Fra det prangende til det ydmyge - Kullede middelalderkirker i Danmark
Wienberg, Jes LU
(2023)
In Kuml: Årbog for Jysk Arkæologisk Selskab
2023.
p.211-239
- Abstract
- From the flashy to the humble - Towerless Medieval Churches in Denmark
The article investigates a special category of medieval churches, the towerless churches. The Danish concept for “kullet”, meaning bald headed are discussed, an inventory of the towerless churches is established for medieval Denmark, the architecture is analyzed in relation to different ideals and studied from social and economic perspectives, with the churches of two Jutish districts as case-studies, home of iconic towerless churches, Hover (fig. 1) and Sædding (fig. 2). The towerless churches are both perceived as a source material and as a heritage worth of protection.
Much research has been focused on towers and tower churches (fig. 3), on the... (More) - From the flashy to the humble - Towerless Medieval Churches in Denmark
The article investigates a special category of medieval churches, the towerless churches. The Danish concept for “kullet”, meaning bald headed are discussed, an inventory of the towerless churches is established for medieval Denmark, the architecture is analyzed in relation to different ideals and studied from social and economic perspectives, with the churches of two Jutish districts as case-studies, home of iconic towerless churches, Hover (fig. 1) and Sædding (fig. 2). The towerless churches are both perceived as a source material and as a heritage worth of protection.
Much research has been focused on towers and tower churches (fig. 3), on the aristocracy and their manors. There is and need for an alternative perspective, highlighting the more ordinary churches – the towerless churches.
Churches are in Danish called “kullede”, meaning bald headed. A naming of a “bald” church is the first time mentioned in an atlas in 1768 regarding Spørring (fig. 4). They are perceived ad as preserved architectural expression of the original Romanesque churches before Gothization and other changes. They are also described in a romantic sprit together with their landscape.
An overview is established showing 339 towerless medieval churches in present-day Denmark, Southern Schleswig with Fehmarn, Scania, Halland and Blekinge (fig. 5).
Wooden churches in the 10 and 11th centuries do not seem to have bell towers. The masonry churches of the 11th century none can be said by certainty to be towerless, however research has been conducted in major churches and the first masonry churches might be erected on the initiative of kings, bishops or aristocracy. From the 12th century most churches in Western Denmark were towerless from the beginning, whereas relatively more received a tower in Eastern Denmark, probably as peasant farms dominated in the west, aristocratic manors in the east. During the 15th century up to the Reformation many churches had added a tower, some which were again reduced or taken down e.g. at Mårup (fig. 6), and a few were even added in later periods, making the surviving towerless churches a rarity.
The Middle Ages had different ideals for the church architecture as seen in regulations against extravagance also in architecture by the Cistercians, Dominicans and Franciscans. A church might have added a masonry tower, but it was expensive and there were other and cheaper solutions such as a having the bells in a wooden belfry, a small bell cot, spire or ridge turret
Inspired by the Ystad-project (fig 7) an analysis is conducted in the two Jutish districts with the towerless churches of Hover and Sædding. The architecture of the churches is compared with fees paid by the churches in the 14th Century and 1524–26, the evaluation of the farming in the parish 1682 and the existence of manors. The towerless churches are more frequent, where the taxes of 1524-26 are relatively low, where the parishes are small and poor, and where manors are absent (fig. 8).
Towerless churches can partly be viewed as a source material reflecting the social and economic topography of medieval Denmark, partly as a heritage reflecting the first phase of stone building og churches. However, all churches have gone through changes, have had extensions and added e.g. porches, even the iconic churches of Hover and Sædding. If one seeks a “genuine” Romanesque church, as it might look like in the 12th Century, one has to see the church in the open-air-museum Hjerl Hede in Jutland (fig. 9), where a church has been reconstructed around 1950.
Added to the article is an appendix with a catalogue of the 339 towerless medieval churches. The towerless churches are dived into two categories, A the genuine and B the illegitimate: the first never had a tower, and the second have a free-standing tower, have once had a tower, it has later been reduced to the roof of the nave, there has been added a bell cot, a spire or a ridge turret. The towerless churches are furthermore divided into Romanesque and Gothic, the latter been written with Italics.
