the castle yard.

medieval feast/wikipedia

Breide's daughter-in-law, the beautiful fru Anne Lykke received her royal lover, Chr. 4's eldest son (the chosen Prince) on Harridslevgaard, while she was the owner in 1623-31. Anne Lykke lived in 1623 at Harritslevgaard after her husband Kaj Rantzau's early death and the rich widow cast her pretty eyes on the Crown Prince, the young Christian, while his father Chr. 4 without luck took part in the 30-years' war in North Germany. 

 At his homecoming after the painful defeat at Lutter am Barenberg Chr. 4 let in 1626 Anne Lykke arrest and put in prison at Kronborg. The acussation was that she by "druk og letfærdighed" (drinking and frivolity) had disturbed the Crown Prince in his leadership of the government in the absence of Chr. 4. After in vain having tried to start a case against Anne Lykke the king had in 1628 to set her free, if she would promise to stay at her manor. On her release in 1628 she settled at the manor Hellerup at east Funen, while her other estates were left to members of the Ulfeldt and Rantzau family. She married in 1629 one of Jacob Ulfeldt's many sons,  the learned Knud Ulfeldt. Anne Lykke died in 1641. After her came several owners to Harridslev, until the castle in 1829 was sold to greve Bernstorff-Gyldensteen. The big adjoining land still belongs to Gyldensteen, while the main building was sold to other side.

The owner Christiane Hoppe Hagedorn expands in ab. 1750 the adjoining land, rebuilds the main building (1753) and establishes a stutteri. She was a diligent lady of the castle and she now haunts the castle as the white lady. Harridslevgaard came after the introduction of the absolutism  in 1660 soon in bourgeois hands and changed owners up till 1829 where grev Bernstorff at Gyldensteen bought the castle, and it was combined with the neighbouring estate Gyldensteen northeast of Bogense. 1922 At the county's transition to a free estate was sold 800 tønder land from Harritslevgaard's earlier adjoining land for the founding of 66 smallholdings. 1963 Director/Antique dealer Frank Nicolaisen buys Harridslevgaard with park, but without farming from grev Carl Johan Bernstorff of Gyldensteen. While Frank Nicolaisen was the owner he started from 1963 a thorough restoration.

The family Schimko bought Harridslevgaard in 1985 and continued the restoration. In 1995 they opened the castle to the public.

Harridslevgaard slot/ gb

Only a little is left from the original manor except the sandstone fireplaces and the room divisions. In the reconstructed manor environment you can walk from the  Pigekammer (servantmaid's chamber) in the basement and the large kitchen and via beautiful rooms and living rooms up to the magnificent riddersal (Knights Hall), which fills out the whole upper storey of the east wing. The present pretty and right inventory are new antiquities, bought with a sense of a castle's historic inventory.

The knights hall of 400 kvm  is the largest privately owne in Denmark and is very imposing. From the Knights Hall is access to two hemmeligheder ( medieval toilets in the wall).  In the north wing is "the blue room" with marbled, handcarved panels in an exceptionel blue room -  and the modern hemmelighed is also in blue. The Winter Hall in the east wing with its original richly ornamented sandstone fireplace is remarkable. In the north wing is also "the red living room" with a well preserved vaulted ceiling and pretty red wallpapers. In the basement are among others two rooms called "jagtstuen" (hunting room) and "badstuen" (bath room). Here was originally laundry and bakery . It is now furnished into an  exclusive bathroom and hall. In the medieval cellar is a vaulted kitchen which still 400 years later is serving its original purpose. From the kitchen is a downturn to a socalled dungeon, which probably was the old cold storage and wine cellar. At the kitchen wall are the traces of a spiral staircase, which connected the kitchen to "the red room" above.

Mysteries at Harridslevgaard.
Harridslevgaard has - together with other mysterious happenings on Funen - made the background of a book "Guide til det okkulte Danmark" by the author Bo B. Hamilton-Wittendorff. Peculiar occassions sometimes happens.A visiting woman was scared to death by a little girl who had been chasing her, until she suddenly disappeared out in the blue. The woman described the little blonde girl, dressed in something which looked like an oldfashioned nightgown.Rumbling from a wagon is heard in the castle yard and the sound of horse hooves, attributed to a former bailiff who rides a horse with luminous red eyes. The white lady is walking around in the castle guarding her goods and gold. She is said to be fru Christiane Hoppe who lived from 1687 till 1769. She was the lady of the castle and the owner of a stutteri.

Mill House, Harridslevgaard slot/gb

The present owners , Inge Lise and Hermann Schimko, took over the castle in 1985 and made it open to the public. Harridslevgaard was rather dilapidated at that time, but after 15 years of restoration the castle looks like Breide Rantzau's pretty Renaissance castle. The buildings are now listed and each repair has to be done by appointment with the National Museum. Some details came up during the restoration -  in the red living room was a hatch in the bottom of a cupboard, under this a spiral staircase leading down to the dungeon and a secret passage, which was an escape way for the lord and lady in the Middle Ages.  The secret passage went 500 meters out into the field to Loddenhøj or Palnatokehøj where Palnatoke supposedly was buried. It was said that Palnatoke owned "Haræslef" in the first half of the 900s.

Palnatoke was a legendary hero from Funen who is mentioned in Saxo Grammaticus and in the Icelandic Jomsvikingernes saga. According to the last mentioned Palnatoke was the man who founded Jomsborg and created the laws, and also according to Jomsvikingernes saga he was a son of Palne Tokesen and his wife Ingeborg, a daughter of Otto Jarl. Palnatoke is possibly a historical person who was added a series of vandresagn.(walking legends)
Palnatoke was probably a nickname for Toke Pallesen (also: Toke Palnesen), another possibility is den polske Toke (the Polish Toke) or den polske tolk (the Polish interpreter). The name is not a usual Nordic name. 

(see my blog: Medieval Danish and European families for Toke Palnesen , Palne Tokesen and  Toke Trylle Palnesen, who was the father of Skjalm Hvide.)

Park, Harridslevgaard slot/gb

The family Schimko opened ten years ago the castle to the public by an arrangement and the interest from the public was overwhelming. Since then there have been permanent opening hours and arrangements like firm parties,conferences and weddings. People can rent historic lackeys uniforms for the servants and they can dance in Denmarks largest privately owned Knights Hall.

The old mill house lies at the driveway to Harridslevgaard. The manor is surrounded by a small park with pretty peacocks.

Each year Harridslevgaard has a Christmas market. The castle is by appointment open all year for tours of large groups. And it is possible to get married at the castle. The various rooms can be rented for conferences, meetings, weddings and dinner parties. 

Sources:
Danmarks slotte og herregårde , Niels Peter Stilling, Politiken, 1997, 
Slotte og herregårde i Danmark, Jytte Ortmann, 2000
www.harridslevgaard.dk 
Harritslevgaard, wikipedia


photo: grethe bachmann

photo mm: wikipedia

Bratskov manor and Brovst church , Vendsyssel, North Jutland

Bratskov, (wikipedia)

Bratskov is a manor in Brovst, Jammerbugt kommune (historical: Øster Han herred, Hjørring amt) In the building is today a historical museum with fx a big collection of stone tools from Stone Age from a finding place in Brovst. In the main building is a culture center. Brovst kommune took over Bratskov in 1976 and let the main building be renovated, it was inaugurated as a culture center with public access in August 1979. In the pretty restored rooms in the main building are alternate exhibitions  (and lectures and association arrangements).The east part of the gate-wing is a tourist office and the timbered wing has charming reconstructions of a smitty, a shoemaker workshop and a school room from year 1900. Here are also alternate art exhibitions. The castle park has public access.


