Lyngsjö Church ( sv, Lyngsjö kyrka) is a medieval church in , in the province of

Skåne Scania, also known by its native name of Skåne (, ), is the southernmost of the historical provinces (''landskap'') of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conterminous with Skåne C ...

, Sweden. The well-preserved medieval church contains an unusual, Romanesque

antependium An ''antependium'' (from Latin ''ante-'' and ''pendēre'' "to hang before"; pl: ''antependia''), also known as a ''parament'' or ''hanging'', or, when speaking specifically of the hanging for the altar, an altar frontal (Latin: ''pallium altaris ...

of gilt copper of unknown origin.

History and architecture

Lyngsjö Church was probably built during the 1140s in

Romanesque style Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of medieval Europe characterized by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque style, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 11th century, this later ...

. The building material is

fieldstone Fieldstone is a naturally occurring type of stone, which lies at or near the surface of the Earth. Fieldstone is a nuisance for farmers seeking to expand their land under cultivation, but at some point it began to be used as a construction mate ...

. From the beginning the church had a broad, western tower, a

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which ...

and an

apse In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an ''exedra''. In ...

. Originally the church ceiling was

barrel vault A barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault, wagon vault or wagonhead vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve (or pair of curves, in the case of a pointed barrel vault) along a given distance. The curves are ...

ed but it was replaced by the presently visible

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

vaults in the 15th century. The apse was demolished in 1796, and the entrances to the church altered. Unusually, Lyngsjö Church contains a small walled-up entrance, measuring , in the northern wall. It was used by criminals who had been sentenced to death; Lynsjö was between 1649 and 1750 centre of the

hundred 100 or one hundred (Roman numeral: C) is the natural number following 99 and preceding 101. In medieval contexts, it may be described as the short hundred or five score in order to differentiate the English and Germanic use of "hundred" to de ...

, and therefore both the location of the courthouse and the

gallows A gallows (or scaffold) is a frame or elevated beam, typically wooden, from which objects can be suspended (i.e., hung) or "weighed". Gallows were thus widely used to suspend public weighing scales for large and heavy objects such as sacks ...

serving the hundred. Convicted criminals were given the

last rites The last rites, also known as the Commendation of the Dying, are the last prayers and ministrations given to an individual of Christian faith, when possible, shortly before death. They may be administered to those awaiting execution, mortall ...

in the church before being taken to be executed, but forced to use the smaller entrance to show their humility before the church. The last execution in Lyngsjö was carried out in 1836.

Murals

The church contains fragments of medieval murals. They consist of two different sets. The oldest are possibly from the time when the church was built or from the 1190s. They were discovered during a renovation in 1953, and restored the following year. They depict religious scenes, including episodes from the life of Christ. A later mural on the wall separating the choir from the nave shows

Saint Christopher Saint Christopher ( el, Ἅγιος Χριστόφορος, ''Ágios Christóphoros'') is veneration, venerated by several Christianity, Christian denominations as a martyr killed in the reign of the 3rd-century Roman Empire, Roman emperor Deciu ...

. It has been dated to the 14th century.

Antependium

Arguably the most unusual thing in the church is a richly decorated, gilt

or altar front. It is an unusually refined piece of art, unparalleled in its kind within the

Nordic countries The Nordic countries (also known as the Nordics or ''Norden''; literal translation, lit. 'the North') are a geographical and cultural region in Northern Europe and the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It includes the sovereign states of Denmar ...

. According to art historian and former deputy head of

Kulturen Kulturen () is an open air museum in Lund in Lund, Sweden. Occupying two blocks in central Lund, Kulturen is Sweden's and the world's second oldest open-air museum after Skansen in Stockholm. It contains historic buildings, dating from the Midd ...

Claes Wahlöö, it would be "better suited for the high altar of a cathedral than a countryside church". The antependium is made of gilt copper and contains 13 figures. The central panel displays

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

on a throne with the infant Christ in her lap. Above and below her the Old Testament kings

Solomon Solomon (; , ),, ; ar, سُلَيْمَان, ', , ; el, Σολομών, ; la, Salomon also called Jedidiah (Hebrew language, Hebrew: , Modern Hebrew, Modern: , Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: ''Yăḏīḏăyāh'', "beloved of Yahweh, Yah"), ...

and

David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

are portrayed within semicircles. To the left of Mary is a portrayal of

Aaron According to Abrahamic religions, Aaron ''′aharon'', ar, هارون, Hārūn, Greek (Septuagint): Ἀαρών; often called Aaron the priest ()., group="note" ( or ; ''’Ahărōn'') was a prophet, a high priest, and the elder brother of ...

, and to her right

Moses Moses hbo, מֹשֶׁה, Mōše; also known as Moshe or Moshe Rabbeinu (Mishnaic Hebrew: מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, ); syr, ܡܘܫܐ, Mūše; ar, موسى, Mūsā; grc, Mωϋσῆς, Mōÿsēs () is considered the most important pro ...

is depicted, both within circles. The other eight figures represent

Prophets of Christianity In Christianity, the figures widely recognised as Prophet#Christianity, prophets are those mentioned as such in the Old Testament and the New Testament. It is believed that prophets are Chosen people, chosen and Religious calling, called by God. ...

. The antependium was displayed at the

Baltic Exhibition The Baltic Exhibition was held in Malmö, Sweden from 15 May to 4 October 1914. (The official closing date, September 30, was later extended by four days, as permitted in the general rules.) A Swedish world's fair The event showcased the industry, ...

