Kousted church/ Kousted kirke, Nørhald herred, Randers amt.

The south door

 


Kousted church has a nave and a choir from the Romanesque period in granite ashlars upon a bevelled plinth, a tower to the west and a porch to the south. The granite choir arch and several windows to the north are kept. The south door inside the porch has a tympanum with a ribbon bow and cubic Capitals. The north door is bricked up. The nave and choir got vaults in the late Middle Ages and the tower was built in granite ashlars in the same period like the porch, which is in bricks. The tower room is not connected to the nave. In the east wall of the porch is a holy water vessel in a niche, (it was originally a corn-crushing stone from prehistoric time)


Upon the wall of the northside of the church is the relief of a lion turning upside-down. 

The niche

Klingpung

The altarpiece is new, a pretty patchworck. The pulpit is Renaissance (has been restored. ). A granite font with lion figures. In the porch tombstones for the priests Jens Brasch (+ 1654), and P. Brasch (+ 1683), a lesser stone for the first mentioned and a tombstone from early Middle Ages with cross and foliage.

The klingpung is a purse which was used for collection of money during church service.
 
The yellow house is an old school building. 

There was probably a manor in the parish called Stensgaard, its situation is still traceable in the meadow south of Kousted village, the name Stensgaard is also kept for an old farm in the village.

There is no information about prehistorics in the parish,


source: Runeberg / 1898-1906/ Kongeriget Danmark/ J.Trap/ 3 udg. 4 bd./ Hjørring, Thisted, Aalborg, Viborg , Randers Amter. 

photo: GB

Øster Snede church/ Øster Snede kirke, Nørvang herred, Vejle amt.

Øster Snede church, ab. 10 km northeast of Vejle.(Google Earth) 

Øster Snede kirke
The large church in Øster Snede has a Romanesque choir and nave with late Gothic additions, a cross arm to the south, a tower to the west and a porch to the south. The Romanesaue building is in granite ashlars upon a bevelled plinth. Some conditions indicate that the choir from the beginning had an apse, but it is not quite certain. Both original doors are kept, the round arched south door is in use, the north door with a round arch decoration is bricked-up. Some of the Romanesque windows (round arched( are traceabke like on the north side of the choir. The Romanesque walls are outside mostly re-bricked. Their upper sections and the western gable of the choir are re-bricked with small bricks and now whitewashed. The round choir arch stands inside with profiled kragsten. The choir arch is flanked by round arched side altar niches. In the Gothic period, probably ab. 1375-1400, the choir got a cross vault with profiled ribs, and about a century later four cross vaults were built in the nave (in East Jutland type) upon protruding wall pillars. At this occassion the west gable was re-bricked with monk bricks and had a decoration of five point arched high glares, which are partly kept behind the tower.

The following rebuild seems to be the building of the cross arm at the south side of the nave. It is built in monk bricks and re-used ashlars, which probably origin from a demolished church, since there in the ashlar material is a window monolite, which does not respond to the Romanesque windows of the church. The room, which opens towards the nave in a pointed arcade, has a star vault, and in the west wall is a point arched frieze in the height of a man. The upper section is like choir and nave rebuilt with small bricks.  The tower, which cross vaulted bottom room opens towards the nave in a round arch in the full broadth of the tower room, was built in the Reformation period. To the north side of this is a free staircase up to a round arched upper door. The smooth gables with visible foot timber turn west- east. The south side is at the top rebuilt with small bricks. The porch, which is also from the Reformation period, has above the flat round arched door a savskifte (bevelled bricks) and two circular glares, and it is flanked by small peepholes. The building was restored in 1935.

