St. Canute's Cathedral
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St. Canute's Cathedral ( da, Odense Domkirke or Sankt Knuds Kirke), also known as Odense Cathedral, is named after the
Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...
king Canute the Saint ( da, Knud den Hellige), otherwise Canute IV. It is a fine example of
Brick Gothic Brick Gothic (german: Backsteingotik, pl, Gotyk ceglany, nl, Baksteengotiek) is a specific style of Gothic architecture common in Northeast and Central Europe especially in the regions in and around the Baltic Sea, which do not have resourc ...
architecture. The church's most visited section is the crypt where the remains of Canute and his brother Benedict are on display.


History

St. Canute's Church in one form or another has stood on Abbey Hill in Odense ( da, Klosterbakken) for over 900 years. Odense was established as the seat of the Bishop of Odense (Othinia) before 988 under the supervision of the Bishop of Schleswig, itself a
suffragan A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Anglican Communion, a suffragan bishop is a bishop who is subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop (bishop ordinary) and so is not normally jurisdictiona ...
of the Archbishops of
Hamburg-Bremen The Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen (german: Fürsterzbistum Bremen) — not to be confused with the modern Archdiocese of Hamburg, founded in 1994 — was an ecclesiastical principality (787–1566/1648) of the Holy Roman Empire and the Catholic ...
. The diocese included the southern Baltic islands of Denmark. The earliest bishops' names have not been recorded. Odense passed to the jurisdiction of
Roskilde Roskilde ( , ) is a city west of Copenhagen on the Danish island of Zealand. With a population of 51,916 (), the city is a business and educational centre for the region and the 10th largest city in Denmark. It is governed by the administrative ...
in 1072 for a short period of time before falling to the Archdiocese of Lund. The earliest known church on the present location was a
travertine Travertine ( ) is a form of terrestrial limestone deposited around mineral springs, especially hot springs. It often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, cream-colored, and even rusty varieties. It is formed by a pro ...
church which was reported under construction by Aelnoth of Canterbury, a
Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...
monk at the nearby St. Alban's Priory in 1095. The foundations of the travertine church can still be seen in the crypt of the present building. The church was built in Romanesque style with semi-circular arches supporting a flat timber ceiling. The travertine church was built specifically to house the earthly remains of King Canute, who was murdered in the church of St. Alban's Priory in 1086.