Near Bratskov lies a lake where was once a castle called "Bratlingsborg", which is said to have sunk down into the water, but there are still rests of bricks and bridges. What is told today about this castle ( heard about in the giant folk songs) is now considered a fable. In the not so deep lake where people fish perch, pike and bream, lies a castle in the deep - and after this the new castle Bratskov was built...

It is not known how much truth this fable contains, but Bratskov can be traced back to the 1200s. It was owned by several grand Danish aristocratic families through the ages.The owner of Bratskov owned six churches (among those Brovst church). Neighbouring manors were the old Aggersborggaard, Aagaard and Frejstrupgaard, all burnt down by rebellious peasants in 1441.


The oldest part of the present Bratskov is from 1550, but according to sources there was an earlier building in the area. Bratskov is mentioned for the first time in 1307 in written sources. The present Bratskov was built by the noble family Rotfeld who owned the estate from the middle of the 1300s. The building master Jens Nielsen Rotfeld died in 1558 as the last male of the family.  The first member of the noble family Rotfeld was Ugod Torstensen, a son of the legendary Torsten Vild. The family with other colourful names like Ingvor Udsen and Niels Kalv wrote itself of Bratskov up through the 1400s, but in the 1550, when they finally built the stone house the male line was extinct.


Several noble families from Funen owned Bratskov since, until colonel Frantz Rantzau in 1655 bought the manor. The descendants of Rantzau owned Bratskov for over 100 years until 1785. In the end of the 1700s large areas by the Limfjord were drained and dried, and the extra land of the manor was now good farm land. The land was gradually parcelled out in the first half of the 20th century and the farm was closed in 1948. In 1953 Bratskov was bought by barrister Erik Brüel, who restored the dilapidated main building. Brovst kommune took over the manor in 1976 and the above mentioned culture center opened in 1979.

The western wing is the main building, built in monkstone in two floors. The square stair-tower was added in 1660. In the stair-tower leads a staircase down to the original 1100s cellar with exposed monk-brick walls and barrel vault. In the old food cellar are kept two salt jars which were once used for storing the meat. The low, timbered sidewings were built in the middle of the 1700s. The whole plan was originally four-winged, but the east wing was demolished during the 1800s. There is still a moat to the east, north and west with a small bridge to the north. In earlier times the whole manor was surrounded by moats as a protection against peasant warriors.



Brovst church

Brovst church (wikipedia)

In a restoration in 1951-52 were found traces in the church floor which indicated that here was a smaller stone church in the 1000s at the same palace as the present church.

The present church is built in the 1200s in ashlars, granite boulders and bricks. There are original windows in the nave, both to the north and south. They are kept as niches, visible inside the church.
There is a trace of the original apse. Here was originally a window. In the 1300s or a little later the nave was extended  to the east, and the choir was made smaller. The Romanesque choir arch was demolished, and parts from this are seen outside in the south wall of the nave. Upon the north wall opposite the pulpit are the niches of two bricked up windows. The first tower was probably built in the middle of the 1300s. The porch is from the Middle Ages, and the north door is still in use via the porch.

The Romanesque altar table is no more. The present bricked altar table is from the restoration in 1951. The antemensale with gold stripes is from 1988. In 1729 Frantz Rantzau gave the church a good restore and equipped it with altarpiece, pulpit and a gallery. In the top of the altarpiece is a triangle with God's name written in Hebraic letters, under this the coat of arms of Frantz RantzaU and wife Margrethe Rodsteen. The altar painting is from 1898 by A Dorph. The altar candelabres are from the 1700s. The baptismal font is the only left Romanesque inventory. The baptismal dish is probably from ab. 1600. The pulpit is like the altarpiece and the gallery from 1729. The pulpit was made by carver Peder Roussel,  Aalborg. He also carved the pulpit in Nørre Tranders church.

 After the reformation the church was owned by Bratskov manor. In 1576 Erik Lykke of Bratskov had the king's permission to use the stones from a demolished church in Kettrup (Ingstrup) for a repair of Brovst church. It is not known if the materials were brought to Brovst.

In a royal letter from 1603 the tower is mentioned as "being blown down in the latest storm". The present tower was probably built in the middle of the 1600s.

In 1876 some parishioners bought two church bells. The small is a medieval bell, recast in 1929 by the Smiths. The big bell is cast by John Taylor and co. 



photo: wikipedia

Hjerk church/ Hjerk kirke, Harre herred, Viborg amt.

Hjerk church, about 16 km northwest of Skive.

 
 Hjerk parish, Harre herred, Viborg amt.
  
The church in Hjerk has a choir and a nave, a tower to the west and a porch to the south. The choir and nave are from the Romanesque period in granite ashlars upon a bevelled plinth. Upon the north side are kept to bricked-up windows and traces of a third. The north door with a cross-decorated tympanum is bricked-up.  The southside has been rebuilt, but the south door is kept. The very tall Romanesque choir arch has profiled kragsten. The choir and nave have a beamed ceiling. The tower and the porch are late Gothic addititions, both mostly in ashlars, which might origin either from a Romanesque tower or from one of the demolished churches of the district. Several ashlars -many curved - lies on the church yard. The upper section of the tower with gables north-south, is in monk bricks. The tower room has a cross vault and opens towards the nave in a round arch. The partly whitewashed church is roofed with lead. A restoration took place in 1953-54. In the tower room were found frescoes, among others two large pictures of saints (Sct. Jørgen =Georg and Sct. Morten = Martin). They are from the period close to the reformation.

The bricked communion table is surrounded by a panel from the late 1500s. The altarpiece is in Renaissance with two carved coat of arms for Jacob Høeg of Trudsholm (he was vasal at Skivehus 1596-1602) and wife Lisbeth Sehested. The altarpiece - which mid field has a painting - is restored with new decorations in 1954. An altar picture from ab. 1850 hangs now in the tower room (1962). Altar chalice from 1691 with the stamp of royal silversmith Marcus Resenhof and the coat of arms of  Wilhelm Marselius baron of Gyldenkrone. Altar candelabres from the first half of the 1600s. A Romanesque granite font with many close placed round sticks upon the basin. Upon the loft a very destroyed late Gothic crucifix. A Renaissance pulpit with a decoration from 1954. New, closed pews. Bell from 1507, cast by Peder Hansen in Flensborg with inscription. Below the choir was a burial. A Romanesque gravestone with two cross lies in front of the door of the porch.

