Tuesday, September 01, 2009

Thorning church / Thorning kirke, Lysgård herred, Viborg amt


Thorning Church, ab. 15 km south of Viborg
Thorning sogn, Lysgård herred, Viborg amt.

The church is strongly marked by a rebuild in 1743. It has a choir and nave from Romanesque period, an extension and a stilt-tower to the west, possibly both from 1743, and a porch to the north from 1935. The original sections are in granite ashlars, both doors are bricked up, and the original windows have disappeared. The south windows and the south door of the choir are possibly from the 1800s. The western extension is according to an inscription built at the same time as the tower, in 1743 (when an old tower was demolished) . The coat of arms and initials of Janus Friedenreich of Palstrup and fru Anne Margrethe Linde are carved in the cover stone of the door and in two limestone tablets, placed in the tower's supporting pillars. The tower has a low, curved pyramid roof.



Inventory restored in 1935. Altar piece and communion table is a collected structure in Renaissance -style from 1903. From an earlier altar piece, ab. 1700, origins a late Gothic alabast -relief , an English work, now - after preservation at the National Museum in 1955 - it hangs on the wall of the nave. Altar chalice 1620 with Henrik Sandberg and Kirsten Juul's names and coat of arms and biblical reliefs. Altar candelabres 1600s. Romanesque granite font with lions, similar to the font in Hinge (maybe from demolished Ungstrup church?). South German baptismal bowl, ab. 1550. Small newer bronze crucifix upon triumph wall. A rich Baroque pulpit, 1662 , in five fields with biblical reliefs. New pews, but a bench with Renaissance panel and gables in the porch. Full-rigged church ship "Arken".


At the church yard the grave of Mads Doss, who is famous from Steen Steensen Blicher's song about him.

Names in the Middle Ages and 1600s:
Torning (* 1421 Tornum, * 1451 Torning, 1542 Tornum); Ungstrup (* 1310 Ungstorpmarc); Vattrup (* 1453 Wertrup, 1584 Varthrup); Nørre Knudstrup (* 1410 Ner Knudstrup); Oustrupgårde (* 1480 Oustrup); Sønder Knudstrup (* 1410 Synder Knudstrup); Ravnholt (* 1501 Raffuenholt); Grågårde (* 1526 Graagaards marck); Bøgild (* 1480 Bøggield, 1509 Bøgiil); Impgårde (* 1497 Ympe gaard); Over Kærsholm (* 1400s Kyer, 1664 Kierszholmbs Hvdgaard); Sangildgård (* 1487 Sangild); Grønbjerggård (1664 Grønbech Gaard, 1683 Grøndberre Gaard).

Ungstrup was earlier a parish. Its church (mentioned 1497, 1498 and 1524) was a Romanesque granite ashlar-building,which was rebuilt in the Gothic period, when the choir was broken down and the nave extended. It was later demolished according to a special royal licence of 28 October 1558. Only a small rise in a field east of Ungstrup and some raw granite boulders show where the church once was. In the National Museum is an interesting small Romanesque grave stone with two persons in long tunics (one with a sword) standing upon a crowned cross with majuskels.

Kærsholm was in 1558 exchanged by the Crown to Anders Sandberg of Kvelstrup. After his death 1568 it came first to his brother Henrik Sandberg(+ 1588), whose widow Kirsten Juul died 1626, then to the brother hr. Ulrik Sandberg (+ 1630) and the sister's son Henrik Holck. Later owners Bering, Hofmand, Friedenreich, Glud, etc. Later outparcelling.

Møgellund and Vester Oustrup belonged 1503 to Anders Munk (Vinranke-M.). M came to the son-in-law Jens Hvas (of Ormstrup), whose children Just and Christiern Hvas exchanged it (confirmed by the king 1544) with Niels Skeel of Vinderslevgård, with whom it 1579 came to the Crown.

Impgård had Henrik Sandberg (+ 1588) in an exchange with the Crown ab. 1573, after the farm for 60 years had followed Ungstrup church. In 1590 it was owned by his widow Kirsten Juul (+1626).

In the earlier Ungstrup sogn(parish) was a village Lund (* 1476 Lund). Ungstrup kirke, demolished 1560, was also named Lund kirke. From disappeared farms are mentioned Hølfrøgård (* 1459 Vestre Holfre) at Hylfredmose north of Ungstrup, Møgellund (* 1503 Møgelwnd), Lille Midtgård (1688 Lille Medtgaard) and Pederholt (* 1485 Peder holt).


Grathehede

At Gedbæk , which forms the border between Thorning and Hørup parish, king Svend won a victory over Knud in 1151. To Grathehede (Gråhede, in 1170 named Grathæheth),(which is in the southern part of the parish into Kragelund parish), is connected the legend about the battle 23 October 1157 between the kings Valdemar and Svend and Svends kill after the battle. An uncertain tradition says that the battle was at Bækmarksdiget also named Kong Knaps Dige. A memorial stone was raised here in 1919 at another bank with a moat north in the parish. But it seems to be true that Svend was killed in Thorning parish upon the place where the Grå Kapel (Grey chapel) was built; it was probably demolished after the reformation. In 1623 the chapel was a ruin, and in 1864-65 the place was cleared. The first chapel was probably in wood, later was built a stone chapel. King Svend was buried here after the kill; the grave was north of the chapel and was covered with a roof-shaped granite stone upon two cleaved stones. In 1892 was found the skeleton of a man, who had been killed with a stroke in the head. 23/10 1892 was here raised a 5 m high memorial column in granite with cross, crown, sceptre, sword and shield with inscription: " Minde om Slaget på Grathe Hede 23 oct. 1157. Rejst ved Svend Eriksens Grav". ("A memory about the battle at Grathe hede 23 Oct. 1157. Raised at Svend Eriksen's grave.") (given by Thor Lange). Axe blades are often found at Grathehede.

Source: Trap Danmark, Viborg amt, 1962


photo Thorning church/Gratehede 2003: grethe bachmann

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