Sunday, October 09, 2011

Asperup church / Asperup kirke, Vends herred, Odense amt.

Asperup church, 10 km east of Middelfart


  
       
 Asperup Church was in the Catholic period consegrated to Our Lady. It was originally a Romanesque ashlar church with nave and a choir with apse, built upon a profiled couble plinth. In the north wall are traces of two Romanesque windows. In the late Middle Ages was the choir-bending demolished, and the choir was extended to the east in monk bricks where were also used granite ashlars from the down-broken eastern gable. The choir extension - in which was built an octagonal rib vault -  got the same broadth as the nave, but the old choir's flank-walls were unusually retained, and the western part of the choir is more narrow than the eastern. The new choir gable was decorated with glares and a stair-gable. The big flat-curved eastern window was later bricked up. In the north wall is a double point-arched hiding-niche. In the late Gothic period the western bay of the choir was overvaulted and the choir arch was extended. The nave got two bays of cross vaults. The large west tower and the porch to the south are late Gothic additions, both built in monk bricks with a few ashlars in the wall. A stair house to the south of tower. The high vaulted bottom room of the tower is connected to the nave in a broad pointed arch. In present time was placed heavy supporting pillars at the north side of the nave.

The walled late Gothic communion table has got Renaissance panels;  three original by Knud Snedker from ab. 1580, the rest copied in modern time. The altarpiece is a richly carved bruskbarok-work. from ab. 1650 by Anders Mortensen. In the top piece is inserted a late Gothic crucifixion relief, probably from the altarpiece from 1589. In the middle field an oil painting, a copy after a painting by A. Dorph. Ore-cast candelabres from ab. 1650. A choir-panel with a priest-stool-door from 1641. The Romanesque granite font has a cylindric basin with achantus-vines and relief-carved monsters on the square foot-piece. A large brass baptismal bowl, a south German work from the 1500s with a later engraved year 1618. Above the font - which is placed in a walled portal-niche in Baroque style by the northside of the choir-extension - hangs a Holy Spirit-dove, probably from a Renaissance sounding board. The pulpit from 1580 is a signed work by "Knud Snedeker Baarger i Melfaar", but it was changed in the middle of the 1600s by placing the reliefs and figures of Anders Mortensen, so there is nothing left from Knud Snedker but the door of the pulpit. Sounding board in high Renaissance and a backpanel with simple paintings from the 1700s. Upon the wall of the nave a magnificent late Gothic crucifix-group by Claus Berg in Odense from ab. 1510-1520. The organ-gallery contains parts from a Renaissance gallery. In the choir a large chandelier from the 1600s. At the door an iron-bound "poor man's block". A pretty iron-bound oak door from 1513 by Anders Smed. In the tower room a Madonna- relief from the 1300s and a late Gothic figure, an image of Anna selvtredie. The two church bells are cast by Mathias Bennig in Lübeck 1596 and 1598. In 1589 the church had besides the two large bells also two small mass bells above the choir in "a pretty little spire". 

In Asperup was in the Middle Ages a main farm, which together with several other farms in the parish was conveyed in 1461 to hr. Eggert Frille by bishop in Ribe Henrik Stangeberg.

The Danes had a fortificated place upon Skodshøj during the Swedish war. In Båring skov ("Tokelun")  was found wall work,which according to a legend belongs to a Røverborg (robber's castle).  

Ab. 1450 were in Asperup mentioned the farms Ellegard and Hiortholm, in Båring in 1461 Westersgard and in 1489 in Kærby a house called Røtz toffth. On Båring mark (field) was probably a village Bolby, which is seen in the field-names Boel Bye Riis, .- Bech, - Rue, mentioned in 1682. A field.- name 1682 Tharup Kaars on Kærby Søndermark might suggest that a village Tarup was placed south of Kærby.

Listed prehistorics: a hill close to the beach east of Båring skov.
Demolished. a round dolmen, a stone grave, a stone cist, 8 hills.

village house, Asperup













In the parish, especially by Båring, are several settlements from  late Stone At Vedels have were found several affaldsgruber (waste pits) from Celtic Iron Age. Urn grave sites from Iron Age are known from Jensbjerg south of Asperup and at Båring skov.

Names from the Middle Ages:
Asperup (1423 Aspedorp); Båring (1446 Baringe, Boringe); Kærby (ab. 1350 Kerby); Ringstedgård (1500s Rinngstedth); Hedegård (1547 Hede); Risumgård (1465 Ryswm); Risumlund (1546 Risomlundt).

Source: Trap Danmark Odense amt, 1956. 
photo 2004: grethe bachmann

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