 


















News from Hjerk church: 
There was a restoration of the church in 1999 where the colours in the church benches were attuned to the special 1770s-painting in the altarpiece. The porch was restored and here are exhibitions each year by local artists. Hjerk church and parish have some very good websites which are easy to find. They tell stories from the parish  (in Danish) and show pictures of from the exhibitions. (source: the parish)  


Bajlumgård was in 1524 owned by Niels Høeg (Banner) of Eskær. In 1594 Steen Brahe exchanged the half of B. to Ludvig Munk and Erik Lykke. The last mentioned's daughter Johanne Lykke (+ 1635) owned it in 1623, but in 1637 Gunde Rostrup sold B. to Jørgen Høeg (Banner) of Todbøl (+ 1656), in 1663 it was owned by Erik Blik of Holmgård, who in 1664 deeded it to Andreas Rhode, whose brother Rudolph Rhode in the 1670s resided here. It came later to their sister's son-in-law High Court Judge Christoffer Bartholin (+ 1714); in 1688 B. is mentioned as "a poorly place and not quite close to being a farm", in 1689-91 it was leased to Chr. Gjedde of Skivehus; Chr. Bartholin complemented the farm in 1700, and his heirs sold it 1727 to their brother-in-law captain Peter Fürst (+ 1732), whereeafter it the same year was sold to his brother-in-law Selio Müller of Lønborggård, who in 1740 sold it to Peder Panderup. He sold it in 1744 to Niels Bang, who 1755 sold it without estate to Niels Stefansen Tang (+ 1789), whose son Stefan Tang owned it till his death in 1827. In an auction after him it was bought in 1830 by Chr. Gjørup in Skive, but in 1836 it belonged to Jens Nielsen Ladefoged  - in 1841 to his son Jens Tang (+ 1865), then to his son Christian Tang (+ 1904), whose son Niels Tang in 1909 sold B. to a consortium, which in 1911 sold it to Peter Hansen Knudsen, whose son Henning Knudsen took it over in 1959.

Vium mølle (mill) was by hr. Niels Nielsen in 1400 deeded to Stig Munk.   

Listed prehistorics: 6 hills among, those Store Tophøj east of Bajlum and a hill southwest of the church, both large.
Demolished or destroyed: 35 hills.

 In Hjerk nor (nor = land tongue) was found an important settlement from the Ertebølle culture and a kitchen midden in the edge of the beach.

Names from the Middle Ages: Over Hjerk (1375 Hernick, 1488 Hyerk, 1494 Offuerhierck); Neder Hjerk (1494 Neyræhierck); Vium (1400 Vyvm); Bajlum (1420 Bodum, 1474 Balum, 1546 Baylom); Gedeløkke (1546 Giedeløche); Bajlumgård (1524 Balom(m)gardt); Viumgård (1500s Wium gard); Vium vandmølle (1463 Viiummøll).


Source: Trap Danmark, Viborg amt, 1962.

photo: borrowed from Google earth 2013, gb

Hammelev church/ Hammelev kirke, Randers amt.

Hammelev church, ab. 5 km north of Grenå.

Hammelev parish, Djurs Nørre herred, Randers amt.

The highplaced church in Hammelev has a Romanesque choir and nave with a late Gothic tower to the west and a porch from the reformation period to the south. The wellkept Romanesque building is built in limestone ashlars; the choir upon a beveled plinth, the nave upon a plinth with rundstav (a list/ "round stick") above a beveled plinth. In the east wall of the choir is a bricked-up circular window - and to the north a re-opened round arch window. Against custom the nave is richer decorated than the choir.  Its corner lisens reach a height with the arcade friezes, which run at the top of both flank walls with rich variated "sticks" carved in the limestone with branches, leaf and braiding. Upon the north side the frieze is broken by a high-placed round arch window. The west gable has rests of arches, which indicate that it has had high glare arcades alike the arcades on the tower in Voldby church. The bricked-up north portal, which is placed in a protruding straight-edged field, has a round arched stick above small kragsten around a smooth tympanum. The lower edge is accompanied by an English-Normannic influenced "roll-billet". The south door which is in use is outside and has "swallowed" the original door. The choir arch was extended in the 1400s, when the choir had one and the nave three cross vaults, which against custom are engraved into the walls wihout skjoldbuer ( arch connected between vault and wall).

Almost contemporaty to the vaults ab. 1475 was the tower, added in monk bricks. The cross vaulted bottom room opens to the nave by a pointed tower arch. The roof gables are north south. The porch in monk bricks has a small rectangular window in a round arched frame to the east. At the nave on the south east lisen are deeply carved initials NC and SL and the year 1639. On the north side AM G NT. At at the choir gable's south lisen is carved a ship. The building was restored in 1953-54. During the restoration was found badly kept frescoes from the Renaissance, which were washed over.

Hammelev vicarage

The communion table is in limestone ashlars, and it has a large nich in the back. The altarpiece is a painting from 1953-54. The earlier altarpiece from 1867 was a painting by fru Ingemann. Chalice and dish were given by Christen Jensen Broch. Late Gothic altar candelabres with a soft profiled foot upon sitting lions. A Romanesque granite font of Djursland-type with a double leaf garland and a square foot. A Nederland dish ab. 1650 with engraved wines. It was brought to the church in ab. 1930 by pastor Metz. A pulpit from ab. 1600 in simple high Renaissance with Chorintic pillars and portal fields. Bell from 1852 by P.P. Meilstrup.

Epitaph in black slate with a Latin inscription for parish priest Ove Christensen Nimtofte (+ 1644) and wife and their son-in-law Christen Jensen Broch (+ 1677), his wife and their son. Under the nave a bricked up priest burial. North of the church two gravestones in neo Classicism, one is a stele for parish priest Gerhardt Munck (+ 1834). (He introduced the smalllpox vaccine in the local district and did it himself). The other memorial from ab. 1820 in sandstone has the shape of a flat curved gravetree with an inscription field. The stone was according to tradition meant for the crew from a wrecked ship "Hilam".

Stensmark belonged according to Valdemar Jordebog to the Crown's estate. Christoffer of Bayern endowed in 1441 hr. Otte Nielsen (Rosenkrantz) with Grenå, Anholt and Stensmark etc for life; his son hr. Erik Ottesen (+ 1503) and son's son hr. Niels Eriksen (+ 1516) were also endowed with S.,  and still in 1538 S. was pawned to members of the family Rosenkrantz. Later S. belonged to Grenå By (town), but in 1575 the king exchanged a desolate field called S. to Erik Lykke of Skovgård, his son Falk Lykke exchanged S. to Sostrup (Benzon); whereafter it was under this farm's main farm charge, but the land was rented to the local peasants. It was sold as a free main farm in 1839 to O.A.la Cour of Timgård (+ 1860), his son-in-law N. P. la Cour (+ 1856) took it over in 1845 and sold it in 1855 to major A. W. Dinesen of Katholm (+ 1876),  whose son  W.L. Dinesen of Katholm in 1909 sold it to a consortium. The farm changed often owner until it was sold in 1918 to R Ric-Hansen, who was followed in 1956 by his son A Ric-Hansen.

Hammelevgård established 1843 . Owner in1963 B. Johnsen.

Fornæs seems to mean "fårenæse" (sheep's nose). Upon the meadow Stensmark was in the Valdemar period a considerable sheep farming, from which the king had a yearly tax of 140 rams (acc. to Valdemar Jordebog). Here was probably once a mill Vejrnemølle (1505 Veyrne mølle).  

Listed prehistorics: two hills at Stensmark: Rytterhøj and Hvidehøj, the last in the garden.

Demolished or destroyed: 5 hills, among which Møgelhøj northeast of Hammelev.

At Fornæs Fyr (lighthouse) is an important settlement and a flint chopping place from Dolktid, 2400-1700 B.C. (Late Stone Age). 
 
Names from the Middle Ages: Hammelev 1404 (Hamætløff); Stensmark (1231 Stensmarc). 

Source: Trap Danmark, Randers amt, 1963.


 photo May 2009: grethe bachmann



  

Dalbyneder church/Dalbyneder kirke, Randers amt

Dalbyneder church, ab. 12 km east of Mariager.

