Odense Cathedral, St. Canute's Church

Odense Cathedral, St. Canute's Church

Odense Cathedral is called St. Canute's Church, and has two main attractions. It houses the body of the victim of a regicide in 1086, and it has an absolutely marvelous altarpiece.

Odense Cathedral is named after the Viking king Canute IV Svendsen, who in 1086 had sought refuge in St. Alban's church, near to the present cathedral, but was assassinated anyhow. It is an exciting story and tale of the rebellion against the king, the king's flight through Jutland with a small band of men, his murder, and the solemn transfer of his body to the present cathedral in 1095.

In the crypt I will show you St. Canutes shrine and his famous Byzantine silk blanket with motifs of eagles. The crypt is also the final resting place for the later Danish King Hans (1487-1513) and his spouse Queen Christine.

It was Queen Christine who ordered the church's amazing, golden altarpiece from the best and most skilled carver in Northern Europe at the time, Claus Berg from Lübeck. It shows hundreds of wooden figures, all individually designed and carved by hand. It is considered to be the most outstanding Scandinavian medieval piece of art.

You will also hear about the main features of the construction of the church and about the English monks, who after the canonization of King Canute came to settle at the monastery associated with the church, and you will get acquainted with the lives and fates of some of the persons who have been interred in the church during the centuries.