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The Monastic Museum of Denmark |
Research
The Monastic Museum of Denmark is doing research in the field of the museums area of work, which is medieval monastic history and archaeology, regional as well as national and international. The museum publishes books and articles and the research staff gives papers nationally and internationally.
Furthermore the museum produces exhibitions on medieval monastic history and archaeology.
Papers:
Paper given at the International Medieval Congress 2002:
Interdisciplinary Studies on the Medieval Burials and Early Donators in the Cistercian Abbey of Cara Insula, Denmark
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Paper given at the International Medieval Congress 2003:
The Power of the Aristocracy. Lay Burials at the Cistercian Abbey of Cara Insula in the Late Middle Ages
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English summaries from the publication “Øm Kloster – kapitler af et middelalderligt cistercienserklosters historie”:
Paradise in the Desert. The Cistercian Order, and Bernard of Clairvaux by Mette Birkedal Bruun
The Cistercians at Øm, and the Institution of the Laybrotherhood by James France
I came as a guest, and you received me The Poor, and the Strangers at Øm Abbey in the Middle Ages by Carsten Selch Jensen
The Monks at Øm and Their Abbey Church by Bo Gregersen and Carsten Selch Jensen
The Course of Expansion at Øm - Interior Design, and Function by Susanne Gram
Books, Book Clasps, and Book Fittings from Øm Abbey by Alice Madsen
A Carving Knife, and Other Objects of Everyday Life at Øm. Pieces Made from Walrus Tusk, Bone, and Antler Excavated at Øm by Helle Reinholdt
The Burials at Øm Abbey by Lene Mollerup
People in the Heart of Jutland - Demographic Relations at and about Øm Abbey by Jesper Boldsen, and Lene Mollerup
The Hospital at Øm by Hans Krongaard Kristensen
Greatness before the Fall - Øm Abbey at the Time of the Reformation by Bo Gregersen
Paradise in the Desert.
The Cistercian Order, and Bernard of Clairvaux
by Mette Birkedal Bruun
The Cistercian Order was founded in 1098. In 1113 Bernard of Clairvaux entered the Order, and became its leading figure, and principal of its spiritual profile. The Cistercians define themselves as heirs to an asceticism which is characteristic of the Desert Fathers, but equally of the desert wanderers in the Bible. In accordance with the ambiguous role of the desert in the Bible, this theme has a double function in the monastic movement; on the one hand it is where the monk meets the Devil on his own ground, and on the other it is where the monk has access to God far from the turmoil, and depravity of the world. In the foundation stories of the Order, the second generation of Cistercians attaches great importance to the isolation of the wilderness, the western counterpart to the desert. According to Bernard of Clairvaux, however, the desert has become fervent indicating the monk's loneliness of heart where the three elements of monastic life, the virtues, the reading of the Bible, and the contemplative meeting between Christ, and the soul take root, and unfold. In the Fall, man broke with his paradisiacal preoccupation with God, and turned towards himself. Consequently man was evicted from his true home, Paradise, and the blessedness of the unity of God and man in Paradise. Now the worldly exile is his home. The Cistercians always strive to dissociate themselves from the things of this world. In its concrete, and spiritual seclusion from the world the monastery is able to raise itself from the worldly conditions, and draw nearer to the heavenly unity with God. Thus it assumes the character of Paradise - or the court of Jerusalem.
Translated by cand. mag. Mia Bøgebjerg
Books 
"The Road to Øm"
by Tore Nyberg
The motives for dispatching a group of monks from the Jutlandish monastery of Vitskøl in the diocese of Viborg in the winter of 1165 to found a daughter house in the diocese of Århus cannot be traced in the source for this event, Exordium Cara Insula. For this reason the present chapter opens with a short description of the state of affairs at Vitskøl from 1158 to 1165, and its background. A recruitment of new monks is presupposed, and one must assume that some of the pioneers from Clairvaux were among those who left Vitskøl in February 1165, but that others must have been recruited from the noble families of Jutland during the seven intervening years. The problems concerning the residence at Sminge are believed to have been of a material nature, and the taking over of the almost depopulated Benedictine monastery of Veng nearby, was thus an obvious opportunity which was carried into effect after just one year in Sminge. The difficulties which the community was then faced with are, however, easily explained by the complicated situation the monks experienced at the take-over: the monastery of Veng was a royal foundation, supposedly the local nobles opposed the take-over, and apparently the new monks did not succeed in securing proprietary rights to Veng's holdings. The taking over of the former Benedictine cella on the island of Kalvø in 1168 did not ease these problems, and thus, after four years on Kalvø, the monks continued their journey to a settlement by the lake of Mossø, which had come to their disposal in the meantime. This interpretation is partly based on later events since the Benedictine convent of Ring, not far from Kalvø, was founded just a few years later, and the Benedictine monastery of Voer (de Oratorio) was flourishing a generation later in the same region, indicating the support of the Benedictine monastic tradition by the local nobles. The relations of the monks at Sminge with the Benedictine monastic tradition is manifested in the same years as other Cistercians in Denmark demonstrate similar behaviour towards other Benedictines. Examples of this are the role of the monks from Esrum when they replaced the Benedictines at Sorø in about 1161, and the approach of the monks from Herrevad at the take-over of the Benedictine monastery of Seem, in the second half of the 1160s.