Dalbyneder, Gjerlev herred, Randers amt. 
The church in Dalbyneder has a Romanesque choir and nave with a late Gothic west tower and a neo Romanesque porch to the south. The Romanesque building is built in granite ashlars and has a bevel-plinth. Both doors are kept, the low south door is bricked  up, while the north door, which is in use, has a tympanum with a strange plaited cross with two lions. In the east wall of the choir, in its north wall and in the north wall of the nave are bricked up round-arched windows. The choir arch is sligthtly curved, this change was probably made at the same time as the choir had one and the nave two eight-ribbed vaults. The tower is built in granite ashlars and monk bricks. The bottom room with two equivalent cross vaults opens to the nave in a pointed arch. Its gables (north-south) have three highglares. The high porch, with bricked wall benches inside, has a step gable with five highglares flanked by circular glares.

In the cross vault were late Gothic frescoes from ab. 1500s brought to light in 1914. 

The altar piece contains parts of an early Renaissance altar piece with a fine carved grotesque decoration. Candelabres from the 1700s in sheet brass. A strange Romanesque granite font, its very small basin stands upon a foot looking like an upside down font with sepals, like the font in Vindblæs church.  A smooth brass dish with engraved initials EID. A pulpit in early Renaissance with coat of arms of Jørgen Lykke (+ 1583) and Beate Brahe. Upon the pews coat of arms of Otte Krumpen of Trudsholm (+ 1569), his second wife Anne Lykke and her first husband Anders Bille. Series pastorum from 1724 and 1764 for the priests in Udbyneder, Dalbyneder, Gjerlev and Vindblæs. In the church two small priest-paintings from 1700s. In the porch a holy water container in granite.

Epitaph in storbarok (great Baroque) for manager at Demstrup Otto Galthen (+ 1733); Ellen G. (+ 1735) and Peder G. (+ 1731). Under the choir burials for a parish priest Johs Jensen (+ 1655) and wife. Their pretty gravestone is inserted in the choir wall.

The væbner Jes Pele the Elder in Binderup is mentioned 1416. It is possible that the noble family Benderup origins from this village.

There are no listed prehistorics in the parish, but there were 6, now demolished hills, among them the high-placed Møgelhøj south southwest of Dalbyneder.     

At Dalbyneder were several claypot graves from early Roman Iron Age.


Source: Trap Danmark, Randers amt, 1963

foto Dalbyneder 2004: grethe bachmann

Give church/ Give kirke, Nørvang herred, Vejle amt

Give kirke, foto 2003: grethe bachmann

The whitewashed church in Give has a Romanesque choir and nave with a late Gothic tower-bottom, a tower from 1905 to the west and a porch, probably also from 1905 to the north. The Romanesque building is in travertine; the nave stands on a faintly marked double plinth with a bevel edge in granite and travertine. The north door is in use and the south door is re-opened. Upon the north side of the nave are kept two round-arched windows, upon the choir a similar to the north and east. The south side of the choir is completely re-walled. The round-arched choir arch stands inside with narrow kragsten. The choir and nave have flat ceilings. A niche in the north wall of the choir with a pillar is probably of new date. In the late Gothic period a tower was built to the west in monk bricks with a cross-vaulted bottom room and a pointed tower arch. In 1780 it was very reduced and in a main restoration in 1905 it was even more reduced, down to the wall height of the nave -  and west of this a new tower was built with glare-decorated step-gables to east-west. The porch, which also has a glare-decorated step-gable, is probably from the same time. A sacristy at the northside of the choir was broken down, it is not known when.

Give kirke, foto: Google earth

In a repair 1904-05 some Romanesque frescoes from the last half of the 1100s were brought to light on all walls of the choir, but only the frescoes on the east wall were preserved and restored. They were re-restored in 1932. Upon the choir arch is a late Gothic vine-decoration. In a break-down of the communion table were found pieces of a glass painting, probably from ab. 1300 with runic inscription, which makes no sense. Is now in the National Museum together with a reliquary from the table, which has been replaced by a new, bricked table. A crucifix is altar decoration. The former altar piece, a painting from 1849, hangs in the church. Heavy Baroque candelabres with coat of arms and initials for Laurids Ebbesen (Udsen) and Sophie Staverskov. A Romanesque granite font, cylindric basin with arcades of imaginary animals and rope sticks upon an almost truncated foot, also with rope sticks and arcades. A smooth brass dish from 1600s. A small pulpit in Renaissance, ab. 1600, with Corinthic corner pillars. The stairway to the pulpit is cut through the triumph wall. A stool gable in the northside has the year 1580. A gallery from 1623 is furnished as an organ-gallery. Bell from 1637 by Felix Fuchs

Farre kirke, foto Google earth.

Farre church is built 1955 as a mainly traditional building with a choir and nave, a tower to the west. The altar piece is a freso-painting. Upon the site was once a church which was abandoned.

The branch church in Vorslunde was built 1954. It is a whitewashed tiled building , with apse, choir and nave and a low western tower. Altar piece is a carved work by a local carver Olaf Rye Ottosen.

Søndersthoved was owned by Joseph Rekhals in 1512, in 1553 it belonged to Per Knudsen (Glambek), in 1570 to Enevold Lauridsen (Udsen) and in 1578 his widow Inger Terkelsdatter (Væbner). In 1624 it belonged to Erik Krabbe of Østergård, whose brother-in-law Otte Kruse (+ 1628) in 1625 gave Laurids Ebbesen (Udsen) a life's letter on the farm. Otte Kruse's widow, Sophie Staverskov (Glambek) of Donneruplund, married 1635 Laurids Ebbesen (Udsen) and sold in 1652 together with her stepson Mogens Kruse of Spøttrup S. to Jørgen Lykke of Buderupholm. He exchanged it 1658 with 9 farms and small houses to his sister Johanne Lykke, after whose death ab. 1660 he at once outbought his brother-in-law, Erik Kruse, and in 1661 sold it to the Crown. In 1664 it was bought by colonel Johan Liebreich and belonged in 1671 to his widow,  and then to the son-in-law major Otto Jacob v. Schwerin of Bjerre, and in 1688 his widow Helene Juliane Liebreich, in 1690 S. was transferred to Mads Nielsen Rosenlund of Dybvad and manager at Tyrrestrup Laurids Friis (+ 1699), who in 1694 deeded S. to hospital-manager Ch. Nielsen Toldorph, Horsens (+ 1705), who in 1696 deeded it to captain Kay Blome of Refstrup, who the same year transferred the deed to his sisters Margrethe Elisabeth and Anne Dorete Blome, the last mentioned was married to Alexander Grubbe of Donneruplund (+ 1700). In 1703 S. was owned by kammerråd Jens Risom (+ ab. 1720) married to Johanne Marie Cassius (+ 1742);  in 1755 Søren Seidelin deeded S. and Refstrup to birkedommer Lars Thistrup, who the same year deeded S. to Niels Jørgensen Donnerup (+ 1820).
Later various owners, about 22 owners from 1755-1900. 1900: the family Ottosen.
 Main building in red bricks from the end of 1900s.