Malmö Malmö (, ; da, Malmø ) is the largest city in the Swedish county (län) of Scania (Skåne). It is the third-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the sixth-largest city in the Nordic region, with a municipal populat ...

in 1914. The origin of the antependium is unknown. The similarities with an antependium from the monastery of

Comburg The Comburg (; also ''Grosscomburg'') is a former Benedictine monastery near Schwäbisch Hall, Germany. History In 1078, Burkhardt II, , donated his family's ancestral castle, on a hill overlooking the Kocher river and the town of Schwäbisch Ha ...

in southern Germany have been pointed out. It has been suggested that it may have been imported or perhaps manufactured locally by a goldsmith – perhaps Italian or German – working at the construction site of

Lund Cathedral Lund Cathedral ( sv, Lunds domkyrka) is a cathedral of the Lutheran Church of Sweden in Lund, Scania, Sweden. It is the seat of the Bishop of Lund and the main church of the Diocese of Lund. It was built as the Catholic cathedral of the archiepi ...

. It has been dated to between the 1150s and 1170s.

Baptismal font

Another unusual item in the church is the

baptismal font A baptismal font is an article of church furniture used for baptism. Aspersion and affusion fonts The fonts of many Christian denominations are for baptisms using a non-immersive method, such as aspersion (sprinkling) or affusion (pouring). ...

. It is Romanesque in style, made of local

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...

and also dates from the end of the 12th century. The sculptor of the font has been presumed to have been the Romanesque sculptor known after a signature in another font as

Tove Tove is a Scandinavian given name that derives from the Old Norse name Tófa. The name is usually given to girls but occasionally to boys. It is also an alternative English spelling of the Hebrew name more commonly spelled Tovah or Tova. Origins ...

. The richly decorated main sculptural element depicts the martyrdom of

Thomas Becket Thomas Becket (), also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Thomas of London and later Thomas à Becket (21 December 1119 or 1120 – 29 December 1170), was an English nobleman who served as Lord Chancellor from 1155 to 1162, and then ...

. The choice of motif probably had a political significance and was not an isolated curiosity: a

relic In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...

of Thomas Becket was taken to Gumlösa Church, also in Skåne, at about the same time. The frieze running around the font displays the murder of Becket.

Henry II of England Henry II (5 March 1133 – 6 July 1189), also known as Henry Curtmantle (french: link=no, Court-manteau), Henry FitzEmpress, or Henry Plantagenet, was King of England from 1154 until his death in 1189, and as such, was the first Angevin king ...

is ordering the murder from his throne; to make his identity clear, the sculptor has made a little sign next to him with the inscription REX.HRICVS (interpreted as "King Henry" in

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

) A number of soldiers with drawn swords are moving towards Becket, and he is depicted falling down, struck by one of the soldiers. Behind him is an altar and another clerical figure with a cross; it has been interpreted as a depiction of either

Edward Grim Edward Grim (died 1189) was a monk from Cambridge who visited Canterbury Cathedral on Tuesday 29 December 1170 when Thomas Becket was murdered. He researched and published a book, ''Vita S. Thomae'' (Life of St. Thomas) in about 1180, which is t ...

or Thomas Becket as a saint. The next scene shows Becket ascending to heaven. The rest of the sculptural decoration of the font depict traditional religious themes, such as the

Coronation of the Virgin The Coronation of the Virgin or Coronation of Mary is a subject in Christian art, especially popular in Italy in the 13th to 15th centuries, but continuing in popularity until the 18th century and beyond. Christ, sometimes accompanied by God th ...

, as well as typically Romanesque grotesque beasts and imaginary animals.

Other furnishings

The

altarpiece An altarpiece is an artwork such as a painting, sculpture or relief representing a religious subject made for placing at the back of or behind the altar of a Christian church. Though most commonly used for a single work of art such as a painting o ...

of the church, placed behind the

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paga ...

and the antependium, is a richly decorated piece from the 17th century. The

pulpit A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, access ...

was also made 1600. The church furthermore has two

church bell A church bell in Christian architecture is a bell which is rung in a church for a variety of religious purposes, and can be heard outside the building. Traditionally they are used to call worshippers to the church for a communal service, and t ...

s. The larger one is from the 13th century while the smaller one was donated to the church by a former villager who had emigrated to the United States in the 19th century. It bears the inscription ''Åt Lyngby kyrka af Pehr S. Peterson, Chicago, A. D. 1889'' ("To Lyngby

sic The Latin adverb ''sic'' (; "thus", "just as"; in full: , "thus was it written") inserted after a quoted word or passage indicates that the quoted matter has been transcribed or translated exactly as found in the source text, complete with any e ...

Church from Pehr S. Peterson, Chicago, A. D. 1889"), and was made in New York.

Holy spring

About north of the church lies a

spring Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season), a season of the year * Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy * Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water * Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a ...

that has been considered holy, probably since pre-Christian times. During the Middle Ages, it was associated with

Saint Helena Saint Helena () is a British overseas territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote volcanic tropical island west of the coast of south-western Africa, and east of Rio de Janeiro in South America. It is one of three constitu ...

. As late as in the 18th century its waters were considered to have miraculous properties.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lyngsjo Church Churches in Skåne County Churches in the Diocese of Lund Church frescos in Sweden Romanesque architecture in Sweden 12th-century churches in Sweden