Kirke Helsinge

CC-BY-SA-2.5

Results: 11 records

animal - bird - eagle - double headed - 8

Scene Description: one at each angle of the basin

Image Source: edited detail of a digital photograph 21 October 2006 by Hideko Bondesen [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nordenskirker_Kirkehelsing27.jpg] [accessed 31 January 2025]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-2.5

animal - mammal - bull? - passant

looks much like the lions but it has horns; the animals appear on every other side of the basin, alternating with the human figures

Scene Description: looks much like the lions but it has horns; the animals appear on every other side of the basin, alternating with the human figures

animal - mammal - lion? - passant - 3

one of them has its head turned back and a large leaf-like motif coumes out of its mouth; the animals appear on every other side of the basin, alternating with the human figures

Scene Description: one of them has its head turned back and a large leaf-like motif coumes out of its mouth; the animals appear on every other side of the basin, alternating with the human figures

Image Source: edited detail of a digital photograph 21 October 2006 by Hideko Bondesen [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nordenskirker_Kirkehelsing27.jpg] [accessed 31 January 2025]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-2.5

design element - patterns - striated

Scene Description: very short and all around except at the corners where the heads of the eagles break the pattern

Image Source: edited detail of a digital photograph 21 October 2006 by Hideko Bondesen [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nordenskirker_Kirkehelsing27.jpg] [accessed 31 January 2025]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-2.5

human figure - male - bearded - crowned - hands in orant position (elbows out, palms ot) - St. Canute?

Scene Description: wears an ornamented tunic to below his knees; his face is covered with a moustache and a full beard

human figure - male - crowned - hands in orant position (at waist level, palms out) - ax - St. Olav?

wears an ornamented tunic to below his knees; the ax is on his right side and it appears on his body but he does not hold it, nor does he hold a floating cruciferous object by his face, on his left side

Scene Description: wears an ornamented tunic to below his knees; the ax is on his right side and it appears on his body but he does not hold it, nor does he hold a floating cruciferous object by his face, on his left side

Image Source: edited detail of a digital photograph 21 October 2006 by Hideko Bondesen [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nordenskirker_Kirkehelsing27.jpg] [accessed 31 January 2025]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-2.5

human figure - male - haloed? - with key - with book - St. Peter?

both this and the next figure on the right are believed to represent Apostles; they are dressed in short ornamented tunics to below their knees; there is a ruffle-like head ornamentation which is interpreted as a halo; he holds the large key in his right hand, while the left, that holds the book, is folded over his stomach

Scene Description: both this and the next figure on the right are believed to represent Apostles; they are dressed in short ornamented tunics to below their knees; there is a ruffle-like head ornamentation which is interpreted as a halo; he holds the large key in his right hand, while the left, that holds the book, is folded over his stomach

human figure - male - haloed? - with shield? - with sword - St. Paul?

both this and the previous human figure on the left are believed to represent Apostles; they are dressed in short ornamented tunics to below their knees; there is a ruffle-like head ornamentation which is interpreted as a halo; he holds a short sword in his left hand and a small round object, almost flower-like in his right (stylised shield? sun? flower?)

Scene Description: both this and the previous human figure on the left are believed to represent Apostles; they are dressed in short ornamented tunics to below their knees; there is a ruffle-like head ornamentation which is interpreted as a halo; he holds a short sword in his left hand and a small round object, almost flower-like in his right (stylised shield? sun? flower?)

view of church exterior - southeast view

Scene Description: Source vaption: "Kirke Helsinge kirke [...] fra sydøst"

Image Source: digital photograh 15 May 2005 by Bococo [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:05-05-15-g2_copy_Kirke_Helsinge_kirke_(Kalundborg).jpg] [accessed 31 January 2025]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-3.5

view of font

Scene Description: Source caption: " Kirke Helsinge Kirke i Danmark. Kirke Helsinge kirke, døbefont"

Image Source: digital photograph 21 October 2006 by Hideko Bondesen [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nordenskirker_Kirkehelsing27.jpg] [accessed 31 January 2025]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-2.5

view of font in context

Scene Description: Source caption: "Kirke Helsinge Kirke i Danmark. Skib set mod vest"

