Århus Domkirke
Encyclopedia
Aarhus Cathedral is the main religious edifice of Aarhus
, Denmark
, in the Jutland
peninsula in the western part of the country. The cathedral is dedicated to the patron saint of sailors, St. Clemens
, and located at the address Domkirkepladsen 2, 8000 Århus C, Denmark, on the port-side of the central market of the town, Store Torv (lit. Danish: Large Square). The church is the longest in Denmark: it is 93 m long and is also the tallest church in Denmark with 96 m, with sitting place for around 1200 people, and its building started at the end of the 12th century.
town there. Recent research has dated the building of the first city wall to 934. Aarhus was a town of some importance, as there are six runestones
in or near the city. Aarhus was called Aros, Arus, Aarhus, or Aars, as early as the 15th century. The city's charter of 1449 names it "Aarss". After the Reformation
, the name "Aarhus" became current.
Aarhus' first church, Holy Trinity Church, a timber
structure, was built during the reign of Frode King of Jutland around year 900 on a pagan burial site
in what was then the center of town. The first bishop
was Reginbrand, a missionary
bishop of Aros in 948 under the Archbishop of Hamburg. Aros came under the rule of the Archbishop of Viborg
in 1060. According to Adam of Bremen
, Aros was made a dependent diocese
before 998.
St. Nikolai's church was the first cathedral
of Aros. The second cathedral was a timber structure built in 1102 by bishop Ulfketil near the present site to house the relics of St. Clement
. St. Clement was an early Bishop of Rome
who was martyr
ed by having an anchor
tied to his neck and thrown into the Black Sea
, according to a fictional biography of the saint. Clement was the patron saint of sailor
s and especially popular in Scandinavia
. The first St. Clement's church burned at some point before the 1190s. This timber church was the center of the local veneration of St. Niels of Aarhus (also called St. Nickolas).
St. Niels was a younger son of King Canute V
. As a young man, Prince Niels lost interest in life at court
and withdrew to the village of Skibby near Aarhus and built a church with his own hands. He lived a saint
ly life and helped the people in the area around Aarhus. One day, as he and a few men from the town were felling trees to build the church at Viby
near the sea, one of the men complained that he was thirsty. St. Niels prayed for water and a spring appeared to slake the man's thirst; St. Niels's Spring has run ever since. It has been a place of pilgrimage for hundreds of years and many miraculous healings are said to have taken place there, especially on St. John's Day
. On his death bed in 1180, St. Niels asked to be buried in "the little church by the sea" (St. Clements). He was buried in the churchyard at St. Clements.
before the cathedral was completed. The church was finished in 1300 in typical Romanesque
style with half-rounded arches supporting a flat timber ceiling. The second St. Clements was built of large red brick
s, a new building material that became popular all over Scandinavia and northern Germany
for ecclesiastical and public buildings. Four chapel
s were built into the north transept
. The episcopal chair was moved from Our Lady Church to St. Clements.
However, in 1330, the cathedral and much of the town burned down, and the church was abandoned until 1449. By then the Gothic
style of architecture had reached Denmark, and the cathedral was enlarged in stages until it reached its present size in year 1500. The nave
was lengthened to 93 meters, the longest in Denmark. The transept was widened, and the typical Gothic vaulting
raised the ceilings and permitted high windows which fill the building with light.
The Reformation
changed life in and around the cathedral in many significant ways. In 1524 Hans Tausen
, the Danish Luther
, taught a Good Friday
sermon at Antvarskov Abbey proclaiming the doctrines of Luther. His superior ordered him imprisoned in the Hospitallers monastery in Viborg
, Jutland. Tausen taught from his cell and ordinary people responded with enthusiasm. His superior tried to silence Tausen, but a near riot forced his release. In the beginning, he was allowed to preach in the open air but his supporters broke open a Franciscan
church, and soon Tausen had more followers than the church could accommodate. Within a year, he was the king's own chaplain
. Luther's ideas quickly spread to Aarhus and soon the townspeople demanded the right to hear the liturgy
in Danish. The bishop and canons
attempted to stop the spread of the Lutheran doctrine in their diocese
, but Tausen had caught the imagination of the people and they would not be cowed by anything the bishop might threaten. Most nobles were staunchly Catholic
, and that brought even more support from common people. By 1528 most of the cities had begun the process of reforming their churches. Tausen taught that tearing apart ancient churches was wrong and that orderly change should be used to reform the church.