Donneruplund belonged in the Middle Ages to Ribe bishopric, the væbner Palle Bang in D. in 1512 was probably a vasal. After the reformation the farm went to the Crown, who in 1537 exchanged it to Palle Bang's son-in-law Oluf Staverskov (Glambek)( + 1586), whose son Hartvig Staverskov (Glambek) then  owned it. He died here in 1608, his widow Birgitte Iversdatter Vind died in 1610, and since they had no children, D. came to his brother's daughters Anne and Sophie Staverskov (Glambek), of whom the last mentioned in 1630 became the sole owner. She married in 1635 Laurids Ebbesen (Udsen)(+ 1646), who in 1638 is written of D. and still lived in 1668. In 1651 D. was bought by Ellen Skram, 1637 married to Alexander Grubbe of Vedbygård (+ 1700), who in 1684 deeded D. with 20 farms and small houses to her brother's son Otte Skram of Todbøl. In 1689 it was bought by lieutenant Casper Vilhelm Lentz and in 1718 Claus Jessen deeded it to Christen Clausen, Ribe, who in 1719 at auction sold D. to Niels Andersen Vang (or Vonge) (+ 1756). He deeded the farm in 1755 to his son Anders Nielsen Vang, later of Hastrup, who in 1761 deeded it to his son-in-law Anders Bagger, later of Hastrup, who already at auction in 1760 had sold D. to Christen Pedersen of Hvejsel Lundgård (+ 1797). He sold D. in 1785 to kancelliråd Malte Chr. Friis, earlier of Lynderupgård, who outparcelled the farm and shortly before his death in 1797 deeded it to Rasmus Pedersen of Rugballegård.
Various owners, about 15-16 from 1797-1913. Owner in the 1960s: Elmer Damkjær.   

The main building Donneruplund lies in a low section of a castle bank of the first manor. There are no informations about the earlier buildings.  The present building is a yellowwashed house. The cellar is partly in monk bricks and possibly with earlier building sections.

Ullerup was earlier an independent parish, still mentioned in 1419; U.(Vghælthorp) church is mentioned in the church-list from Ribe ab. 1330, but not in the list from the churches in Jelling-syssel ( a district) in 1534. In 1638 was still a piece of wall in travertine and the graves on the churchyard were still seen. The place is fenced and listed and a memorial stone was erected in 1921. There was also once a church at Farre and Kirkebjerg which have now disappeared.

Three sacred springs were known in the parish, one at the dike of Give church, one at Møldam Huse and Helgenkilde at Bæksgårde.

Give was before the railway came in 1894 only an ordinary village with 8 farms, ab. 20 houses and two grocery stores, but there were from old times held a couple of big markets, maybe they were originally markets by the sacred springs (Danish: kildemarkeder), and since the beginning of the 1880s here was also a place for the thing (tingsted). When the railway arrived and especially after the connection to the town Herning the town Give grew fast.

listed prehistorics: 
28 hills of which Gladhøj northwest of Give, Rævehøj east of Give plantation and a hill in the plantation (in a group of 7) are rather large.

demolished or destroyed:
258 hills; especially large groups have been at Neder Donnerup, Højgårde, Bøllund, Bæksgård and north of Give. In the excavation of Taskhøj at Farre were found several graves, among others a weapon grave from Celtic Iron Age and several graves from Roman Iron Age, one with the trace from a dødehus (death house). Iron Age's settlements are known from the place of Give svineslagteri and Marienlund. A primitive wooden plough (ard) from Iron Age was found at Donneruplund . At  Store Hestlund was found a large, pretty decorated vessel from dyssetid (dolmen period).

Names from the Middle Ages and 1600s:

Give /1280 Gyghæ, ab. 1330 Gyghe); Farre (1475 Fary, 1610 Farre); Store Vorslunde (1638 Waslunde, 1664 Woszlund); Hedegård (1471 Hiegard, 1512 Heegard); Bøllund (1461 Byllundt, 1512 Bylund); Neder Donnerup (1503 Dwndrop, 1537 Neder Dummerup); Ullerup (ab. 1330 Vghælthorp); Over- and Neder Sillesthoved (1610 Sellesthoodt); Bregnhoved (1512 Brednæhowet); Bæksgård (1578 Becksgaard); Store and Lille Hestlund (1512 Hestlund, 1610 Lilhestlund, 1664 Stoer Hestlund); Donneruplund (1512 Døndrøplwnd); Søndersthoved (1512 Syndersthowet gard); Store Nygård (1610 Nyegaard); Loftlund (1499 Lotlund); Givskovgård (1638 Gyffskou); Tromborg (1664 Thromborre); Store Mosegård (1664 Moeszgaard); Ulkær (1512 Wlkiermøll).  

  
 Source: Trap Danmark, Vejle amt 1964.


  
 

Gisselfeld and Bråby church/ Bråby kirke, Ringsted herred,Sorø amt, Zealand.

Gisselfeld, Bråby parish, Ringsted herred, Sorø amt.















Gisselfeld is built upon an islet in the socalled gårdsø.( farm lake)The three-storeyed plan is built in red monk bricks under a red tiled roof. It has three wings with a protruding gate to the north, a stair tower in the yard at the west wing and a barrier wall to the south. The north wing with gate is the earliest and was the main building of Gisselfeld. Two side wings, the east- and west wing, were added and they were finished before 1575. 

Gisselfeld is similar to contemporary manors at the island Funen, like Hesselagergård and Egeskov. Some defense devices are similar, like the watchman's galleries with scalding holes and arrow slits and a decorative frieze under the roof. The Gothic glares are similar to Egeskov's and the stepped gables are seen in many Danish manors of Gothic Renaissance, like Østergård in Salling (North Jutland) and Vallø at Stevns (Zealand).

Gisselfeld, café and restaurant at the entrance.

Peder Oxe let the plan surround by an outer wall to the northwest with three towers, from which two towers, parts of the wallwork and Peder Oxe's big farm building by the road are preserved.  Upon the castle bank on the islet was built a low wing to the east in the late 1600s.

Gisselfeld was restored in 1869-74, which removed the addition from the Baroque, and in another restore in 1915 Peder Oxe's Gisselfeld was brought to light by using modern restoration principles with respect for the original building material,most of all the burnt monk bricks.

Avenue with special cut trees.

The three wings of Gisselfeld contain magnificent cultural treasures, mainly connected to the Danneskiold- Samsøe- family, which resided at Gisselfeld since 1699. First of all the collection of porcelaine, a collection which was established in the late 1700s. Danish, German and Chinese porcelaine. The Flora Danica takes up an entire room.  Chinese and Ostindian porcelaine dominate the socalled "porcelænsgang" in the north wing, and Louis XV and Meissen-porceleina  complete the lavish collection, which is spread in many rooms and halls.   The furnishing , Gustavian and Baroque, but also modern, is exquisite, like the collection of paintings, especially portrait paintings of the family Danneskiold-Samsøe and its close connection to the royal family.

Paradehuset and the orangery.

One of the most beautiful manor parks in Denmark lies here at Gisselfeld, in a lovely, hilly landscape with lakes. The park was founded already in Peder Oxe's time, where the little lakes by the main building was made into carp ponds. The landscape garden was established in the 1890s by the English landscape architect Milner, who is known from his work at Knuthenborg at Lolland and Tranekær at Langeland. Fountains and arbors and waterfalls make the background of the florals, the rare trees and bushes. The fine and protected glasshouse Paradehuset with orangery from 1879 lies close to the entrance. It is open to the public at the same time as the park. The orangery is filled with exotic and beautiful plants, and some are for sale.



