King Canute IV of Denmark

Canute IV of Denmark was one of the sons of King
Sven Estridsen Sweyn Estridsson Ulfsson ( on, Sveinn Ástríðarson, da, Svend Estridsen; – 28 April 1076) was King of Denmark (being Sweyn II) from 1047 until his death in 1076. He was the son of Ulf Thorgilsson and Estrid Svendsdatter, and the grandson o ...
. He participated in King Sweyn’s raid of England in 1069. In 1075 he accompanied the Danish fleet on its last great raid of England. When King Sweyn died in 1076, Canute's brother Harald Hen was elected king of Denmark and ruled until his own death in 1080, at which time Canute succeeded him on the throne of Denmark. Canute ruled Denmark from 1080 to 1086. Canute reigned at a difficult time in Danish history. The idea of a strengthened monarchy did not sit well with the powerful feudal landowners, but it was just what Canute had in mind. After the death of his older brother, the national assembly (''Ting'') met on Zealand to proclaim Canute king of Denmark. Once the assembly had shouted their approval, Canute stood up and spoke to those assembled, both peasant and nobles: "You called my brother Harald the Whet-stone, but you will learn that I will be hard as granite!" (''kampesten''). Soon after, he ordered the people of Halland to supply him with horses and wagons to transport himself and his household throughout the kingdom. The assembly met to discuss the king's request. The people decided that the request was not lawful according to the ancient customs and laws they all knew. Canute was enraged by what he heard. "It is your right to hold fast to your rights and laws and bear only the burdens the law allows, but you must also accept that I am free to do with mine what I will, and I forbid you to let your swine graze in Halland's Great Forest which belongs to me!" After hasty consultations the Hallanders supplied the required equipment. Canute did the same in
Scania Scania, also known by its native name of Skåne (, ), is the southernmost of the historical provinces of Sweden, provinces (''landskap'') of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conte ...
(southern Sweden). At the assembly he required men and supplies to build the new
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 ...
. When the assembly baulked, Canute swore he would forbid them to fish in the
Øresund Øresund or Öresund (, ; da, Øresund ; sv, Öresund ), commonly known in English as the Sound, is a strait which forms the Danish–Swedish border, separating Zealand (Denmark) from Scania (Sweden). The strait has a length of ; its width v ...
. Likewise they too acceded to the king's request. Canute was a devout Christian and believed that a strong central church in Denmark would give him more power. He was instrumental in improving the nationwide system of bishops by using his own local officials (''fogeder'') to collect
tithes A tithe (; from Old English: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash or cheques or more r ...
, a new tax, which were used to build the churches, hospitals and monasteries which were just beginning to be introduced into Denmark. Many people were Christian in name, but the old ways were only half-forgotten, and suspicions about foreigners ran high. Peasants were hard-pressed to put food on the table and the forced tithes infuriated peasants, merchants, and nobles alike. Canute brought about the wrath of some of his chiefs when he hanged Jarl Egil Ragnarsen, his hand-picked governor of
Bornholm Bornholm () is a Danish island in the Baltic Sea, to the east of the rest of Denmark, south of Sweden, northeast of Germany and north of Poland. Strategically located, Bornholm has been fought over for centuries. It has usually been ruled by ...
, and most of his household for piracy. Many nobles took to the seas on occasion looking for a quick way to bolster income. The execution of a high-ranking chief caused more than one chief to reconsider his support for such a troublesome monarch. Canute's headaches came to a head in 1085-86, when he decided to invade England and try to take the throne from
William I William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 1087 ...
who was old and by some reports failing. As a close relative of
Canute the Great Cnut (; ang, Cnut cyning; non, Knútr inn ríki ; or , no, Knut den mektige, sv, Knut den Store. died 12 November 1035), also known as Cnut the Great and Canute, was King of England from 1016, King of Denmark from 1018, and King of Norway ...
, Canute's claim was easily as valid as that of William of Normandy's. With the co-operation of
Robert I, Count of Flanders Robert I ( – 13 October 1093), known as ''Robert the Frisian'', was count of Flanders from 1071 to his death in 1093. He was a son of Baldwin V, Count of Flanders and the younger brother of Baldwin VI, Count of Flanders. He usurped the countsh ...
, his father-in-law, Canute ordered an armada of 1,000 Danish ships and 60 Norwegian ships to assemble at Struer in the Limfjord, northern Jutland, in the summer of 1085. As had been the tradition since the first Viking raid on England, local chiefs gathered ships, supplies, sailors, and warriors for a share of the profits, loot, slaves, and treasure taken during the raid. Canute in the meantime travelled from assembly to assembly in southern Jutland ordering his people to pay tithes, a tenth of all their produce for the church. At the same time he tried to institute a
poll tax A poll tax, also known as head tax or capitation, is a tax levied as a fixed sum on every liable individual (typically every adult), without reference to income or resources. Head taxes were important sources of revenue for many governments fr ...