In 1533 Frederik I
died and his son, Christian III was proclaimed King of Denmark at the Viborg Assembly (Danish: Landsting
), but the State Council denominated by the Catholic bishops refused to accept the election and called upon count
Christopher of Oldenburg
to assist in restoring Catholic Christian II to the throne. This resulted in a two-year war called the Count's Feud
. Despite the odds, Christian III prevailed and in the summer of 1536 arrested several of the bishops and threw them into prison. The last Catholic Bishop of Aarhus, Ove Bilde, was imprisoned in the summer of 1536 when Denmark officially became a Lutheran nation.
In 1642 lightning struck the tower and set it ablaze, destroying some of the historic bells, but damage to the interior of the church was minimal.
The tower is the tallest in Denmark at 96 meters. It received its present form in 1931.
dating from the 1470 to 1520. Until the Reformation, most of the church's walls were covered in frescoes, of which many were lost. The cathedral still has 220 m2 of frescoes, more than any other church in Denmark. One pre-1470 painting was saved from the first Romanesque-style cathedral in the northwest corner, the so-called Lazarus Window, painted about 1300. It is believed that the window was used to give food to the lepers who weren't permitted inside the building.
The paintings of St Christopher and St Clement are the tallest in the country. Other figures include St Michael
and St George with the dragon (pictured, left).
St Clements only has one stained glass window
. It was created by the Norwegian artist Emanuel Vigeland
in 1926. Its theme is taken from Grundtvig's psalm Da livtræet fæstet i graven rod. It stands 14 m high and is the largest stained glass window in all of Denmark. Three scenes are painted on the window: at the bottom, Christ's lying in his grave on Golgotha; next, Christ crucified, and topmost, Christ standing in golden light. The most unusual feature is the Crucifixion
scene, which (for an unknown reason) shows Jesus's head falling to the left, unlike traditional scenes which always show Jesus's head falling to the right.
The cathedral has a wonderful altar piece (pictured, left) carved by the famous Lübeck sculptor and painter Bernt Notke
. It was dedicated on Easter Sunday 1479 and is one of Denmark's great treasures. The altarpiece is unusual in that it has movable sections, so different scenes may be viewed during the liturgical calendar.
The pulpit was carved in oak
by sculptor Michael von Groningen and dedicated in 1588. It shows scenes from the Old
and New Testament
s.
al font was created in copper
by the famous bell maker, Peter Hansen of Flensborg
, in 1481. It was a gift of Bishop Jens Ivarsen Lange, who just two years earlier had given the great altar piece to St Clements. The font stands on the heads of the four evangelists
in human form, but with the heads of the animals that often symbolize the four gospel
s in ecclesiastic art: John
is eagle
-headed, Mark
is lion
-headed, Luke
bears the head of an ox
, while Matthew
alone has the head of a man.
The font has four scenes, carved in relief, from the life of Christ
and nine of the apostles (the rest of the figures cannot be identified). The scenes are the Baptism, the Crucifixion
, Christ on Judgement Day, and Mary's
heavenly coronation.
For the first hundred years the font was open and the priest dipped the child three times; later there were added a brass
top and a silver
tray used for the baptism of children, which is now over 300 years old.
's best-known organ makers, Arp Schnitger
of Hamburg
. It has been restored, enlarged, and updated several times. The majority of voices in the current organ are built by the organ builders Th. Frobenius & Sons
between 1928 and 2001. With 89 voices it is now Denmark's largest church organ, and the priceless Baroque
facade has been maintained in all its glory. In 1885 Robert William Otto Allen
became an organist.
gates that separate the nave from the choir, a reminder of the separation between the clergy and public in Catholic times. The gates were made by Kaspar Fincke, a German-born artist.