Gisselfeld is mentioned already in the 1300s, but it was probably only a lesser main farm which was situated ab. 2 km northwest of its present place, where the castle bank Spegedynen is still seen as a square surrounded by a moat.When Peder Oxe became the sole owner of G. in 1547, he broke down the old main building and built the present. Upon the castle island in the lake was in 1898 by the National Musum found the base of an ab. 15 m long rectangular building from an early farm Valgestrup, which, possibly between 1527 and 1541, and probably in the civil war  - was destroyed,  whereafter the land came under G.


















The earliest known owner was Bo Falk, who is mentioned of G. in 1370, he had probably taken it over from his father Peder Falk.  The next known owner was Eskil Falk, who is mentioned of G. in 1384. He was succeeded by his son Peder Falk, who is mentioned of G. in 1410.  After him came the brother Eskil Falk (+ earliest 1421), whose daughter Ida married hr. Mogens Axelsen Gøye of Krænkerup (+ earliest 1450). Their son, the marsk hr. Eskil Gøye (+ 1506) inherited G., which after him by a siblings' exchange in 1508 came to his youngest son hr. Henrik Gøye (+ 1533), the wellknown supporter of Chr. II and the defender of Copenhagen in 1523-24. Henrik Gøye had to borrow 4650 mark lybsk ( for pawn and first right to buy G.) from his brother, rigshofmester hr. Mogens Gøye and Otto Holgersen Rosenkrantz. He sold G. however in 1527 to his relative, rigsråd Johan Oxe of Nielstrup (+ 1534), and this ended in a long-winding feud between the Gøye- and the Oxe-family, since Mogens Gøye stood firm on his first right to buy G. A judgment at the King's Thing was mostly in Mogens Gøye's favor, but it brought no final solution. A new judgment of 1539 and an agreement in 1541 brought a final decision, whereafter G. belonged to Johan Oxe's heirs, represented by the son, the wellknown statesman, rigshofmester Peder Oxe (+ 1575),who became the sole owner of G. in 1545.

















Peder Oxe improved G. by extension of the land and the farms, and carried through several operational improvements and laid out the still existing carp fishing. During his exile in 1558-66 his estates were taken by the Crown, but in 1566 he got his property back; G. was even improved with judicial rights (birkeret). Peder Oxe died in 1575, he left no children, and G. came to his widow, Mette Rosenkrantz of Vallø (+ 1588). In the following exchange G. - which was reduced from the inherital dividing of the estate - came to Peder Oxe's sister's daughter Karen Banner (+ 1616), who in 1580 married Henrik Lykke of Overgård (+ 1611), after whom it was taken over by the son Christian Lykke (+ 1619) and his brother, the later rigsråd Frands Lykke (+ 1655), who by inheritance and buy gathered the divided estate - and after him it went to his son, the famous Kaj Lykke (+ 1699), after whose decrease G. was taken over by the Crown in 1661.

Frederik II left G. to his son arveprins (crown prince) Christian (later Chr. V.), who often resided at G. After his accession to the throne he transferred it in 1670 to the famous general from the Swedish wars, Hans Schack (1671 lensgreve of Schackenborg + 1676), who the same year transferred it to his son-in-law, oberstløjtnant Ditlev Rumohr of Röst (+ 1678), who 7/1 1671 by Chr. V got an exchange-deed of G., but after his wife's death the same year he transferred it back to Hans Schack, whose widow Anna Blome (+ 1688) owned it until 1682, where she transferred it to her son Otto Diderik greve Schack (+ 1683), whose widow Sophie Dorothea Marschalk (+ 1707) in 1689 sold it to Adam Levin Knuth  (+ 1699), who also owned the nearby Assendrup (in Tybjerg herred). A village Hesede had been abandoned, and Knuth established in 1691 the farm Hesedegård from its land, a farm which stayed under G., but later was leased out as an independent main farm. In 1699 his heirs conveyed G. with Assendrup to Chr. V.'s son with Sophie Amalie Moth, Christian greve Gyldenløve of Samsø (+ 1703), ancestor of the Danneskiold-Samsøe family. The family is connected to Gisselfeld from 1699 up till the present day.



















Gisselfeld Kloster (formally Gisselfeld Adelige Jomfrukloster in Zealand) is a foundation, which was established in a will by Christian V.s illegitimate son with Sophie Amalie Moth, Christian Gyldenløve in 1701-1702. The foundation is not a "kloster" in a traditional sense, but a socalled jomfrukloster. The inscribed kloster-ladies - konventualinder at Gisselfeld - had to be unmarried and of noble status and birth, but contrary to the ladies at Vallø and Vemmetofte jomfrukloster they did not reside at the kloster. Gisselfeld kloster is managed and directed by an overdirektør, who according to the original fundats is elected among male grever of the family Danneskiold-Samsøe. The gender discrimination in the fundats is however declared invalid according to the Gender equality Act. The overdirektør of Gisselfeld has his private residence in the main building of the kloster (the castle).

A case around Gisselfed is still pending these years. The overdirektør Erik greve Danneskiold-Samsøe was suspended by the former management, and he has lead a trial since, he wants to get his job back, but he also wants to have the court's words for that Christian Gyldenløve's over 300 year old fundats should be followed still today, he has not been upheld by the court though. During the years there have been case after case and it is  much too complicated to describe. The Gisselfeld-case ended in the supreme court in 2011. (Not finished)

The Ugly Duckling
Hans Christian Andersen wrote during a stay at Gisselfeld the fairy tale The Ugly Duckling (Den Grimme Ælling.

Listed prehistorics: At Hesede the dolmen chamber Kejshave Stendysse, in Gisselfeld Dyrehave 6 hills, of which one is rather large.
Demolished or destroyed: a long dolmen west of Bråby and 9 hills in the fields of Gisselfeld.

Names in the Middle Ages: Bråby (1342 Broby østræ); Sø Torup (1456 Tordrop, 1561 Søtourup); Gisselfeld (1370 Ghyselfel, 1410 Gislæfællæ); Hesede (1290 Hyrsæt, 1342 Hirsædæ).

Source: Trap Danmark, Sorø amt, 1954; Danmarks slotte og herregårde, Niels Peter Stilling, 1997.  

landscape near Bråby.

Bråby church/ Bråby kirke, Ringsted herred, Sorø amt.
The church in Bråby has a Romanesque nave with Gothic additions: tower, north chapel and porch and longhouse-choir from ab. 1570. The Romanesque nave - from which are kept the longwalls and a little of the gable - is a limestone building. There is only preserved one detail, a walled window east of the door-place to the south. A big chapel was added ab. 1500 in tile and limestone, furnished for a herskabsstol ( manor stool) and burial chamber ab. 1695, restored in 1903.The tiled gable-field has a rich glare decoration in South Zealand type, from the same time is the belt-walled western tower, which has a straight-running stair in the north wall, and the porch to the south in tile and like the tower very rebuilt with small stones. The longhouse-choir was built ab. 1570 by Peder Oxe in tile with two vaults, which have been renewed like the vaults of the nave. Restoration in 1877 and 1880.

The altarpiece is a painting, signed Constantin Hansen 1833 in contemporary neo Gothic frame. A house-altarpiece from 1579 with an alabaster-relief and portrait-paintings of Peder Oxe and Mette Rosenkrantz, which were in the church for a period, but is now kept at Gisselfeld. Chalice given in 1681 by Hans Schack. Strange, profiled altar candelabres upon a square foot, given by Adam Levin Knuth 1698. Upon the chasuble an embroideret crucifix and year 1722. A Romanesque limetone font, Gotland work from ab. 1180, a unique scuplture work by the master "Anonymus Calcarius" with rich symbolic reliefs A baptismal dish, south German ab. 1550 with engraved coat of arms of Frands Lykke and Lisbeth Brok 1626. A pompous late Baroque choir rail from 1695 with double-doors and crucifix. a pulpit from 1938. In front of the manor stool in the north chapel is a closed gallery from 1695 with the coat of arms of Adam Levin Knuth. Two cast steel bells, 1874 and 1880.