Øster Snede church

Interior: A strange late Gothic frescoe of a warrior with a huge mane, maybe Samson or Holger Danske - was brought to light in 1926 and restored in 1935. Upon the choir arch an inauguration cross. The communion table is covered in a panelwork from ab. 1590 with portalfields. The altarpiece is a late Gothic triptychon with the original apostle figures in fhe wings. It was re-shaped in the Renaissance, probably 1606, but was restored in 1935 and got a new crucifixion group in the mid field, made by S. Forchhammer. The painted foot piece from the Renaissance-change with a painting hangs in the church and upon the backside of the piece is places an unusually bad altar painting from 1846 by painter Lindegaard, Horsens. The altar chalice ab. 1650, given by Jørgen Juul and Ellen Arenfeldt. A bread box, given by Frederikke Hedwig Dorothea v. Buchwaldt. Late Gothic candelabres upon sitting lions. A good late Gothic choir arch crucifix from the middle of the 1400s. A Romanesque granite font with double lions. A dish from 1648 with the same coat of arms as upon the pulpit, which is a simple Renaissance work with Tuscany corner columns, dated 1641, and with the paternal and maternal coat of arms of Jørgen Juul and Ellen Arenfeldt. A contemporary sounding board. A klingpung (collection purse on a stick) from the end of the 1700s. In the cross arm an ore chandelier given by parish priest Matthias Selmer (+ 1738). A bell from the beginning of 1800s, cast by Daniel Reimer, Randers with reliefs of Oldenburg kings.

In a bricked chamber in front of the choir arch was (in an excavation for a heating system) found a lead plate from the coffin of Pernille Mouridsdatter. In the porch a worn out gravestone from the 1700s.
In the church dike to the south is a large portal in ashlars and monk bricks with a round arched driving gateway and a flat curved gate, probably late Gothic.

Agersbøl
 - was originally a village, where rigshofmester hr. Mogens Gøye got 1 farm with his first wife Mette Albrechtsdatter Bydelsbak (+ 1513), who had got it after her mother Pernille Axelsdatter Brock. 4 farms at the same place was deeded by Stefan v. Bülow's widow Margrethe in 1528 to Mogens Gøye, whose daughter's daughter Margrethe Justdatter Høeg (Banner), widow after Chr. Quitzow, in 1595 is written of A., which in 1630 belonged to her brother's son Just Høeg (Banner) of Bjørnholm. From him it came in 1638 to Jørgen Juul of Låge, who in 1666 was divorced from his wife Ellen Hansdatter Arenfeldt (+ 1676). In an agreement she got A., but after her death the farm had to be shared by the heirs of both parts.Her heirs deeded in 1676 their part to Laurids Brorson of Dybvad, who later outbought Jørgen Juul's heirs. In 1681 A. was deeded to oberstløjtnant Kai de la Marc (+ 1713), whose son oberstløjtnant Hieronymus de la Marc (+ 1727) became the owner. In an auction after him in 1728 it was bought by Jørgen Jørgensen's widow Pernille (+ 1750), whose son Mourids Jørgensen owned it until his death 1753.

Later owners: Poul Marcussen of Ørumgård, the family Marcussen until ab. 1801, Erik Chr. Grave Hoppe of Lillerup; John Schmidt of Gyllingnæs; Johannes Peter Ingwersen of Viufgård; family Ingwersen; H.Hastrup; M.F.C.Zahn, Kolding; Juan A. Rothaus; Konsortium; Raun and Albertsen; C.I.Petersen; Jysk Landhypothekforening; Andreas Jensen; A. Svendsen and J. Marcussen; some out parcelling;  main parcel to direktør Malte Vestergaard. 1931- 1970: William Jensen. From 1970 : Knud Bøgh Bisgaard.



The earlier main building had acc. to Pont Atlas a marvellous tower and a high spire, and there was a church by the manor , but the building was wall and timber, and it was probably demolished in 1739 or 1746 by fru Pernille Jørgensen, who built a new three-winged timbered main buiilding, which stood until 1845. The same year Martin Ingwersen built the present main building, a bricked whitewashed building with a long low one storey main wing, at each end is a short house across in two storeys with stepped gables. In 1883 was built in the middle a square sided tower and a high pointed slated roof.

Agersbøl, photo wikipedia.

Claus Jensen (Dyre) lived in 1459 in Sole; Svend Torbernsen (Udsen) wrote himself in 1468 of Soleskovgård. 