In the huge bell tower hang eight bells
. In 1642 lightning
struck the tower and set it ablaze and damaged some of the bells. The oldest (dating from the mid 13th century is the "Martinus"; "pl" is cast in 1493, Per Tidichsøn's bell is of 1505, Caspar Kønig's is cast in 1746, the M. C. Troschell bell is cast in 1762, and a pair of L. Andersen's bells are from 1893, and lastly came the 1894 S. Frichs bell.
As is the custom in many parts of Denmark, a ship
hangs at the crossing as a reminder of those lost at sea and of Denmark's close connection to the sea (pictured, left). The cathedral's ship (dated 1720) is named Enigheden (lit. English Unity) and it might have been built in Holland: the Russian
tsar
Peter the Great ordered war ships from ship builders in Holland; instead of sketches, he was offered a model of the upcoming ship, which was sent by sea to Russia
. A storm sank the transport by Skagen
, and the model made it to shore almost intact. Some fishermen from Aarhus bought the model, and subsequently offered it as a votive gift
to the Aarhus Domkirke.
With the model ship's length of 2.65 m and height of 3.50 m, it is the largest church ship in any Danish church, and it is thought of as a symbol of man's sail from cradle
to grave
.
s (in both Romanesque and Baroque styles), and a number of memorials. The most striking is the Marselis Chapel, built for the Marselis family by the Flemish sculptor Thomas Quellinus
; the chapel's high Baroque memorial is the largest of its kind in Denmark, and beneath the floor is the family burial vault.
The crypt of the cathedral houses the remains of thousands of people of all ranks.
Aarhus
Aarhus or Århus is the second-largest city in Denmark. The principal port of Denmark, Aarhus is on the east side of the peninsula of Jutland in the geographical center of Denmark...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, in the Jutland
Jutland
Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
peninsula in the western part of the country. The cathedral is dedicated to the patron saint of sailors, St. Clemens
Pope Clement I
Starting in the 3rd and 4th century, tradition has identified him as the Clement that Paul mentioned in Philippians as a fellow laborer in Christ.While in the mid-19th century it was customary to identify him as a freedman of Titus Flavius Clemens, who was consul with his cousin, the Emperor...
, and located at the address Domkirkepladsen 2, 8000 Århus C, Denmark, on the port-side of the central market of the town, Store Torv (lit. Danish: Large Square). The church is the longest in Denmark: it is 93 m long and is also the tallest church in Denmark with 96 m, with sitting place for around 1200 people, and its building started at the end of the 12th century.
The early churches of Aarhus
It is unknown exactly when people settled near the mouth the Aarhus River on the coast of Jutland. Certainly in the years 900 there was a VikingViking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
town there. Recent research has dated the building of the first city wall to 934. Aarhus was a town of some importance, as there are six runestones
Rune stone
A runestone is typically a raised stone with a runic inscription, but the term can also be applied to inscriptions on boulders and on bedrock. The tradition began in the 4th century, and it lasted into the 12th century, but most of the runestones date from the late Viking Age...
in or near the city. Aarhus was called Aros, Arus, Aarhus, or Aars, as early as the 15th century. The city's charter of 1449 names it "Aarss". After the Reformation
Reformation in Denmark
The Reformation in Denmark–Norway and Holstein was the transition from Roman Catholicism to Lutheranism in the realms ruled by the Copenhagen-based House of Oldenburg in the first half of the sixteenth century...
, the name "Aarhus" became current.
Aarhus' first church, Holy Trinity Church, a timber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
structure, was built during the reign of Frode King of Jutland around year 900 on a pagan burial site
Germanic paganism
Germanic paganism refers to the theology and religious practices of the Germanic peoples of north-western Europe from the Iron Age until their Christianization during the Medieval period...
in what was then the center of town. The first bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
was Reginbrand, a missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
bishop of Aros in 948 under the Archbishop of Hamburg. Aros came under the rule of the Archbishop of Viborg
Viborg, Denmark
Viborg , a town in central Jutland, Denmark, is the seat of both Viborg municipality and Region Midtjylland. Viborg is also the seat of the Western High Court, the High Court for the Jutland peninsula...
in 1060. According to Adam of Bremen
Adam of Bremen
Adam of Bremen was a German medieval chronicler. He lived and worked in the second half of the eleventh century. He is most famous for his chronicle Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum .-Background:Little is known of his life other than hints from his own chronicles...