A magnificent epitaph ab. 1560 in Gotland limestone for Peder Oxe (+ 1575), which is a very important work of art, from Copenhagen or Skåne. (Scania). Peder Oxe is not buried here. In the porch 5 gravestones from the 1700s. In the burial chamber 3 coffins: 1) Adam Levin Knuth, +1699, a splendid coffin, dressed in copper;  2) Sophia Ulfeldt + 1698 and 3) Hilleborg Holck, + 1724. Upon the churh yard is a strange monument, a pyramid with inscription: "Maria was always virtuous".

Source Bråby church: Trap Danmark, Sorø amt, 1954.      

Vivild church / Vivild kirke, Sønderhald herred, Randers amt

Vivild church, Djursland,ab. 24 km east of Randers

The large church in Vivild has a choir and a nave, a tower to the west and a porch to the north. The choir and nave are Romanesque, built in pretty carved granite ashlars upon a bevel plinth. Both doors and three windows to the north and one to the east are kept. The south door and windows are bricked up. In the Gothic period were in the choir built two and in the nave three bays of cross vaults, and the choir arch was changed into a pointed arch. The tower is also from the Gothic period like the porch. The tower has a pyramid roof. It is built in granite ashlars and monk bricks, the vaulted tower room has a pointed arch towards the nave. The large porch in monk bricks is built in two stages. The original building from the late Middle Ages is enheightended with an upper storey and has got a glare gable. The church is roofed with lead; it now stands with blank ashlars and whitewashed brickwalls. In 1952-53 was a restoration, and some frescoes were found, partly late Gothic ( on the vaults) the latest frescoes with biblical motifs were wellkept, but in spite of this they were whitewashed again.

Vivild church. Did you ever see a cross-eyed church?

The walled communion table in granite ashlars has a reliquary, which was examined by the bishop of the district in 1953. The altarpiece in Rococo from ab. 1700 with name and coat of arms of colonel Hans Friis. The original painting was replaced in the middle field in 1953. The altar candelabres were given in 1588 by Niels Skram and fru Kirsten Rosenkrantz. A Romanesque granite font with lion figures and leaf decorations. A baptismal bowl from 1500s. A Baroque pulpit with a sounding board from 1662, given by Clemen Jensen in Nielstrupgård and parish clerk Rasmus Sørensen ( acc. to epitaph).  The upper pews in each side have the coat of arms of Niels Skram and Kirsten Rosenkrantz. The rest of the pews are new. A late Gothic choir arch crucifix  in the nave. In the tower arch a church ship from ab. 1720. Three large ore chandeliers from 1924. The bell was re-cast in 1850 by Meilstrup in Randers. In the nave a large carved epitaph with portrait-paintings placed in 1664 for Clemen Jensen in Nielstrupgård  (+ 1677) and wife Bodil Andersdatter (+ 1672) and parish clerk Rasmus Sørensen (+ 1679) and wife Else Jensdatter (+ 1669). Furthermore a painted and gilt memorial tablet in sandstone with portrait relief of  colonel Chr. Friis of Hevringholm (+ 1727). Above the stone was earlier placed 4 mourning-banners with coat of arms of the families Friis, Vittrup, Urne and Lindenov and the year 1727; according to his own wish he was buried in a hill on the church yard, where a large stone is placed on the grave. In the northern wala of the choir a painted and gilt gravestone with portrait reliefs of the brothers Jørgen Rosenkrantz (+ 1551), Erik R. (+ 1561) and Peder R. ( + 1570), all of Hevringholm. Their bodies were acc. to Pont. Atlas buried in a burial cellar under the choir, where was found a burial chamber in 1952 with the rests of three coffins. A Baroque gravestone with name Otte Lauridsen by the southern wall of the church. In the tower arch is walled-in a Romanesque gravestone with a cross.

Chessboard outside on church wall. 

Hevringholm is the entailed estate of the family Rosenkrantz. Rigsråd Niels Iversen is written to H.  1377-1407, and hr. Niels Jensen is in 1411 written to the farm, which later went to his three sons, hofmester hr. Otte Nielsen of Bjørnholm (+ 1477), hr. Timme Nielsen of Engelsholm (+ ab. 1455) and hr. Anders Nielsen, called Stygge (he still lived 1478). The last mentioned bought in 1466 Otte Nielsen's part of the farm, his son Ejler Stygge (Rosenkrantz) inherited H. and died ab. 1535,  and his children Stygge, Christoffer, Erik, Peder, Jørgen and Berete inherited.  Jørgen Rosenkrantz died in 1551, and the other children bought a broderlod ( each a part) of the farm the same year from their cousin Sidsel Timmesdatter (Rosenkrantz), widow after rigsråd Erik Krummedige. In an exchange among the siblings in 1552 H. went to Erik Rosenkrantz, who died in 1561 without leaving heirs. H. then came to his brother Peder Rosenkrantz (+ 1570) , then to the brother Stygge Rosenkrantz (+ 1571), whose daughter Kirsten (+ 1597) in 1582 brought H. to her husband Niels Skram of Urup (+ 1601). Their daughter Elsebe Skram, m. to Esge Bille of Svanholm, sold in 1608 H. to Esge Brok of Estrup (+ 1625). H. came to his youngest daughter Elisabeth Brok, m. to Frands Lykke of Overgård  ( +1655), who in 1643 got birkeret (judicial rights) of the farm.

Vivild church. Time for the tortoiseshell to find a warm spot.

Their son was the famous Kaj Lykke, who had his estate taken from him by law in 1661; the king out-parcelled H.'s estate, but the owners of the farm should have the right to release it. In 1664 the king exchanged H. to Oluf Daa, who in 1666 laid H. out to his three sons as their maternal inheritance instead of Eskebjerg (Scheelenborg) at Funen which he had sold. A year after they sold H. to colonel Hans Friis (of Haraldskær); their father opposed to the sale, but the supreme court gave the three sons accept. Hans Friis established an entailed estate, which he in 1695 transferred together with Essenbæk ladegård to his brother's son colonel Christian Friis, who after his brother Gregers Friis' death in 1711 inherited Tustrup, and in order to obey his uncle's will he laid in 1726 Tustrup and Essenbæk ladegård under the entailed estate. After his death in 1727 H. went to his father's brother's daughter's son generalløjtnant Christian Rantzau- Friis, who died childless. His death in 1731 started a long feud between the families Below and Beck. H came to oberstløjtnant Joakim Beck, who after this called himself Beck-Friis (+ 1762). His son grev Joakim Beck-Friis was in 1782 allowed to sell the entailed estate and sold it in 1783 by auction to Laurids Sørensen of Hevring mill.

Later owners: Peter Severin Fønss of Løvenholm, Aalborg hospitalsdirektion; Mogens Chr. Kjeldsen, Christian M. Kjeldsen,  W.C. Olesen;  P. Knudsen; L. C. Rasmussen; P. Arkner .In 1946 sold to J. Balling.

Julianeholm is a parcel of Hevringholm, established by Peter Severin Fønns of Løvenholm. 

