Højslev Church – A Landmark of Faith and Nobility
Højslev Church stands proudly on a hill, clearly visible across the flat former seabed to the south and west. Its tall tower once served as a navigational landmark for ships entering and leaving Skive Harbour.
Originally built in the Romanesque style with a nave, chancel, and apse of granite blocks, the church retains its northern side almost unchanged. The southern side has been altered by later Gothic additions, including a chapel and porch. In the porch’s west wall is a rare Romanesque gravestone with a worn but poignant inscription: "I am what you shall become; what you are, I once was; pray for me. I N R I."
The chapel was converted in 1581 into a burial site for Bjørn Kaas and his wife Christence Rotfeld. A large limestone gravestone depicts them in full figure, with Bjørn Kaas in armor. In the chancel lies a burial plank for parish priest Severin Ibsen and possibly his father, alongside a striking Romanesque baptismal font decorated with lion and human heads and a tree of life.
The church served as parish church for the manor Stårupgård and reflects noble influence through numerous coats of arms from its aristocratic patrons.
When the Troll Didn’t Want a Church
As is well known, trolls don’t like the sound of church bells.
In Bruddal Hills, a bit east of Højslev Church, a troll lived (and still lives) in a cave in Stejlbjerg. He moved into the cave long before the first humans arrived in the area after the last Ice Age. The troll kept to himself, and the villagers minded their own business.
But when people began building the church, the troll became truly angry. What was built during the day, he tore down at night. This went on for a while, until the stonemason invited the troll for a little talk. After a long conversation, the troll agreed to leave the church construction alone—but only if he could leave his mark on the building. He got his wish: his little hat is carved into one of the granite blocks on the church’s north side.
The troll also demanded the first bride and the last bride to be married in Højslev Church. The builder agreed, and the bride-snatching is said to be true.
When the first couple had been married and were on their way to the wedding feast in Vinkel, the troll came and took the bride, leading her back to his cave. She is said to still live there.
As for the last bride—well, the troll will have to be patient. The girls from the parish keep coming to be married in Højslev Church.
Inger Nellemann Sørensen, 2005