Laurids Mund is in 1652 written of Krollerupgård.


Madevig (1638 Mayvig) was in 1660 the name of some demolished houses, which land was laid under Agersbøl.



In a cleaning up of the pavement in the yard of Øster Snede vicarage were in 1905 found various silver ware and a stoneware jar with 35 little coins, the earliest from 1645.

There are no listed prehistorics in the parish, but there were 12 hills, among those the large Brohøj at Agersbøl, which had a mill, and a large hill at Øster Snede, where according to the legend king Sniø is buried. Two hills at Agersbøl contained graves from early Roman Iron Age; one contained a buckle with a silver mask.

From Rosenkær at Båstrup origin a belt plate, 2 necklaces and a gold pin,  and from Soleskov two massive bronze rings - everything from late Bronze Age.

Names from the Middle Ages and 1600s:  Øster Snede (ab. 1330 Sneeth, 1688 Øster Snee); Kragelund (1409 Kragelund); Gammelsole (1459 Solæ, 1495 Sole); Krollerup (1499 Krollerop; 1500 Krollerup); Bøgballe (1460 Bøgbaly); Båstrup (1409, 1469 Bostrop); Soleskov (1468 Soliskowgardh); Agersbøl (1528 Agitzbølle); Gøgemølle (1683 Giøgemølle).

Source: Trap Danmark, Vejle amt 1964   


photo: Google Earth and Wikipedia.










     

Linnerup church/Linnerup kirke, Vrads herred, Skanderborg amt.

The church in Linnerup is according to the inscription upon the church bell consecrated to Sct. Peter. It has a nave and choir and a tower to the west. The original Romanesque granite ashlar building upon a bevel plinth is changed much in recent times. Only the choir has been preserved, its outer walls were in 1880 walled with small bricks.  A Romanesque window is still seen as a niche in the eastern wall. An inserted cast iron tablet in the gable from 1866 refers to that the dilapidated nave in 1866 was broken down and rebuilt in the old materials and was extended to the west. The tower was built at the same time, in granite ashlars and red bricks. It has a low, square spire and entrance to the tower room in the west side. The tower room functions as a vestibule.  In the choir is built a late Gothic cross vault, the nave has a boarded tagstol (roof stool) (changed in 1893).The choir arch has been rebuilt. The church is whitewashed and roofed with tiles. A main restoration was done in 1960-61.

The choir vault has late Gothic frescoes (a naive image of wheel of fortune). The triumph wall is in 1924 decorated with a frescoe by J.Th.Skovgaard. Communion table panel in Renaissance from ab. 1610. The altarpiece is a painting from 1893 (copy after C. Bloch). Romanesque granite font with a rough rope winding along the edge. A pulpit in Renaissance style ab. 1600 with a new partiel decoration. Newer church benches. Upon the western wall a *klingpung in copper and a late Gothic Maria figure from a crucifix group. The bell with inscription in Danish and Latin is cast "anno MCDXC decimo" by Peter Hansen in Flensborg.
 
* purse on a long stick and a little bell, used for collecting money in church.

gravehill outside Linnerup (winter)

Lønsgård was in 1485 2 farms,which Iver Eriksen (Fasti) got according to law. His sister's daughter Magdalene Spend was m. to Mogens Kaas (Sparre-K.) of Ørndrup, who in 1549 seemingly owned L.,  to which his daughter Helvig Kaas (+ unmarried ab. 1633) wrote herself in 1593-1625. In 1633 it was owned by her brother's son Otte Kaas of Nandrup, but in 1634 by his brother Claus Kaas of Sø, who in 1636 exchanged L. to Jytte Brok of Gl. Estrup (+ 1640).  It belonged hereafter to her son Christen Jørgensen Skeel and was in 1662 "en liden herregård" ( a small manor);  in 1671 he conveyed it with 1 farm to Anne Cathrine Normann, widow after Johan v Vittinghof. She sold it in 1679 to Joachim Fr.Pentz of Åstrup, but after his death in 1682 she conveyed it in 1683 with estate to his daughters Ingeborg Christine, Eva Margarethe and Frederikke Amalie Pentz. In 1687 the farm belonged to the Crown, who in 1688 laid it out as ryttergods(military) and in 1690 gave lieutenant Peter Hirschhouver a life's letter on it; in 1754 it was a farm under Hammergård, later under Hvolgård.