, Aros was made a dependent diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
before 998.
St. Nikolai's church was the first cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
of Aros. The second cathedral was a timber structure built in 1102 by bishop Ulfketil near the present site to house the relics of St. Clement
Pope Clement I
Starting in the 3rd and 4th century, tradition has identified him as the Clement that Paul mentioned in Philippians as a fellow laborer in Christ.While in the mid-19th century it was customary to identify him as a freedman of Titus Flavius Clemens, who was consul with his cousin, the Emperor...
. St. Clement was an early Bishop of Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
who was martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
ed by having an anchor
Anchor
An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, that is used to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the vessel from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ancora, which itself comes from the Greek ἄγκυρα .Anchors can either be temporary or permanent...
tied to his neck and thrown into the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
, according to a fictional biography of the saint. Clement was the patron saint of sailor
Sailor
A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
s and especially popular in Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
. The first St. Clement's church burned at some point before the 1190s. This timber church was the center of the local veneration of St. Niels of Aarhus (also called St. Nickolas).
St. Niels was a younger son of King Canute V
Canute V of Denmark
Canute V of Denmark was a Swedish prince and King of Denmark from 1146 to 1157, as co-regent in shifting alliances with his Sweyn III and Valdemar I. Canute was killed at the so-called Bloodfeast of Roskilde in 1157. Nothing certain is known about his person and character.-Biography:Canute was...
. As a young man, Prince Niels lost interest in life at court
Court
A court is a form of tribunal, often a governmental institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law...
and withdrew to the village of Skibby near Aarhus and built a church with his own hands. He lived a saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
ly life and helped the people in the area around Aarhus. One day, as he and a few men from the town were felling trees to build the church at Viby
Viby J
Viby is a district in the southwestern part of Aarhus with almost 30,000 inhabitants. The "J" stands for Jutland, as there is another town called Viby on the island of Zealand called Viby Sj. It is primarily a working class area, including many immigrants who also live in Viby J...
near the sea, one of the men complained that he was thirsty. St. Niels prayed for water and a spring appeared to slake the man's thirst; St. Niels's Spring has run ever since. It has been a place of pilgrimage for hundreds of years and many miraculous healings are said to have taken place there, especially on St. John's Day
St. John's Day
St. John's Day may refer to:Feasts celebrating the Nativity of St. John the Baptist:* January 7, an Eastern Orthodox feast* June 24, Midsummer Day**an Eastern Orthodox feast celebrating his birth**a Roman Catholic feast celebrating his birth...
. On his death bed in 1180, St. Niels asked to be buried in "the little church by the sea" (St. Clements). He was buried in the churchyard at St. Clements.
The Aarhus Cathedral
The construction of Aarhus Cathedral began in the decade after year 1190, by Bishop Peder Vognsen of the powerful Hvide family from Zealand. Bishop Vognsen built the cathedral around St. Clement's church because local people venerated St. Niels, and Vognsen wanted to harness that devotion for his cathedral. Vognsen also established the cathedral schoolCathedral school
Cathedral schools began in the Early Middle Ages as centers of advanced education, some of them ultimately evolving into medieval universities. Throughout the Middle Ages and beyond, they were complemented by the monastic schools...
before the cathedral was completed. The church was finished in 1300 in typical Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
style with half-rounded arches supporting a flat timber ceiling. The second St. Clements was built of large red brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
s, a new building material that became popular all over Scandinavia and northern Germany
Northern Germany
- Geography :The key terrain features of North Germany are the marshes along the coastline of the North Sea and Baltic Sea, and the geest and heaths inland. Also prominent are the low hills of the Baltic Uplands, the ground moraines, end moraines, sandur, glacial valleys, bogs, and Luch...
for ecclesiastical and public buildings. Four chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
s were built into the north transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
. The episcopal chair was moved from Our Lady Church to St. Clements.