(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/4d2e7ac1-2bed-456d-9959-2d210ac4c13d
- author
- Wienberg, Jes
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2023-12
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Kuml: Årbog for Jysk Arkæologisk Selskab
- volume
- 2023
- pages
- 29 pages
- publisher
- Jysk Arkæologisk Selskab
- ISSN
- 0454-6245
- language
- Danish
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 4d2e7ac1-2bed-456d-9959-2d210ac4c13d
- date added to LUP
- 2022-12-29 20:09:09
- date last changed
- 2024-01-15 09:45:05
@article{4d2e7ac1-2bed-456d-9959-2d210ac4c13d,
abstract = {{From the flashy to the humble - Towerless Medieval Churches in Denmark<br/><br/>The article investigates a special category of medieval churches, the towerless churches. The Danish concept for “kullet”, meaning bald headed are discussed, an inventory of the towerless churches is established for medieval Denmark, the architecture is analyzed in relation to different ideals and studied from social and economic perspectives, with the churches of two Jutish districts as case-studies, home of iconic towerless churches, Hover (fig. 1) and Sædding (fig. 2). The towerless churches are both perceived as a source material and as a heritage worth of protection. <br/><br/>Much research has been focused on towers and tower churches (fig. 3), on the aristocracy and their manors. There is and need for an alternative perspective, highlighting the more ordinary churches – the towerless churches.<br/><br/>Churches are in Danish called “kullede”, meaning bald headed. A naming of a “bald” church is the first time mentioned in an atlas in 1768 regarding Spørring (fig. 4). They are perceived ad as preserved architectural expression of the original Romanesque churches before Gothization and other changes. They are also described in a romantic sprit together with their landscape. <br/><br/>An overview is established showing 339 towerless medieval churches in present-day Denmark, Southern Schleswig with Fehmarn, Scania, Halland and Blekinge (fig. 5). <br/><br/>Wooden churches in the 10 and 11th centuries do not seem to have bell towers. The masonry churches of the 11th century none can be said by certainty to be towerless, however research has been conducted in major churches and the first masonry churches might be erected on the initiative of kings, bishops or aristocracy. From the 12th century most churches in Western Denmark were towerless from the beginning, whereas relatively more received a tower in Eastern Denmark, probably as peasant farms dominated in the west, aristocratic manors in the east. During the 15th century up to the Reformation many churches had added a tower, some which were again reduced or taken down e.g. at Mårup (fig. 6), and a few were even added in later periods, making the surviving towerless churches a rarity.<br/><br/>The Middle Ages had different ideals for the church architecture as seen in regulations against extravagance also in architecture by the Cistercians, Dominicans and Franciscans. A church might have added a masonry tower, but it was expensive and there were other and cheaper solutions such as a having the bells in a wooden belfry, a small bell cot, spire or ridge turret<br/><br/>Inspired by the Ystad-project (fig 7) an analysis is conducted in the two Jutish districts with the towerless churches of Hover and Sædding. The architecture of the churches is compared with fees paid by the churches in the 14th Century and 1524–26, the evaluation of the farming in the parish 1682 and the existence of manors. The towerless churches are more frequent, where the taxes of 1524-26 are relatively low, where the parishes are small and poor, and where manors are absent (fig. 8).<br/><br/>Towerless churches can partly be viewed as a source material reflecting the social and economic topography of medieval Denmark, partly as a heritage reflecting the first phase of stone building og churches. However, all churches have gone through changes, have had extensions and added e.g. porches, even the iconic churches of Hover and Sædding. If one seeks a “genuine” Romanesque church, as it might look like in the 12th Century, one has to see the church in the open-air-museum Hjerl Hede in Jutland (fig. 9), where a church has been reconstructed around 1950. <br/><br/>Added to the article is an appendix with a catalogue of the 339 towerless medieval churches. The towerless churches are dived into two categories, A the genuine and B the illegitimate: the first never had a tower, and the second have a free-standing tower, have once had a tower, it has later been reduced to the roof of the nave, there has been added a bell cot, a spire or a ridge turret. The towerless churches are furthermore divided into Romanesque and Gothic, the latter been written with Italics. <br/>}},
author = {{Wienberg, Jes}},
issn = {{0454-6245}},
language = {{dan}},
pages = {{211--239}},
publisher = {{Jysk Arkæologisk Selskab}},
series = {{Kuml: Årbog for Jysk Arkæologisk Selskab}},
title = {{Fra det prangende til det ydmyge - Kullede middelalderkirker i Danmark}},
url = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/169125485/Kuml2023JesWPrangendeYdmyge.pdf}},
volume = {{2023}},
year = {{2023}},
}