Grinderslev church / Grinderslev kirke and Eskær, Nørre herred, Viborg amt.

Grinderslev Church
Grinderslev sogn, Nørre herred, Viborg amt.

The stately church, which once was a section of Grinderslev Augustine-kloster, consists of a Romanesque nave and choir with apse, a late Gothic tower to the west and a side-nave and sacristy to the north - and from present a porch to the south. The Romanesque church is built in granite ashlars; the apse is decorated with a blind-gallery of five fields, partly supported by small half pillars, partly of human head-shaped consols. The priest-door in the south side of the choir is also in fine artistic quality; its framestones is a dragon and a lion, while the upper ashlar has a half circular thympanum field with a double rope-winding around a circular cross. The walls of the nave are strongly re-built. The tower in the same broadth as the nave is built partly in re-used ashlars from a demolished west gable, partly in monk bricks. In the north wall is a stairway to the upper storeys.

Inside is a very high apse arch with kragsten and a half cupola vault. The choir arch with profiled kragsten is heightened. The choir and nave have star vaults and octagonal rib-vaults. The tower room with a beamed ceiling opens to the nave in a large round arch. Several restorations have been made. In a restoration was in the choir vault found four lydpotter (sound-pots), of which one is at the National Museum. In 1885-86 a very thorough restoration was carried through, and in 1932 was the inventory restored - and the sacristy was changed into a burial chapel. In 1923 were a series of Renaissance frescoes restored on the north wall of the nave from ab. 1600 with biblical scenes and coat of arms of the Juels at Astrup. The frescoes were again restored in 1952 and a late Gothic Madonna-picture was brought to light under the tower arch, the painting is from ab. 1510-20, and it is due to the same painter, who decorated Torum church.

A walled and washed communion table. The table plate is granite with a reliquary, which was found under the floor of the porch in 1954. It is now placed upon a bricked-up plinth in the apse. Altar piece in Renissance from ab. 1600 with a painting and the coat of arms of Erik Lykke of Eskær and fru Dorthe Krabbe. A Romanesque granite font. A late Gothic crucifix-group from ab. 1450 placed upon the north wall. The pulpit from the same workshop as the altar piece has in the fields apostelfigures from a Gothic altar piece. The pulpit and the sounding board are connected by a back-panel, which serves as series pastorum. In the three upper pews are placed gables from 1478 with the name and coat of arms of Bertel Kaas.Upon the opposite gables in the northside are coat of arms referring to Kjeld Iversen Juel (+ 1536). In the side-nave hangs a halsjern (neck-iron) from a pillory. In the north side of the tower room is a very large sandstone epitaph put up by Erik Lykke of Eskær with his and his wife's kneeling figures besides two children and other figures. Several memorials in the church.



chessboard pattern.

Names in the Middle Ages and 1600s:
Grinderslev (*1176 Grindesle, *1216 Grindæslæf, 1390 Grindeslef, -leef); Breum (*1327 Breum); Mogenstrup (*1403 Mwnstrup, 1481 Moghenstrvp); Rærup (*1467 Rerup); Stouby (1498 Stoby, 1524 Stowby); Vejsmark (1498 Wess-, Wesse Mark, 1524 Weyssmarck); Grinderslevkloster (*1375 Grydersløff Kloster, 1469 Grænæsløwcloster); Eskær (*1328 Æskyær); Nørgård (*1420 Norgard, 1460 Nørregardh); Astrup (*1407 Alstrup, *1467 Astrop); Slejtrupgård (*1477 Slefftorp); Havgård (1664 Haugaard); Breum Fogedgård (1581 Breumfod, 1688 Breumfodgaard).



Grinderslevkloster was a monastery of the Augustine-order. It was the only kloster in Salling and it was established in the middle of the 1100s. In 1531 G. was by bishop Jørgen Friis af Haraldskær in Viborg endowed to Hans Pogwisch, who still was a vasal for the king after the reformation; in 1542 Grinderslevkloster was pawned to Niels Juel of Astrup. Fr. II exchanged in 1581 G. with Christoffer Lykke of Buderupholm, whose son Iver Lykke in 1611 sold the estate to Dorthea Krabbe (+ 1623), widow after a relative, Erik Lykke of Havnø. Various owners.