However, in 1330, the cathedral and much of the town burned down, and the church was abandoned until 1449. By then the Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style of architecture had reached Denmark, and the cathedral was enlarged in stages until it reached its present size in year 1500. The nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
was lengthened to 93 meters, the longest in Denmark. The transept was widened, and the typical Gothic vaulting
Vault (architecture)
A Vault is an architectural term for an arched form used to provide a space with a ceiling or roof. The parts of a vault exert lateral thrust that require a counter resistance. When vaults are built underground, the ground gives all the resistance required...
raised the ceilings and permitted high windows which fill the building with light.
The Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
changed life in and around the cathedral in many significant ways. In 1524 Hans Tausen
Hans Tausen
Hans Tausen , the protagonist of the Danish Reformation, was born at Birkende on Funen in 1494 and died in Ribe in 1561.- Life :...
, the Danish Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
, taught a Good Friday
Good Friday
Good Friday , is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of...
sermon at Antvarskov Abbey proclaiming the doctrines of Luther. His superior ordered him imprisoned in the Hospitallers monastery in Viborg
Viborg, Denmark
Viborg , a town in central Jutland, Denmark, is the seat of both Viborg municipality and Region Midtjylland. Viborg is also the seat of the Western High Court, the High Court for the Jutland peninsula...
, Jutland. Tausen taught from his cell and ordinary people responded with enthusiasm. His superior tried to silence Tausen, but a near riot forced his release. In the beginning, he was allowed to preach in the open air but his supporters broke open a Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
church, and soon Tausen had more followers than the church could accommodate. Within a year, he was the king's own chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
. Luther's ideas quickly spread to Aarhus and soon the townspeople demanded the right to hear the liturgy
Liturgy
Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
in Danish. The bishop and canons
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
attempted to stop the spread of the Lutheran doctrine in their diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
, but Tausen had caught the imagination of the people and they would not be cowed by anything the bishop might threaten. Most nobles were staunchly Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
, and that brought even more support from common people. By 1528 most of the cities had begun the process of reforming their churches. Tausen taught that tearing apart ancient churches was wrong and that orderly change should be used to reform the church.
In 1533 Frederik I
Frederick I of Denmark
Frederick I of Denmark and Norway was the King of Denmark and Norway. The name is also spelled Friedrich in German, Frederik in Danish, and Fredrik in Swedish and Norwegian...
died and his son, Christian III was proclaimed King of Denmark at the Viborg Assembly (Danish: Landsting
Thing (assembly)
A thing was the governing assembly in Germanic and introduced into some Celtic societies, made up of the free people of the community and presided by lawspeakers, meeting in a place called a thingstead...
), but the State Council denominated by the Catholic bishops refused to accept the election and called upon count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
Christopher of Oldenburg
Christopher of Oldenburg
Christopher of Oldenburg . German Count, regent in Eastern Denmark during the Count's War 1534–36 which was named after him....
to assist in restoring Catholic Christian II to the throne. This resulted in a two-year war called the Count's Feud
Count's Feud
The Count's Feud , also called the Count's War, was a civil war that raged in Denmark in 1534–36 and brought about the Reformation in Denmark...
. Despite the odds, Christian III prevailed and in the summer of 1536 arrested several of the bishops and threw them into prison. The last Catholic Bishop of Aarhus, Ove Bilde, was imprisoned in the summer of 1536 when Denmark officially became a Lutheran nation.
In 1642 lightning struck the tower and set it ablaze, destroying some of the historic bells, but damage to the interior of the church was minimal.
The tower is the tallest in Denmark at 96 meters. It received its present form in 1931.
The fresco paintings and the stained glass window
Aarhus Cathedral has a number of fresco paintingsChurch frescos in Denmark
Church frescos or church wall paintings are to be found in some 600 churches across Denmark, no doubt representing the highest concentration of surviving church murals anywhere in the world. Most of them date back to the Middle Ages...
dating from the 1470 to 1520. Until the Reformation, most of the church's walls were covered in frescoes, of which many were lost. The cathedral still has 220 m2 of frescoes, more than any other church in Denmark. One pre-1470 painting was saved from the first Romanesque-style cathedral in the northwest corner, the so-called Lazarus Window, painted about 1300. It is believed that the window was used to give food to the lepers who weren't permitted inside the building.