Listed prehistorics:  Firhøjene at Hjortsvang: 3 grown-together hills; a fourth is demolished.
Demolished or destroyed: 20 hills.

In one of the Tvillinghøjene  (twin hills) were found urns and 3-4 gold rings. At Hjortsvang were found a burial site from early Roman period and a grave from late Roman period with a bronze casserole, glass, amber pearls etc.

Names from the Middle Ages:
Linnerup (1489 Lundrop, 1490 Lyndrop); Hjortsvang (1485 Hiorttzwong, 1499 Hiortzwangh); Lønsgård (1474 Lousgaard, 1485 Løns gaarde.)

Source: Trap Danmark, Skanderborg amt, 1964. 

photo 2002: grethe bachmann   

Sjelle church / Sjelle kirke, Framlev herred, Aarhus amt.

Sjelle Church, ab. 15 km northeast of Århus
Sjelle sogn, Framlev herred, Århus amt.


At the southern border of Sjelle parish runs Lyngbygård å (river) through a broad valley , and north of this rises a hilly land where the highest point (117 m) is north of Sjelle Fredskov. ( A Fredskov is a forest protected against clearing, grazing etc, and which areas must stay forested).

Sjelle church lies in the middle of the villlage and is a longhouse-building with a Romanesque nave and a later added eastern extension, with a tower to the west and a porch to the south. The original part of the longhouse was built in granite ashlars. The Romanesque south door with a smooth tympanum is still in use, while the north door with half pillars is walled. The three cross vaults of the nave are Gothic, but of the same character (late Middle Age) like the west tower, built in ashlars and monk bricks. The tower room has a beamed ceiling with a broad pointed arch in connetion to the longhouse. The porch in monk bricks is possibly late medieval, but was rebuilt in 1879 in connection to a restoration. Tower and porch are white-washed.

The walled communion table is hidden in a wooden panel and an antepedium. The altar piece is Renaissance and much alike in Skovby Church nearby, with 4 carved coat of arms for Hans Rostrup of Sjelle Skovgård (+1611) and fru Anne Gundesdatter Lange. In the middle field is a new painting. The altarpiece was equipped with new colours in 1940. The baptismal font has a square foot and a half circular basin and is probably rather new. The pulpit is from 1598, made by the same carpenter as the altarpiece with the names of Hans Rostrup and Anne Gundesdatter Lange. The sounding board is Baroque. (bruskbarok: 1630-70). A klingpung (= a purse placed on a long stick for collection in church) is kept in the museum "Den Gamle By" in Århus.



In the floor of the church was a large runestone, which is now placed in the porch; it is mentioned in 1591 by Anders Sørensen Vedel. In the top is a face masque and the inscription is : Frøsten satte denne sten efter sin lagsmand Gyrd, Sigvalds broder - - Tvegges (?) - - på - - ed. (Frøsten put up this stone after Gyrd, Sigvald's brother etc). Anders Sørensen Vedel presumed that the stone must be the famous legendary hero Svend Felding's gravestone, but that was before it was possible to read the runes!

Sjelle Skovgård (1424 Skoffgardt; 1465 Selloff Skouffgaard) probably belonged to hr. Laurids Hvas of Ormstrup, in 1465 his son Erik Hvas had a part of the manor, his brother-in-law Svend Torbernsen (Udsen) owned it in 1468 and a sister's son Laurids Rostrup was the owner in 1494. The manor was inherited in the Rostrup-family until the 1600s. The main building is placed high in the hilly terrain down to Skørring bæk. (brook) The present building was probably built ab. 1770 by grev Erhard Wedel Friis. Anders Sørensen Vedel says in 1591 that Jørgen Rostrup of 'Seluff Skaffgard' once found a foundation of a house where Svend Felding had lived. Here was also found a great copper pot and armor and sword which were in the borgestuen (big hall) for a long time. Ca. 1760 it is mentioned that the copper pot ' Svend Feldings Øllebrødspotte' (pot for bread-and-beer soup) was still at the manor.