Nørgårds first known owner was hr. Stig Munk, who is mentioned in 1420, then his sister's daughter's son Bertel Kaas (Sparre-K.) who in 1468 achieved the farm via Chr. I by law and still is written to it in 1495. The next owners are his children Iver Kaas (1517) and Edel Kaas, married to Mogens Jensen (Harbou), whose son landsdommer Jens Mogensen Hvide (Harbou) of Sindinggård (+ 1549) sold N. to his sister's son Mogens Spend, who still owned the farm in 1592. After him his sister Inger Spend, married to Mads Pors (Skadeland) (+ ab. 1593); one of their children Anne Pors( Skadeland) owned it in 1599, Hans Pors (Skadeland) in 1622 and 1625; his widow Anne Florisdatter (Rønnow)(+ ab. 1640) owned it in 1638. After the son Erik Pors (Skadeland's) death in 1645 the widow Anne Skade married Folmer Rosenkrantz, who in 1654 out-bought his brother-in-law Frederik Skade and in 1655 sold N. to Valdemar Lykke of Grinderslevkloster (+ 1657), whose widow Sofie Reedtz in 1683 sold it with 4 farms to Anne Jensdatter (Erik Grubbe of Tjele's frillekone = illegal wife). She got a deed on N. in 1684 and transferred it in 1685 to her son-in-law Frederik Ulrik Ulfeld, but already in 1687 it belonged to dyer Erik Lauridsen Sterch of Holstebro, who in 1702 conveyed it to his sons. Various owners.

Astrup belonged in 1407 to Rigild Puge and came then in the ownership of the family Juel: about 1460 Iver Juel, the son Kjeld Iversen Juel (+ 1536), the brothers Niels Kjeldsen Juel (+ 1573) and Iver Kjeldsen Juel (+ 1556), his son Kjeld Iversen Juel (+ 1606) and then probably a son's son of Iver Kjeldsen's sister, Kjeld Brockenhuus (+ 1616), whose son Just Brockenhuus owned A. in 1619. Various owners. The main building is listed in class B.

Eskær Manor


Eskær
Grinderslev sogn, Nørre herred, Viborg amt.

Eskær was in 1328 owned by hr. Jakob Nielsen (Gyldenstierne) and before 1407 by hr. Niels Jakobsen, undoubtedly his son. Eskær later came into the ownership of the family Banner; how early this happened is uncertain, since the information about the first generations of the family is meagre and unreliable. It is certain that the farm came to "de nye Høeger" (the new Høeg-family), a sideline of the family Banner. It was owned by the brothers hr. Eskild Nielsen (Høeg) (+ 1493 or 1494) and hr. Peder Høeg and likewise of their sons Jakob Eskildsen (Høeg) and hr. Niels Pedersen Høeg (+ 1524). With hr. Niels' daughter Anne Høeg E. came to her husband Niels Jensen Rotfeld (+ 1551) who before 1540 gave the farm to his son Jens Rotfeld, who died in 1558 as the last male member of his family, and then E. came to the sister Johanne Rotfeld (+ 1577); a widow after Hans Lykke of Havnø. The son Erik Lykke (+ 1602) took over E. in 1577 and extended the estate; but his son Iver Lykke had , caused by debts, to give E. to grev Christian Rantzau's heirs in 1664. Various owners. the main building is listed in class A.

Mogenstrup was in 1403 pawned by Jes Pape to hr. Johan Skarpenberg. In 1469 it was by Jep Pusil sold to bishop Knud in Viborg, who also bought parts in it from Jes, Christen and Nis Grøn. When Mogens Mogensen (Due, Glob) in 1418 exchanged property with members of the family Krabbe (of Østergård) Mogenstrup came to him on behalf of his wife Anne Mortensdatter Krabbe.


Jenle


Jeppe Aakjær's grave

The farm Jenle was built in 1906-07. The owner was the author Jeppe Aakjær, who lived here and during some years held a large folks-meeting every summer. In a little forest at the land of Jenle is his grave .

Upon an islet in the dried-out Brokholm sø the National Museum examined in 1912 a fortificated medieval yard. There were a row of poles from a large half-timbered building. A curved dam went from the place to the land in north-northeast.

Listed prehistorics: 12 hills, of which several are rather large: Vihøj at Vihøjgård, Byhøj and Halehøj north of the church, 4 large hills, of which Hovmandshøj east of Breum and two larger hills north of Nørgård.
Demolished or destroyed: 77 hills, which mainly were in a stripe through the parish upon the high land passing Nørgård, Breum, Grinderslev and up to Rusted vandmølle. In one of the hills at Breum was found an early Bronze Age grave with a beautiful dagger with a gilt button and 2 goldspiralrings.

A kitchen midden is known from Astrup. At Nørgård was found a clay pot with 150 amber pearls. In the small Tranebærmose at Grinderslevkloster were found two necklaces from late Bronze Age.

Source: Trap Danmark, Viborg amt, 1962


photo Grinderslev, Eskær & Jenle in 2004: grethe bachmann

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

Hørdum Church


Interior


The Thor Stone is the only picture stone in Denmark.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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