(''nefgjald'') to raise money from the peasants. The tithes and new tax were not well received, and when his brother, Olaf, protested, Canute had him arrested and exiled to Flanders in chains, believing that Olaf was responsible for the growing unrest. It took so long to pacify the south that Canute was unable to come north for weeks. In the meantime, the Danes at Struer were hungry, bored, and very unhappy with the king. Finally they agreed that they would sail home. They told themselves that the weather would turn bad before they could complete a successful raid, and that such a late start would spell disaster. The order to assemble had not been made at an assembly, and was therefore unlawful in the popular view. To the Norwegians they said, "You can stay here in this place of starvation, if you will. We are going home." When Canute arrived at Struer and found the fleet disbanded, he was furious. He thanked the Norwegians for their patience and sent them home. "Now we (Danes) will play," he said ominously. Canute blamed the wives of several leading chiefs from Jutland of causing bad weather and ordered his officers to collect such heavy fines from their families that it would have bankrupted all of them. Then he proceeded from assembly to assembly to outlaw any man, sailor, peasant or noble who left Struer until they paid a heavy fine, more than the annual income of any but the wealthiest nobles. Within days the peasants in
Vendsyssel Vendsyssel () is the northernmost traditional district of Denmark and of Jutland. Being divided from mainland Jutland by the Limfjord, it is technically a part of the North Jutlandic Island, but the name often used informally for the entire island. ...
, the most northern part of Jutland, rebelled. Royal property was burned, and royal officials were tortured and murdered. The Jute chiefs decided to cast their lot in with the peasants for once, and the rebellion spread rapidly. Canute and his household and other loyal followers fled from Jutland with the intention of returning to Zealand, where Canute had more support. He was convinced instead however to sail over to
Funen Funen ( da, Fyn, ), with an area of , is the third-largest island of Denmark, after Zealand and Vendsyssel-Thy. It is the 165th-largest island in the world. It is located in the central part of the country and has a population of 469,947 as of ...
and then on to the royal farm (''gård'') at Odense by his trusted adviser, Asbjørn Blak, who also persuaded the king that he could be reconciled with the great landowners and peasants. Canute and his brothers, Benedict and Erik, and their housecarls went to the king's farm outside Odense. When the peasants and their leaders realized the king was at Odense, they raced to the king's farm, but Canute and Benedict fled into the little timber church of St. Alban's Priory near the river for sanctuary. The rebels refused to recognize sanctuary. "Come out to us, you devil. Too long you have used the edge of your sword to hurt your own people. Now you will feel the edge of our weapons!" Prince Benedict and several others defended the doors. The mob hurled stones and arrows through the windows shouting, "This is for stealing my cow! This is for taking my horses!" Since they couldn't get through the heavy outer doors, the mob tried to set fire to the church, but a light rain kept the fire from taking hold. They began tearing at the timber walls to get access. Prince Benedict shouted, "It would be better that you go home to thresh your grain than stand here and exchange blows with the king's men!" The remaining defenders retreated to the choir door which separated the altar area from the nave of the church. The floors ran with blood. "There he is!" shouted Blak, but before the traitor could move against the king, he was slain by Prince Benedict. The mob hacked Prince Benedict to death. Canute had received communion and tradition says he offered no resistance when he was killed at the main altar. Forensic evidence suggests he was speared from the front and had his skull smashed, perhaps by a stone thrown through an opening that had been torn through the wall of the choir. Prince Erik, later King Erik Ejegod, managed to talk his way out of the king's farm and fled to Zealand and then with his wife and child to Skania. The seventeen housecarls loyal to Canute were massacred within the confines of the church on 10 July 1086. The Benedictine monks buried Canute and Prince Benedict in front of the main altar of the priory church. The story of Canute's death at the altar and his well-known devoutness quickly caught the popular imagination. When his queen, Adela of Flanders, came to move her husband's body to Flanders, a bright light shone around St. Alban's church. The queen left her husband where he was, and the faithful streamed to the church which housed the remains of their saintly king. Almost immediately there were reports of miraculous healings at the site of his burial. Blind, deaf, and lame were healed. Seven years of famine following Canute's death were another sure sign that Canute was worthy of veneration. His brother and successor, Olaf I, was given the nickname Hunger because he was unable to do anything about the famine that ravaged Denmark for years after Canute's death. The unique circumstances of Canute's death was seized upon by the Roman Catholic Church as an example of saintliness for the newly converted peoples of Scandinavia. Canute was canonized in 1101 by Pope Pascal II. Some confusion exists among writers about the location of the new St. Canute's church thinking it rose on the site of the assassination, but St Alban's and St Canute's churches were not in the same location. The new cathedral, constructed in imported
tuff Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption. Following ejection and deposition, the ash is lithified into a solid rock. Rock that contains greater than 75% ash is considered tuff, while rock cont ...
stone, was constructed a little farther from the river, and was well underway before Canute became a saint. Aelnoth of Canterbury, an English monk, reported the building of St Canute's in 1095 and described the miracles reported at the site of Canute's grave. When the first church of St. Canute was completed, a three-day fast was proclaimed for the entire kingdom and the remains of Canute and Benedict were moved to the cathedral. It was believed that if the king was truly a saint that the shroud should be set on fire and the body would not be harmed. The shroud of Saint Canute was set alight, and the fire indeed left no mark upon the body of the king.