The paintings of St Christopher and St Clement are the tallest in the country. Other figures include St Michael
Michael (archangel)
Michael , Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; , Mikhaḗl; or Míchaël; , Mīkhā'īl) is an archangel in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic teachings. Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and Lutherans refer to him as Saint Michael the Archangel and also simply as Saint Michael...
and St George with the dragon (pictured, left).
St Clements only has one stained glass window
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
. It was created by the Norwegian artist Emanuel Vigeland
Emanuel Vigeland
Emanuel Vigeland was a multitalented Norwegian artist. He is most known for a variety of decorations of Scandinavian churches and for Tomba Emmanuelle, his mausoleum at Slemdal in Oslo.-Background:...
in 1926. Its theme is taken from Grundtvig's psalm Da livtræet fæstet i graven rod. It stands 14 m high and is the largest stained glass window in all of Denmark. Three scenes are painted on the window: at the bottom, Christ's lying in his grave on Golgotha; next, Christ crucified, and topmost, Christ standing in golden light. The most unusual feature is the Crucifixion
Crucifixion
Crucifixion is an ancient method of painful execution in which the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead...
scene, which (for an unknown reason) shows Jesus's head falling to the left, unlike traditional scenes which always show Jesus's head falling to the right.
The altar
Bernt Notke
' was the most important German painter and sculptor in Northern Europe in his times....
. It was dedicated on Easter Sunday 1479 and is one of Denmark's great treasures. The altarpiece is unusual in that it has movable sections, so different scenes may be viewed during the liturgical calendar.
The pulpit was carved in oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
by sculptor Michael von Groningen and dedicated in 1588. It shows scenes from the Old
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
and New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
s.
The baptismal font
The baptismBaptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
al font was created in copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
by the famous bell maker, Peter Hansen of Flensborg
Flensburg
Flensburg is an independent town in the north of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Flensburg is the centre of the region of Southern Schleswig...
, in 1481. It was a gift of Bishop Jens Ivarsen Lange, who just two years earlier had given the great altar piece to St Clements. The font stands on the heads of the four evangelists
Four Evangelists
In Christian tradition the Four Evangelists are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the authors attributed with the creation of the four Gospel accounts in the New Testament that bear the following titles:*Gospel according to Matthew*Gospel according to Mark...
in human form, but with the heads of the animals that often symbolize the four gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
s in ecclesiastic art: John
John the Evangelist
Saint John the Evangelist is the conventional name for the author of the Gospel of John...
is eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
-headed, Mark
Mark the Evangelist
Mark the Evangelist is the traditional author of the Gospel of Mark. He is one of the Seventy Disciples of Christ, and the founder of the Church of Alexandria, one of the original four main sees of Christianity....
is lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
-headed, Luke
Luke the Evangelist
Luke the Evangelist was an Early Christian writer whom Church Fathers such as Jerome and Eusebius said was the author of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles...
bears the head of an ox
Ox
An ox , also known as a bullock in Australia, New Zealand and India, is a bovine trained as a draft animal. Oxen are commonly castrated adult male cattle; castration makes the animals more tractable...
, while Matthew
Matthew the Evangelist
Matthew the Evangelist was, according to the Bible, one of the twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the four Evangelists.-Identity:...
alone has the head of a man.
The font has four scenes, carved in relief, from the life of Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
and nine of the apostles (the rest of the figures cannot be identified). The scenes are the Baptism, the Crucifixion
Crucifixion of Jesus
The crucifixion of Jesus and his ensuing death is an event that occurred during the 1st century AD. Jesus, who Christians believe is the Son of God as well as the Messiah, was arrested, tried, and sentenced by Pontius Pilate to be scourged, and finally executed on a cross...
, Christ on Judgement Day, and Mary's
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
heavenly coronation.
For the first hundred years the font was open and the priest dipped the child three times; later there were added a brass
Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
top and a silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
tray used for the baptism of children, which is now over 300 years old.
