Friday, September 18, 2009

Borris church / Borris kirke, Bølling herred, Ringkøbing amt.


Borris Church, ab. 23 km southwest of Herning
Bølling herred, Ringkøbing amt.

The church is situated close to Skjern Å, surrounded by raw boulder dikes with a large driving gate to the west and foot gates to the north and east; the gates are all walled and origin from the Middle Ages. The large church has a choir and nave, a porch to the south and a tower at the west gable. The Romanesque core, choir and nave, are built in granite ashlars, and both round arched portals from the earliest period are preserved, the north door was bricked-up a long time ago, but was re-opened in a restoration, while the south door was always in use. Also the choir arch with kragsten is preserved, the kragsten are carved too long for the thickness of the wall; and five Romanesque windows to the north, three in the nave and two in the choir, all in function.


A look to the gallery

Upon the loft is still seen, 800 years after the building, considerable remains from the Romanesque tagstol (= roof posts plus head). In the late Middle Ages was built a porch in front of the south door, in monk bricks with a round arched arcadeblænding (blænding = lowered area) in the south gable and fixed, bricked-up benches inside. The high tower is late Gothic with a spire that grows up behind four pointed gables of the so-called tørninglenske type, which is common in the Ribe-area. The vaulted tower room opens to the nave in a round arched arcade. The other parts of the church have beamed ceilings. The building has been restored several times, also in 1921.


The communion table is walled in ashlars and monk bricks with two reliquaries in the plate. A panel from ab. 1600s. A large, rich decorated altar piece from ab. 1625, in two storeys with wings and top section; the large field is tripartite with Corinthic pillars with early paintings. Baroque altar candelabres without inscription. When a priest-report from 1638 notes that there was an inscription upon a panel about the building of the choir in 1510, it is not meant to be the building itself, but the new furnishing of the choir with inventory, from which the present priest- and parish clerk-chairs seem to be rests with beautiful late Gothic fiale-gables. A Romanesque granite font, cubic shaped, a carved sounding board above the font with the painted year 1632, restored 1953. Upon the north wall of the nave hangs a large, early Gothic choir arch crucifix with partly preserved cross-wood.; its former curved plank with carved dragon heads hangs now upon the organ gallery. A late medieval carved figure of Mary with child, ab. 1500, hangs upon the north wall of the nave.

A pulpit with entrance fields as in Stavning kirke and sidewings, with painted year 1603-04, the pulpit has Corinthic corner pillars with achantus-decorations and relief-carved prophets and reformers (Luther and Melanchton), plus in the postament fields Evangelists and biblical scenes. Upon the pulpit are also two carved figures, which belongs in another place, a medieval angel at the entrance and upon the backside a late Gothic dragon head, lesser than the above mentioned from the crucifix. Richly carved Baroque sounding board from the middle of the 1600s. In the nave are many old pew gables, the upper pews to the south have a carved year 1641. A well-preserved gallery to the west with panel fields and a carved year 1637, in the fields are the 12 apostles, painted in 1654 by Jacob von Molengracht and Jacob Bartholomesen. New church ship. New series pastorum painted upon an old lid from the pews with a carved year 1641. In the tower a bell without inscription in early Gothic shape. A low grave hill in the southern section of the church yard was according to tradition cast over the people, who died of the plague in 1603.

Names in the Middle Ages and 1600s:
Borrris (1330-48 Burigs); Vesterby (1521 Westerby); Debelmose (* 1501 Døuilmosse); Hjoptarp (1336 Hyupæthorp, 1487 Hypterop, 1498 Hiwptarp); V. Gåsdal (* 1502 Gaasdal, 1688 Store Gaasdal); Ø. Gåsdal ( 1688 Lille Gaasdal); Feldsing (1498 Fylsingh, 1597 Feldsing); Gjaldbæk (1498 Gialbek); Kodbøl (1487 Koode Booll, 1498 Kodebøll, Kadbøl); Sønderskov ( 1487 Syndherskogh,), Votkær (1585 Voedkier, Vaadkier); Vindelbo (* 1530 Wendelbo); Fonager (1688 Fanager); Brunbjerg( 1688 Brunebierg); Egvig ( 1688 Egwig); Ager (1688 Aggergaard); Skobæk (1498 Skoffbeck, 1607 Skobech); Ahlergård ( 1688 Allergaard); Lindviggård (* 1553 Linduig(h)); Ågård ( 1498 Aagard); Odderskær (*1400s Otærskyær); Borriskrog (1498 Krogh, 1585 Barritskrog); Slikdal (1688 Slickdahl).


Skjern Å

Ahlergård was a main farm, which in 1655 and 1658 belonged to Gunde Rostrup of Randrup, whose son Hans Rostrup of Juellingsholm, who in 1667 is written to A., in 1675 conveyed 4/5 of A. with estate, which he and his brother Jørgen Rostrup of Lydumgård had inherited after their sister jomfru Elsebe Dorete Rostrup, to their brother-in-law Christen Henriksen Lange of Dejbjerglund (+ 1677), whose widow Sophie Rostrup ( + 1725) in 1693 sold A. etc to mayor Christoffer Castensen in Ribe, who 1700 sold it to Jakob Andersen Harboe or Ahler (+ 1737), who in 1712 conveyed it to Mads Christensen Kjær or Ahler (+ 1740). In an exchange after him came A. with estate to his son-in-law Jens Christensen Rahbek (+ 1780), who in 1755 conveyed it for 1500 rigsdaler to his son Mads Jensen Rahbek ( + 1803). In 1849 it was outparcelled; the main parcel was in 1851 sold to Jens Thomsen.

Sønderbygård was earlier a main farm, it belonged to Knud Galt of Viumgård (+ 1650), whose son Folmer G. in 1651 sold it to his mother fru Birgitte Juul of Viumgård. In 1688 it was under Viumgård.

In the parish was earlier mentioned the farms Grønhede (1498 Grønhee), Hovlbjerg (1688 Houelbierg), Rønbæk (1660 Rønbechs Husted); Stir (1660 Stier) and Mosegård (1498 Mosegard). The two last mentioned disappeared in the present.

Listed prehistorics: 70 hills, of which 36 are north of Skjern Å (in Nørreland and Ahler Gårde) and only 14 hills south of Skjern Å (Sønderland). Among the hills north of the water stream are several rather large hills and in several places are large groups: the 8 Mangehøje, of which 4 are large, just east of these are 5 Kongenshøje and east of these 5 Stenhøje. Southwest of Kongenshøje is the large Klovenhøj and west of Stenhøjene is Viumhøj. A large, beautiful hill is Rishøj. At Ahler Gårde is Storehøj.
Demolished or destroyed: one long hill and 86 hills. - Along Skjern Å were found several lesser settlements from Gudenåkulturen. In the præstegårdsmosen (moor at the vicarage) were found 220 amber pearls.

Gudenåkulturen was earlier used as a name for the material found at settlements along the river Gudenåen. (in Jutland). It later showed to be a mix of findings from Maglemosekulturen, Kongemosekulturen and Ertebøllekulturen.

Source: Trap Danmark, Ringkøbing amt, 1965.


photo Sønder Borris kirke 2003: grethe bachmann

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