Svenstrup nr. Aalborg

Results: 5 records

Apostle or saint - Evangelists - symbol - 4

on alternate sides of the octagonal basin
Scene Description: on alternate sides of the octagonal basin

Christ - Agnus Dei - with cross

on the side to the right of Luke's bull, left of John's eagle
Scene Description: on the side to the right of Luke's bull, left of John's eagle

animal - fabulous animal or monster - mermaid - holding her braid

holding her very long braid with her left arm, on the side to the right of John's eagle, left of Mark's lion
Scene Description: holding her very long braid with her left arm, on the side to the right of John's eagle, left of Mark's lion

animal - fabulous animal or monster - centaur - holding a snake?

facing right and holding what appears to be a tall smake with its left hand; located on the right side of Mark's lion and on the left of Matthew's angel
Scene Description: facing right and holding what appears to be a tall smake with its left hand; located on the right side of Mark's lion and on the left of Matthew's angel

symbol - tree - Tree of life?

located on the side to the right of Matthew's angel, left of Luke's bull
Scene Description: located on the side to the right of Matthew's angel, left of Luke's bull

INFORMATION

Font ID: 22556LLA
Object Type: Baptismal Font1
Font Century and Period/Style: Romanesque [altered]
Workshop/Group/Artisan: Sønderjydske Rankefonte
Church / Chapel Name: Svenstrup Kirke [originally Sankt Morten Kirke]
Font Location in Church: Inside, in the NW corner of the nave
Church Patron Saint(s): St. Morten
Church Notes: Romanesque church; modified late-Gothic period
Church Address: Skipper Clements Vej 48, 9230 Svenstrup J, Denmark -- Tel.: +45 98 38 36 05
Site Location: Aalborg, Region Nordjylland, Denmark
Directions to Site: Located off (W) road 180 and Hwy E45, 10 km SW of Aalborg
Ecclesiastic Region: Aalborg Stift
Historical Region: Hornum herred
Additional Comments: altered font (modern replacement base)
Font Notes:
Baptismal font listed and illustrated in Mackeprang (1941) as a granite font in the 'Sønderjydske Rankefonte' group, 'Smaagrupper og Enligstaaende' subgroup. Noted in LEX [https://lex.dk/Svenstrup_Kirke_-_Aalborg_Kommune] [accessed 2 November 2025] as a baptismal font made of granite and stands in the nave in front of the chancel arch; it consists of an octagonal basin, the sides decorated with reliefs of the Evangelists' symbols alternating on the sides with an Agnus Dei, a Tree of Life (?), a mermaid and a centaur; it is raised on a modern base from 1935 and appears to have been painted ["Kirkens ældste genstand er en romanskdøbefont af granit, der står i skibet foran korbuen. Den er meget usædvanlig for denne periode, da den er ottekantet og på siderne har relieffer af evangelisternes symboler, korslam, en havfrue og en kentaur. Foden er fra 1935, og fonten har formentlig været bemalet."
Digtal photographs of the font taken 5 July 2008 by Hideko Bondesen may be accessed in Wikimedia http://www.nordenskirker.dk/Tidligere/Svenstruphim_kirke/Svenstruphim(20) http://www.nordenskirker.dk/Tidligere/Svenstruphim_kirke/Svenstruphim(23)
http://www.nordenskirker.dk/Tidligere/Svenstruphim_kirke/Svenstruphim(24)
http://www.nordenskirker.dk/Tidligere/Svenstruphim_kirke/Svenstruphim(26a)
http://www.nordenskirker.dk/Tidligere/Svenstruphim_kirke/Svenstruphim(27a)
http://www.nordenskirker.dk/Tidligere/Svenstruphim_kirke/Svenstruphim(28)
http://www.nordenskirker.dk/Tidligere/Svenstruphim_kirke/Svenstruphim(29a)
http://www.nordenskirker.dk/Tidligere/Svenstruphim_kirke/Svenstruphim(30a)
[accessed 2 November 2025]
Credit and Acknowledgements: We are grateful to Pol Herman for bringing this font to our attention and for his help documenting it

COORDINATES

UTM: 32V 550888 6315286
Latitude & Longitude (Decimal): 56.978333, 9.837222
Latitude & Longitude (DMS): 56° 58′ 42″ N, 9° 50′ 14″ E

MEDIUM AND MEASUREMENTS

Material: stone, granite
Font Shape: octagonal, mounted
Basin Interior Shape: round
Basin Exterior Shape: octagonal

REFERENCES

  • Mackeprang, Mouritz, Danmarks middelalderlige døbefonte, 1941, p. 33, 53, 57, 59, ill. 352-353