The Danish ghostly horse spirit Helhest is alleged to roam round St. Canute’s Cathedral in Odense, Denmark. It’s believed seeing the three legged horse is an omen of imminent demise.
The title Odense dates again to the pre-Christian period and means “Odins Vi.” and was a spot the place Odin was worshipped. It is usually the location of certainly one of older church buildings within the nation, with a Christian historical past relationship again 900 years.
Learn extra: Try all ghostly tales from Denmark
Among the tales have lengthy strains again to the pre-Christian period, just like the story of the haunting Helhest that we discover traces from the Viking Age and are stated to hang-out a number of the most well-known cathedrals in Denmark.
St. Canute’s Cathedral
The church, additionally referred to as Odense Domkirke or Sankt Knuds Kirke has in a single kind or one other been on Abbey Hill for over 900 years, named after Knud den Hellige, or Canute IV.
The earliest identified church on the current location was a travertine church which was reported beneath development by Aelnoth of Canterbury, a Benedictine monk on the close by St. Alban’s Priory in 1095. The foundations of the travertine church can nonetheless be seen within the crypt of the current constructing.
In all it took roughly 200 years to finish the cathedral, which was lastly devoted on 30 April 1499. The only tower was accomplished in 1586 over the west entrance in the identical fashion as the remainder of the cathedral.
The Helhest in St Knud
The primary point out of a “helhest” in Odense dates to 1673, the place it’s talked about by Jens Hansen Odense, but when we’re to imagine the legends, the legends are a lot older. A helhest, or horse of Hel, in Norse mythology was the horse utilized by the goddess of demise, Hel, to deliver the useless to her realm.
In Odense, it’s stated there’s a “Helhest”, a hel horse. A Helhest is alleged to be a horse buried alive in a churchyard for good luck earlier than any people had been. In keeping with the legend, it walks on three legs. From the Danish Folklorist, Evald Tang Kristensen it was stated that: “In St. Knud’s parish in Odense, a three-legged horse will stroll within the cemetery at night time like a ghost. In one other parish, a sheep with a lamb will stroll.”
Learn Extra: Try the in depth article about The Helhest: Loss of life’s Horse in Danish Folklore
These specific Church Grimms from early Christianity in Denmark could possibly be both a horse, a lamb or a pig. All animals which had been additionally used as sacrifices within the Viking Age, and notably horses have been discovered buried along with individuals of their graves.
The Virgin Ghost Haunting the Cathedral
The story of the Helhest is just not the one ghost stated to hang-out the outdated Cathedral. Within the pavement in entrance of Sankt Knuds Kirke, a stone with a small gap has been preserved. In keeping with the legend, a younger lady was as soon as chased by way of the cathedral, up the church tower by Swedish troopers invading Odense. Some say that it was through the conflict of Carl Gustav of Sweden in 1658-60 and that her title was Karen Jørnsdatter.
To avoid wasting her advantage, she threw herself from the tower to her demise. The mark within the stone is alleged to be the imprint of her foot and referred to as Jomfruspringet, or the Virgin Leap. The stone was as soon as proper earlier than the church, however was moved throughout redirection of the street and may now be discovered on the nook of Munkemøllestræde. She is typically stated to have come again to hang-out the church.
The Brothers within the Ghost Carriage
Within the church there’s a tomb chapel the place two brothers from the Glorup Manor are buried. Though their ghosts aren’t stated to hang-out the church itself, the legend ties it to their grave.
Legend has it that each night time at midnight, they’re seen driving in a black carriage with 4 horses from Odense to Glorup. Arriving in Birkum although, it drives off the street and into the fields, because the roads they as soon as drove on have now moved. However their ghosts don’t understand this, and nonetheless drive down the outdated street they bear in mind.
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References:
St. Canute’s Cathedral – Wikipedia
Jomfruspringet (The Virgin Leap)