The væbner Jes (or Niels) Christiernsen of Nielstrup is mentioned 1485-1511. In 1543 N. belonged to fru Karen, later to Christoffer Lunov of Rygård (ab. 1580-1607), then Esge Bille of Hevringholm, with which it by Kaj Lykke's fall came to mayor Caspar Eggers in Køge in 1686, who sold it and N. Mill to grev Christian Rantzau of Gjesingholm (now Løvenholm), who in 1663 laid it to Gjesingholm birk ( judicial district). In 1716 it was resided by birkedommer Th. Hørup.


In the parish was the village Vådkær (1420 Wodekier) with 6 farms. It was abandoned before 1660, and its land came under Hevringholm. The abandoned main farm Nielstrupgård (1394 Niilstrupgaardt) was possibly a rest of a village Nielstrup. In 1688 is in the parish mentioned a farm called I Hulen (In the Cave).

Names from the Middle Ages:

Vivild (1420 Viuild, 1450 Wewildh); Lystrup (1426 Liwerstorp, 1450 Lywelstrvp); Nielstrup (1420 Nielstorp); Hevringholm (1397 Hefringeholm).
 
Listed prehistorics: North of Lystrup a large but somewhat out-digged Tushøj ; east of Vivild at the country road the rather large Tvillinghøje and a longhill, all in a public park.
Destroyed or demolished: a round dolmen, a passage grave and 38 hills.

Early Roman burial sites are examined by Vivild and Lille Sorvad.

Source: Trap Danmark, Randers amt, 1963.

photo 24 September 2011: grethe bachmann

Eskjær, Salling, North Jutland, Viborg amt.

Eskjær, ab. 18 km north of Skive
Grinderslev sogn, Nørre herred, Viborg amt.

Eskjær was mentioned the first time in written sources in 1328, where hr. Jacob Nielsen (Gyldenstierne) of Eskjær is mentioned. The farm was later in the ownership of the family Banner. Eskild Nielsen and Peder Høg (Banner) are mentioned as owners in the middle of the 1400s. The last mentioned's son Niels Pedersen Høg became the owner of the farm. He was a wellknown man of that period. He is mentioned as rigsråd in 1487, and both king Hans and his son Christiern II used him often as public delegate. According to the Skibby Chronicle he was known as a priest-hater. Besides his public assignments Niels Høg had also time for his private interests. During the first ten years of the 16. century he gathered gradually large estates, a big part was in the neighbourhood of Eskjær. It seems he had achieved sole rights of Eskjær, although a thing-witness from 1501 indicates that his rights were denied by others.

At Niels Høg's death in 1524 his daughter Anna inherited Eskjær; she was married to Niels Jensen Rotfeld, who in 1540 transferred the farm to his son Jens Rotfeld. After his death as the last male member of the family Eskjær came to his sister Johanne, who was a widow after Hans Lykke of Havnø. She managed the farm until her death in 1577, and the son Erik Lykke took over. His son Hans Lykke got after his father's death in 1602 into a debt up to his ears; the farm was taken over by the creditors and forever taken from the Lykke-family. The new owner was Verner Parsberg, who died in 1643, and his son Niels Parsberg, married to Helle Gyldenstierne, was not an economic genius. He had to pawn Eskjær, and in 1664 it came to grev Christian Rantzau's heirs. At that time was Eskjær a large estate.

Eskjær was in 1674 incorporated into grevskabet (county) Løvenholm, but already in 1681 it was back in the ownership of the family Parsberg, since a son of the former owner, oberst Verner Parsberg, bought it. He sold however the farm in 1698 to Barbara Rantzau, but when he after the sale married the buyer, who brought him considerable riches, the sale had no practical importance. Verner Parsberg was also the owner of Skivehus, and he managed both this and Eskjær until his death in 1719. In the anecdote-litterature he was called a stupid and ignorant landjunker. (junker = German nobleman)This was undoubtedly not true; on the contrary he was one of the most active landlords in the district and one of few from the old nobility, who was able to maintain his position and also improve status in the tough times after 1660. After his death both estates were taken over by his son, ritmester Johan Parsberg, who died in 1730 the last male member of the family. He left both estates in a disrepaired state.



After Johan Parsberg Eskjær was taken over in 1735 by his stepfather gehejmeråd, president in the Supreme Court Claus Reventlow, who probably never resided at the decayed farm. He owned several manors. In 1790 he sold Eskjær to a former tenant at Krastrup, Mads Hastrup, who was the first middle-class owner. Hastrup succeeded in bringing the farm on its feet again before his death in 1761. He was also the building master of the present main building, which was built in 1761. Below the main wing in the cellar are still rests of a late Gothic building with thick walls. The cellar room has eight small cross-vaults upon three heavy, walled middle pillars. After a local legend these cellar rooms were the whereabouts of the three known witches "Thise Trolde", until they after the judgment were burned at the stake.

After Mads Hastrup's death in 1767 Eskjær was sold at auction to major Johan Chr. v. Geistler, who was married to a Lüttichau of Tjele. He was from an old German officer's-family, but he was not a skilled farmer, and he became gradually much indebted. In 1781 he sold Eskjær to the later justitsråd and generalkrigskomissær Christian Lange, who was one of that time's progressive men in agriculture and a son of another outstanding farmer, justitsråd Jens Lange of Rødkilde. He improved the neglected farm. All operations were changed, and he made some reforms of the estate in two cities/villages, where he was the sole owner. But it was not easy for him in the other part of the estate. He was involved in feuds with the other farmers, and he also insulted the peasants with his reform-eagerness.

Lange was eventually fighting with his peasants about the villeinage and the taxes, and in the posterity he was known as a bondeplager (harassing the peasants) He cheated the peasants when he measured the corn, he moved their field boundaries, and because of these misdeeds he had according to the old legend no rest in his grave; he haunted the farm, he slammed the doors and he was seen running in the Gåsemosen (moor) with the surveyer-sticks. A special legend is connected to Langesgård, which was built by him. According to royal statutory his peasants denied to bring the tax-corn to the end of the road, and when they discovered that their delivery -duty ended in the middle of Eskjær Mark (field), they just loaded the corn here. Lange swore an oath that the peasants had to bring the corn to the barn, and when this oath could not be fulfilled, he let build a barn above the unloaded corn. This barn was said to be the first beginning of Langesgård.



In 1797 Chr. Lange sold Eskjær and Langesgård to justitssekretær in Viborg, etatsråd Henrik Johan de Leth and Thomas Thomsen of Østergård, who in the following year left the common ownership and took over Langesgård. Leth sold all the peasant-property, but in 1828 the Danish state took over the farm as the holder of an unsatisfied mortgage. In 1830 was Eskjær bought by kammerråd A.C. Grønbech, and after his death it came to baron Joseph Emil Adeler. He sold in 1869 Eskjær to cand.jur. Ludvig Th. Schütte of Bygholm, after whose death in 1915 the farm was inherited by his son dr. phil Gudmund Schütte, who gave the main building a thorough restoration and built a new farm building. The area was increased, and the forest of Eskjær - which is the only worth mentioning in Salling - was re-planted. In 1953 Gudmund Schütte (+ 1958) transferred the estate to his son, Herluf Schütte, who bought more estate for Eskjær.

Source:
Danske slotte og herregårde, bd. 12, Nordvestjylland, Eskjær, af mag. art Svend Egelund.


foto Eskjær 2004: grethe bachmann