Second St. Canute's Cathedral

During the civil war between Eric IV and his brother, Abel, Odense and the cathedral were burned down in 1247. The present church was constructed in several phases to replace the aging and inadequate stone church in about 1300 by Bishop Gisico (1287–1300). The new cathedral was built in
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 ...
style with its typical pointed arches and high vaulted ceilings. The building material of choice for the time was oversized red brick which was cheaper and easier to work with than the porous stone available. Portions of the stone cathedral were taken down and the new building expanded around the old. In all it took approximately two hundred years to complete the cathedral, which was finally dedicated on 30 April 1499. The church was built in cruciform shape without a tower. The ancient crypt was expanded in such a way that pilgrims could visit the reliquary of Saint Canute beneath the raised choir without interfering with the canons' hourly services above. The canons also claimed they had relics of Saint Alban which Canute supposedly stole on his 1075 attack on
Ely Ely or ELY may refer to: Places Ireland * Éile, a medieval kingdom commonly anglicised Ely * Ely Place, Dublin, a street United Kingdom * Ely, Cambridgeshire, a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England ** Ely Cathedral Ely Cathedral, formal ...
, England. King Hans of Denmark (d. 1513) was buried in the cathedral in 1513. His wife,
Christina of Saxony Christina of Saxony (born Torgau, 25 December 1461 – died Odense, 8 December 1521), was Queen of Denmark, Norway and Sweden as the wife of King John. Life Early life Christina was engaged to John, King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, in 14 ...
, who lived the latter part of her life in a nunnery in Odense, commissioned the famous German sculptor
Claus Berg Claus Berg (ca. 1470 – ca. 1532) was a German sculptor and painter who is remembered for his workshop in Odense and his decorative work in Danish churches, especially altarpieces and crucifixes. His finest work, the altarpiece which now stands ...
to create a magnificent burial chapel in the church of the Franciscan friary in Odense, where both she and her husband were laid to rest after her death in 1521. The son of Hans and Christina, King Christian II, with his wife Isabella of Austria, was also interred in the royal family chapel. In 1807 the former Franciscan church was demolished, and Claus Berg's magnificent late Gothic altarpiece and the bodies of the four royals were transferred to St. Canute's Cathedral. The altarpiece is truly one of Denmark's national treasures. It was carved between 1515 and 1525. Each of the three sections is intricately carved and gilded. It survived the iconoclastic fervour of the
Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
perhaps because of its connection with the royal burials. The single tower was completed in 1586 over the west entrance in the same style as the rest of the cathedral. Five bells hang in the tower, the oldest from 1300 cast by Adam..., one cast in 1597 by Jens Hansen, a bell cast in 1677, and one from 1767 cast by ... Leitze. The most recent bell was cast by MP Allerup in 1880. In 1633 Valkendorf's Chapel was added, by all accounts a fine example of Renaissance artistry. Unfortunately it was dismantled in the great restoration of 1868. Thomas Kingo was made the Lutheran Bishop of Odense in 1634. He was Denmark's most famous psalmist and produced a new hymnbook to which he personally contributed 85 hymns. 1752 Amdie Worm's spectacular organ was installed. The facade of the organ remains, but the organ has been expanded and improved to become the cherished voice of Odense Cathedral. During restoration work in the 1870s, the crypt which had been closed since the Reformation was refurbished and opened as a chapel, and Saint Canute once more went on display.


Gallery

Image:Odense Cathedral seen from Eventyrhaven.jpg, St. Canute's Cathedral seen from ''Eventyrhaven'' park. The statue represents
Hans Christian Andersen Hans Christian Andersen ( , ; 2 April 1805 – 4 August 1875) was a Danish author. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, he is best remembered for his literary fairy tales. Andersen's fairy tales, consisti ...
. The yellow building stands on the site of the former St. Canute's Abbey Image:Domkirke-odense-kor_stor.jpg, Nave Image:Altarpiece Odense Sankt Knut cathedral Denmark.jpg, Altar by the sculptor
Claus Berg Claus Berg (ca. 1470 – ca. 1532) was a German sculptor and painter who is remembered for his workshop in Odense and his decorative work in Danish churches, especially altarpieces and crucifixes. His finest work, the altarpiece which now stands ...
. Image:Jacobus de Dacia.jpg, Detail of altar: a Franciscan friar, possibly intended for Brother
Jacob the Dacian Jacob the Dacian (Spanish: Jacobo Daciano; Latin: Iacobus de Dacia; c. 1484 in Copenhagen, Denmark – 1566 in Michoacán, New Spain) was a Danish-born Franciscan friar. He achieved fluency in eight languages and fame among the indigenous ...
Image:John of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.jpg,
Hans of Denmark John (Danish, Norwegian and sv, Hans; né ''Johannes'') (2 February 1455 – 20 February 1513) was a Scandinavian monarch under the Kalmar Union. He was king of Denmark (1481–1513), Norway (1483–1513) and as John II ( sv, Johan II) S ...
, detail of grave monument by Claus Berg Image:Stknutsbones.jpg, The bones of Saint Canute IV of Denmark interred in the cathedral named after him


References


Other sources

* Hvidtfeldt, Arild (1985) ''Danmarks Riges Krønike'' (København: Peter Asschenfeldt's Bogklub)


External links


Odense Cathedral website

Kirkeklokker i Danmark


(nordenskirker.dk)''
Sankt Knuds Kirke
(Den Store Danske)
Sankt Knuds Kirke
(Danmarks Kirker, Nationalmuseet) * :da:Knud den Hellige {{Authority control Cathedrals in Denmark Lutheran cathedrals in Denmark Pre-Reformation Roman Catholic cathedrals Lutheran churches converted from Roman Catholicism Tourist attractions in Odense Brick Gothic Gothic architecture in Denmark Romanesque architecture in Denmark Churches in the diocese of Funen