Books
"The Cistercians at Øm, and the Institution of the Laybrotherhood"
by James France
The faithful observance of the Rule of St Benedict was central to the Cistercian reform, and yet in some respects it deviates from its tenets, most notably by the introduction of a new class of cloistered life, the laybrotherhood. They were introduced to enable the monks to reside in the abbey as the Rule demanded, and still cultivate scattered holdings, especially the granges. They made the same vows as monks, but their lives were regulated by their own Usages, and they had their own quarters outside the cloister in the west range. Their contribution to Cistercian history is immense, but their humble lives, and the fact that they were illiterate mean that they have left no literary evidence to supplement other sources. Only a handful of lay brothers are known from Scandinavia, mostly just names in obituaries, and charters, but they are referred to in twenty different places in the Øm Chronicle. The lively narrative witnesses to the everyday lives of real people in the most eloquent fashion, and among them we find lay brothers tendering their animals, on the abbey's business, working alongside monks, managing granges, and one highly unusual example of one who became Abbot, although this ran counter to early Cistercian legislation. Their part in the conflict with Bishop Tyge of Århus is well documented. The literary, and documentary evidence for the decline, and virtual extinction of the laybrotherhood is supplemented at Øm, and other Danish abbeys by archaeological evidence. At Øm, and elsewhere, the west range was not built until the end of the Middle Ages by which time the laybrotherhood had virtually ceased to exist. At Øm, as at Vitskøl, and Løgum, the truncate nave of the unfinished churches testify to the virtual disappearance of the lay brothers who would normally have occupied the western part of the nave adjacent to their quarters in the west range.
Books
"I came as a guest, and you received me.
The Poor, and the Strangers at Øm Abbey in the Middle Ages"
by Carsten Selch Jensen
Throughout the Middle Ages, it was a tradition for the different monasteries to take care of the destitute, and the strangers who came to ask for alms. Especially for the Benedictines, and thus also for the Cistercians, this obligation to take care of these people was embodied in the Rule of the orders, the so-called Rule of St Benedict. Also, the monks at Øm strived to live up to the provisions of the Rule in this area. On the basis of the Rule it was the monks' belief that they should treat any poor person or stranger who came to the monastery as if he was Christ himself. Since a growing number of poor people, and strangers made it difficult for the monasteries to live up to their obligations in every way, the care for these people became of an increasingly liturgical nature which particularly became associated with the important religious festivals, and which in reality often concentrated on a chosen few among the poor. At the same time it also became customary to distinguish between the different groups of people who came to the monasteries: the poor, and the sick could get alms, and perhaps a place in the monastery's hospital, whereas better-class strangers, guests, and pilgrims were nothing short of invited to dine at the Abbot's table. Still others had to return empty-handed since they were regarded as unworthy of receiving alms. These people were then reduced to a marginalized existence on the periphery of society. In this respect the care for the poor, and the strangers in the monasteries came by, and large to reflect the division of the poor, the strangers, and the destitute in the rest of society. The welfare work of the monasteries thus became a reflection of the conditions outside the walls - also at Øm.