According to Pont. Atlas was at Sjelle Skovgård a water mill, Skovgårds Mølle, which was demolished when Frederik IV broke down the farm buildings. Large dam systems across the water stream at the farm must be traces from this.

There are no listed prehistorics in the parish but there were 4 hills.


Names in the Middle Ages:
Sjelle: 1308 Sieløue; 1495 Sylluf; 1544 Sello.

Source: Trap Danmark, Århus Amt, 1963.


photo Sjelle kirke 2005: grethe bachmann

Sjørslev Church and Aunsbjerg Manor, Lysgård herred, Viborg amt.

Sjørslev Church, ab. 12 km south of Viborg
Sjørslev sogn, Lysgård herred, Viborg amt.

Steen Steensen's grave hill in the church yard

Sjørslev Church has a Romanesque choir and nave and a western tower from ab. 1500-1550, but the church is marked outside and inside by rebuilding in 1768-72. Both doors were probably formed as pillar portals - they were destroyed in 1768 and together with other ashlar material re-used as a foot upon Steen Steensen's burial mound northwest of the church. Here are monolite coverstones and ashlars from at least three windows and bases from the door with pearl-rows, akantus leaves etc. The choir has an octagonal vault. In 1768-72 the eastern, western and southern wall was rebuilt with small bricks and the tower got a curved spire with a weather vane, and its bottom floor was furnished as a porch with a western entrance. The tower is built in granite and monkbricks and has a cross vault contemporary with the walls and a round arcade to the nave. On the west side of the choir a profiled wooden beading with rocaillekartouche, the year 1772 and a biblical inscription.

After 1915, when Peter de Neergård took over Aunsbjerg, the choir and nave got new red-tiled roofs, wooden windows and an inside repair. The frescoes from 1550 are restored Renaissance ornaments in rather strong colours - and around the windows are frescoe Rococo frames from 1768-72. Gothich frescoes are below the present frescoes on the choir vault. The nave with a medieval storey-work got a board ceiling and is in four large sections with coat of arms and gilt initials SS MES and the year 1768 in the middle. The ceiling is in blue, red and white colours.

The pretty inventory is marked by Rococo and Classicism. The earliest inventory is the Romanesque granite font , one of the main works among "the Lion Fonts". A choir crucifix is from ab. 1475. Or else the inventory is Rococo and Renaissance. The stools are partly Renaissance and Rococo . The pulpit is Rococo. From a Gothic pew-set from Karup Church are preserved some gables. A large fine bronze chandelier. A klingpung (small purse or bag placed upon a long stick, used for collection ) given 1706 by Samuel Olufssøn. Two iron cast wooden money boxes from ab. 1775.

Upon the church yard was in 1938 built a chapel inspired by an oriental mosque.

Source: Trap Danmark , Viborg amt, 1962.
photo Sjørslev kirke 2006: grethe bachmann.

Aunsbjerg Herregård/Manor


Aunsbjerg, 12 km south of Viborg
Sjørslev sogn, Lysgård herred, Viborg amt.

Information from "Danske slotte og herregårde":
Aunsbjerg is an old farm/manor, first mentioned in king Oluf's time, when it belonged to Niels Eriksen of the family which took the name Løvenbalk after its family-coat of arms. (A blue lion above golden beams) The family Løvenbalk owned Aunsbjerg for more than 150 years. The family was said to be of royal blood, descending from Christoffer II and a lady of the Lunge-family, and the blue lion in the coat of arms suggests that it might be the truth. This seems probable since Niels Eriksens father was named Erik Christoffersen - he was the owner of Aunsbjerg in 1340.

