The town of Ribe is reputedly the oldest continuous city in Scandinavia and was founded between 704 and 710 A.D. prior to the earliest known Viking raids. Last year Ribe celebrated its 1300th anniversary. Excavations at the settlement have been conducted primarily by Den Antikvariske Samling which has created a “living history village” celebrating its Viking heritage.
The town of Ribe believes that the earliest Scandinavian coinage occurred here. Although a Viking mint has yet to be discovered, a large number of coins call Wodan/ Monster sceattas (early medieval coinage), referred to as pennies by contemporaries, have been discovered in Ribe’s original marketplace. Some scholars believe that these coins were brought through trade with Frisian cultures or were minted at Hedeby, then Denmark but now part of Schleswig- Holstein, Germany.
Ribe began as a trading market on the north bank of the Ribe river which runs to the ocean. Danes, Norwegians, Swedes, Germans (Franks), Frisians, English and others brought goods to sell and exchange with northwestern Europe. The Ribe Market was sanctioned by King Harald Hildertooth as early as 705 AD. In Viking times, Ribe was a busy international trading place located on the flat lands of eastern Jutland.archeology.about.com/od/rterms/g/ribe.htm
The First Church in Ribe
The first church in Ribe was built in 860 as a result of Harald Klak, a Danish co-king being forced from Denmark and then offered a dukedom in Frisia conditioned upon his baptism as a Christian. Harald Klak complied and he and 400 of his followers were baptized as Christians. The original church was made of timber and was located on the south side of the river. The local Danes complained about the bells which they thought would scare away the land sprites which were believed to be disembodied spirits.
The first stone cathedral was begun at the behest of Bishop Thur in 1110 and was completed in 1134. The cathedral was built in the Romanesque style with half round arches supporting a flat timber ceiling. As the land in Ribe has few rocks, the stone was imported from Germany.
History of the Cathedral
King Erik II, or “Bloody Erik,” is buried in the cathedral after his “revenge” murder in 1137 by Chief Sorte Plov who believed that Erik had executed his relative. The Ribe Cathedral complete with a school was consecrated in 1145. After a terrible fire in 1176 which burned the town and part of the Cathedral, the Cathedral was rebuilt and enlarged using large red bricks enabled by the wealth in the town from trading. Later in the 12th century, a main doorway was carved with a relief depicting Jesus taken down from the cross. The cathedral then became notable for its blend of architectual styles.
In 1259, King Christoffer I, son of Valdemar II, of Denmark was buried at Ribe Cathedral. King Christoffer dies suddenly in 1259 after drinking poisoned communion wine given him by Abbot Arnfast of Ryd Abbey who was angered over the king’s dispute with Jacob Erlendsøn, Archbishop of Lund (in present day Sweden), who subsequently fled the country.
Prior to Christmas Mass in 1283 the northwest tower collapsed into the church and surrounding streets. It was replaced by the “Commoner’s Tower”.he tower was capped by a copper “Rhenish helmet” with a spire in 1333.
The tower was subsequently used during the Swedish- Danish wars to house eight canon which were used to defend the city in 1644. The canons fired on Swedish ships as they passed.
In 1536 Denmark became a Lutheran nation. The Cathedral was then closed and the monks were removed forcibly. The Cathedral fell to vandalism and neglect. The town of Ribe was burned in 1580 and most of the town center dates from its rebuilding in that year. The Commoner’s Tower partially collapsed in 1594 and was rebuilt 10 meters shorter. The church received a new pulpit carved by Jens Asmussen, a famous Odense sculptor. www.danhostel-ribe.dk/main-page/stories-from-the-past/ribe-cathedral
Famous Danes Participating in the Cathedral Renovation
Hans Adolf Brorson took office as Bishop of Ribe in 1741. He is remembered as the creator of the Danish Lutheran hymnbook. Many of these hymns are still in the hymnbook of the Danish National Church.
The Cathedral was completely restored from 1883 to 1904. To commemorate the event, Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen created the current bronze door. In 1983 to 1987, Carl Henning Pedersen, a well known Danish painter, redecorated the apse.
Carl Henning Pedersen
Carl Henning Pedersen is notable as one of Denmark’s more gifted artists. His work is notable through his use of color and abstractions. His “floating figures” are from his imaginary pantheon of mythology. His work in the Ribe Cathedral is in high contrast with the older architecture and art. His astute use of color creates an island of color and light surrounded by the darker historical images. www.galeriebirch.com/en/ell-artists/carl henning pedersen.html
Features of the Cathedral
The Cathedral contains six bells with the oldest surviving bell cast in 1456 by Hinrik Dobbran and is the largest in the tower. The original organ dates to 1635 and was originally built by Johan Heide and has been updated many times.www.visitribe.dk/international/en-gb/menu/turist/historie/ribe-domkirk/ribedomkirk.htm
As in all Danish churches, a ship is suspended from the ceiling. The ship hanging in the Ribe Cathedral was a model of the ship “Maria.”
Many of the medieval frescos on the walls have been lost to subsequent additions of new plaster. However a painted fresco of Mary and the infant Jesus have been preserved in the nave as well as paintings of the Apostle Andrew and Bartholomew along with St. George and the dragon in the north transept.
Conclusion
The history of Ribe and it Cathedral is an intregal part of the early history of Denmark and contained works by Denmark’s more notable crafts people and artists. The Cathedral has historically been a work in progress and hopefully it will continue to demonstrate the best of Danish arts and crafts.
Sources
www,galeriebirch.com/en/all-artists/carl henning pedersen.html
http://archaeology.about.com/od/rterms/g/ribe.htm
http://www.visitribe.dk/international/en-gb/menu/turist/historie/ribe-domkirke/ribedomkirke.htm
http://www.danhostel-ribe.dk/main-page/stories-from-the-past/ribe-cathedral-the-church-of-our-lady.html
Frances Simmons - I have worked at a lot of different jobs in my life from being an attorney to being a drug counselor with stints in aerospace as a manager ...
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