Image Source: digital photograph 21 October 2006 by Hideko Bondesen [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nordenskirker_Kirkehelsing13.jpg] [accessed 31 January 2025]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-2.5

INFORMATION

FontID: 05408KIR

Object Type: Baptismal Font1

Church/Chapel: Kirke Helsinge kirke

Church Location: Søndergade 1, Kirke Helsinge, 4281 Gørlev, Denmark

Country Name: Denmark

Location: Vestsjælland, Syddanmark

Directions to Site: Located in the W coast of Zealand (Sjælland), off road 277, 15-20 km NW of Slagelse, 80-90 km W of Copenhagen

Ecclesiastic Region: Roskilde Stift

Historical Region: Løve herred, Holbæk amt

Font Location in Church: In the east side, forward of the front pews, slightly to the north side (moved here in 1937 from its previous location)

Century and Period: 15th century (early), Gothic

Workshop/Group/Artisan: Falsterbogruppen / Fröjel-Falsterbo

Cognate Fonts: several other such fonts at Førslev, Magleby and Ølst, and the fragments of a basin at Kirke Stillinge

Credit and Acknowledgements: We are grateful to Pol Herman for help in cocumenting this font

Font Notes: Click to view

Noted in the Kirkehistoriske samlinger (1853-1856) as a baptismal font carved with a programme somewaht similar to the one in Førslev; the description mentions animals and figural motifs on its basin, one of which probably king Olav. Described and illustrated in Danmarks kirker: Holbæk (Bd. 2, hft. 13: 1248, 1271-1273) as an octagonal basin of reddish Gotland limestone ornamented with figural and animal low-reliefs, and dated to the early-15th century; the motifs are done in non-representational somewhat abstract style (not unlike the style found in French ivory "brettsetein" of the 11th century) and include a bull, several lions (?), eight double-headed eagles, a posible St. Canute (crowned), St. Olav (crowned and holding an ax) [cf. Lidén below], St. Peter (?) holding a key, St. Paul (?) holding a sword and a few other symbols. This basin belongs to the "fabeldyrsfonte" [=fabled animal fonts] group, also known as "Fröjel-Falsterbo" after the locations where they appear. Three fragments of a similar basin were found in 1976 in Kirke Stillinge [about 10 km south of K-Helsinge]; two other similar fonts, also ornamented with animals and St. Olav, are found in Førslev and in Magleby [farther south, east of Skælskør]. The present base is a modern octagonal pedestal made in 1937 by Gunnar Hammerich, but in a photograph by Poul Nørlund take in 1922 (DK: Holbæk, Bd. 2, hft. 13: pl. 35 on p. 1272) the basin appears mounted on an old wooden pedestal "possibly from a chancel screen removed in 1869" (ibid., caption).

COORDINATES

Church Latitude & Longitude Decimal: 55.516326, 11.206827

Church Latitude & Longitude DMS: 55° 30′ 58.78″ N, 11° 12′ 24.58″ E

UTM: 32U 639337 6154462

MEDIUM AND MEASUREMENTS

Material: stone, limestone (reddish colour, from Gotland (basin only)

Number of Pieces: two

Font Shape: octagonal (mounted)

Basin Interior Shape: round

Basin Exterior Shape: octagonal

Diameter (includes rim): 85 cm

Notes on Measurements: Danmarks kirker: Holbæk (Bd. 2, hft. 13: 1271)

REFERENCES

Jørgensen, Marie-Louise, Danmarks kirker: Holbæk Amt, København: Nationalmuseets Forlag, 1979

Lidén, Anne, "Nordisk stenskulptur med Olavsmotiv: Kritik och tolkning kring dopfunten i Löderup", 1995-1996, 1998, pp. 66-81; p. 66-81

Mackeprang, Mouritz, Danmarks middelalderlige døbefonte, 1941

Selskabet for Danmarks kirkehistorie, Kirkehistoriske samlinger, Kjöbenhavn: Trykt hos J.D. Qvist, 1852