Niels Eriksen had with his wife Sophie Johansdatter Rantzau only one child, a son hr. Jens Nielsen Løvenbalk, who became the next owner of the Aunsbjerg. He was landsdommer (High court judge) in Nørrejylland and rigsråd , mostly known for his killing Jens Jensen Brock of Clausholm. He died very old ab. 1438 and left a large family, of whom one son was the ancestor of the Løvenbalk-family at Tjele, another was Erik Jensen Løvenbalk who was the owner of Aunsbjerg, which later belonged to his two sons, Peder, who died early, and hr. Erik Eriksen Løvenbalk, who later became sole owner of Aunsbjerg and still was alive at the end of the 1400s, but died soon after. (Note: One of Jens Nielsen Løvenbalk's daughters Marine Jensdatter Løvenbalk was married to Jens Kaas of Kaas.)


at Aunsbjerg

The family's economic deroute began with Erik Eriksen Løvenbalk. He had from time to time pawned a big part of his estate to Niels Clementsen and after his death his son Gert Eriksen and four daughters continued these mortgages, which gradually became sheets. In the years 1509-12 Gert Eriksen Løvenbalk and his two sisters Sophie and Pernille had two thirds of Aunsbjerg handed over with much adjoining land, but the last third came from the other two daughters to hr. Predbjørn Podebusk of Vosborg.

Aunsbjerg was split in several inheritances after 1609. One of the owners in the middle of the 1500s was Mogens Gjøe, who build the pretty half-timbered main building upon a medieval motte. The name of the manor is known as a part of Danish literary history thanks to Steen Steensen Blicher's novel "Skytten på Aunsbjerg" ( The Gamekeeper at Aunsbjerg). Blicher was named after his uncle Steen Steensen who in 1752 inherited Aunsbjerg after his father. He was ennobled with the name de Steensen. When he was a child Blicher often stayed at Aunsbjerg where his aunt taught him that his "will was in her pocket". Aunsbjerg was in 1838 sold to Peter C. Neergård.

The main building - where the old wing is listed in class B - is placed upon a big motte; the old moats are partly preserved. The big cross house was probably a three storey building, but was reduced in the beginning of the 1800s by the godsslagteren (the manor slaughter) Lindahl. The north wing is built 1917-18. In the dining hall is a fireplace with the coat of arms of Peder Marsvin and Mette Brahe.

Source:
Danske slotte og heregårde, Midtjylland, bd. 13; Trap Danmark, Viborg amt;
Jytte Ortmann: Slotte og herregårde i Danmark; Niels Peter Stilling, Danmarks slotte og herregårde, 1998.


at Aunsbjerg

Names in the Middle Ages and 1600s:
Sjørslev (* 1430 Siørsløff, 1498 Sørsleff); Demstrup (* 1429, 1499 Demstrup); ØsterVandet (* 1477 Østeruandett); Mellem Vandet (1683 Middel Wandet, Mellom Wandit); Vester Vandet (1498 Vanneth, * 1512 Westerwandett); Aunsbjerg ( * 1377 Awænsberg, 1396 Awendsberg); Humle vandmølle (* 1425 Homelmølle).

In the parish was a village Skovstrup (*1329 Skoustrop marck) which was abandoned in the 1500s. The land came under Aunsbjerg. North of Demstrup was a farm Kistrup (* 1511 Kiistrup). Furthermorer is in the parish mentioned the farm Lille Medelhede (* 1496 Medelby,
* 1543 Lidell Melhede) and the house Graverhus (1683 Grafver Huus March ).

Listed prehistorics: 10 hills, of which Egenhøj at VesterVandet is rather large.
Demolished or destroyed: 85 hills, mainly in the northern part of the parish, and at several places large groups, like at Brødløsgård north of Sjørslev and northwest of Demstrup.

Source: Trap Danmark, Viborg amt, 1962.


photo Aunsbjerg/Sjørslev 2006/2008: grethe bachmann