The organ
The main organ was built by the famous organ maker Lambert Daniel Kastens in 1730. He was a student of one of EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
's best-known organ makers, Arp Schnitger
Arp Schnitger
Arp Schnitger was a highly influential German organ builder. He was primarily active in Northern Europe, especially the Netherlands and Germany, where a number of his instruments survive to the present day; his organs can also be found as far away as Portugal and Brazil.Notable examples still in...
of Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
. It has been restored, enlarged, and updated several times. The majority of voices in the current organ are built by the organ builders Th. Frobenius & Sons
Frobenius Orgelbyggeri
-History:Frobenius Orgelbyggeri was founded in Copenhagen by Theodor Frobenius in 1909. The firm moved to Lyngby in 1925. Theodor's sons Walther and Erik joined the company in 1944, at the same time that they began to build organs in the classical tradition, with mechanical actions and slider...
between 1928 and 2001. With 89 voices it is now Denmark's largest church organ, and the priceless Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
facade has been maintained in all its glory. In 1885 Robert William Otto Allen
Robert William Otto Allen
Robert William Otto Allen was a Danish pianist, composer and conductor. He was the brother of conductor Georg Frederik Ferdinand Allen....
became an organist.
Golden gates, the bells and the model ship
The "Golden Door" is one of five wrought ironIron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
gates that separate the nave from the choir, a reminder of the separation between the clergy and public in Catholic times. The gates were made by Kaspar Fincke, a German-born artist.
In the huge bell tower hang eight bells
Church bell
A church bell is a bell which is rung in a church either to signify the hour or the time for worshippers to go to church, perhaps to attend a wedding, funeral, or other service...
. In 1642 lightning
Lightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
struck the tower and set it ablaze and damaged some of the bells. The oldest (dating from the mid 13th century is the "Martinus"; "pl" is cast in 1493, Per Tidichsøn's bell is of 1505, Caspar Kønig's is cast in 1746, the M. C. Troschell bell is cast in 1762, and a pair of L. Andersen's bells are from 1893, and lastly came the 1894 S. Frichs bell.
As is the custom in many parts of Denmark, a ship
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
hangs at the crossing as a reminder of those lost at sea and of Denmark's close connection to the sea (pictured, left). The cathedral's ship (dated 1720) is named Enigheden (lit. English Unity) and it might have been built in Holland: the Russian
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
Peter the Great ordered war ships from ship builders in Holland; instead of sketches, he was offered a model of the upcoming ship, which was sent by sea to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. A storm sank the transport by Skagen
Skagen
Skagen is a projection of land and a town, with a population of 8,515 , in Region Nordjylland on the northernmost tip of Vendsyssel-Thy, a part of the Jutland peninsula in northern Denmark...
, and the model made it to shore almost intact. Some fishermen from Aarhus bought the model, and subsequently offered it as a votive gift
Votive offering
A votive deposit or votive offering is one or more objects displayed or deposited, without the intention of recovery or use, in a sacred place for broadly religious purposes. Such items are a feature of modern and ancient societies and are generally made in order to gain favor with supernatural...
to the Aarhus Domkirke.
With the model ship's length of 2.65 m and height of 3.50 m, it is the largest church ship in any Danish church, and it is thought of as a symbol of man's sail from cradle
Cradle
Cradle may refer to:Mechanical devices:*Bassinet, a small bed, often on rockers, in which babies and small children sleep* Ship cradle, supports a ship that is dry docked...
to grave
Grave (burial)
A grave is a location where a dead body is buried. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial, such as graveyards or cemeteries....
.
Tombs and memorials
The church has several chapels and tombTomb
A tomb is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes...
s (in both Romanesque and Baroque styles), and a number of memorials. The most striking is the Marselis Chapel, built for the Marselis family by the Flemish sculptor Thomas Quellinus
Thomas Quellinus
Thomas Quellinus , also known, especially in Denmark, as Thomas Qvellinus, was a Flemish baroque sculptor who worked mainly in Copenhagen, Denmark...
; the chapel's high Baroque memorial is the largest of its kind in Denmark, and beneath the floor is the family burial vault.
The crypt of the cathedral houses the remains of thousands of people of all ranks.