Translated by cand. mag. Mia Bøgebjerg
Books
"The Monks at Øm and Their Abbey Church" by Bo Gregersen and Carsten Selch Jensen
Everywhere Cistercian monks settled the erection of a church was crucial for the further existence of the abbey. Unfortunately we have no decisive information about the oldest abbey church at Øm, and since all buildings were demolished after 1561 our knowledge about the church primarily stems from archaeological excavations and from a number of surviving written sources. Today we are thus only able to present a snapshot in time based on the observations archaeologists have made supplemented with our general knowledge of the Cistercians' customs in connection with services and prayers of the canonical hours throughout western Christianity. Due to numerous excavations quite a lot is known about the newest church at Øm built of brick and consecrated on All Saints' Eve 1257 - at least when it comes to its size, ground-plan and certain constructional details which allow us to deduce something about the architectural patterns it was formed after. Thus it has been established that the abbey church was originally planed as a basilican cruciform church, about 27,5 metres wide and 78 metres long. The shape of the church, based on the Fontenay model, and its size can be compared with other Danish and European Cistercian churches. At some time during the 13th century, however, the building of the church came to a halt and it was decided to finish the church only one bay west of the transept. As a result the church only reached a total length of about 35 metres.
The old church, as well as the abbey's new brick church, must be understood as the centre of the daily life at the abbey since they were both the setting for an extensive liturgical brotherhood among the monks, the focus of which was the celebration of mass and the many prayers - the so-called prayers of the canonical hours. The services and the prayers of the canonical hours were thus the religious setting for the lives of the monks and to a large extent determined their doings in general - also their involvement in the surrounding society. Everything had to adapt to the monks' obligations in the abbey church.
Translated by cand. mag. Mia Bøgebjerg
Books
The Course of Expansion at Øm - Interior Design, and Function
by Susanne Gram
The complete ground-plan of the Øm Abbey with the church to the north, and the three ranges with cloister walks which surround the very cloister, must not lead us to overlook the period of about 400 years prior to the time when the complex reached its final layout. The most recent archaeological excavations, and the analysis of these, show a considerable time interval in the building of the abbey. The church, and the east range were consecrated in 1257, however, on the basis of the archaeological excavations, and the dating of coins, the south range does not appear to have been built until sometime in the 15th century which is approximately 150 - 200 years after the east range was put into service. From the dating of coins, the west range seems to have been erected at the end of the 15th century or perhaps even as late as the beginning of the 16th century. The considerable time interval in the building of the abbey has a significant influence on the assessment of the interior design, and function of the main buildings. In this respect the most recent studies have shown certain alterations in the east range, which influence the arrangement of the rooms. The chapter house, for example, was altered from the original rectangular shape, to a square shape. The ideal plan for the monasteries of the Cistercians, worked out in 1943, has been very influential as a model for determining the function of the buildings of the many Cistercian monasteries, including the ones in Denmark. The most recent research, however, indicates that we should be cautious of concluding on the basis of this model, since the strictness found in the Cistercians' rules, and regulations concerning conduct of life cannot be transferred directly to the building activities of the Order. The basic solution regarding the building of the monasteries appears instead to be based on the traditions, and customs of older monastic orders. Furthermore a distinction should be made between the monasteries built in the 12th century when the Order was consolidating itself through the strict observance of the Rule, and the ones built in the 15th, and 16th centuries when a period of decline, and less supervision from the General Chapter may have lead to easier terms. The conclusion must be, that the monks at Øm complied with their functional needs instead of an ideal plan when constructing their abbey.
Translated by cand. mag. Mia Bøgebjerg
Books
Books, Book Clasps, and Book Fittings from Øm Abbey
by Alice Madsen
This chapter deals with the three sources of the culture of books at Øm: the Øm Chronicle, a list of books in an inventory from 1554, and several book clasps, and book fittings excavated on the site during the last 100 years. According to the Øm Chronicle, Bishop Svend of Århus presented the abbey with many devotional books for the monks, some of which contained illustrations. Two of the Abbots at Øm are described as skilful scribes, and illuminators. Other scribes at the abbey are also mentioned, and the chronicle itself is proof that books were written at Øm. The list of books counts a total of about 350 belonging to the monastery in 1554. For the most part, the library of the monks contained devotional books, whereas Abbot Peder Sørensen owned many books by eminent Protestants such as Martin Luther. The library of the Abbot also contained many works of the Church Fathers, and was suitable for the teaching of the fundamental ideas of Christianity. The abbey had probably been converted into a seminary for Protestant priests at this time since an instruction of 1539 from the University of Copenhagen ordered all abbeys to educate priests. Approximately 40 book clasps, and book fittings scattered over the entire site have been excavated. The different types represent a time interval from the 13th to the 16th century. A small group of pieces is unique for Øm Abbey, and may have been made here. There are also examples of mass produced pieces presumably made in Nürnberg in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Translated by cand. mag. Mia Bøgebjerg
Books
A Carving Knife, and Other Objects of Everyday Life at Øm.
Pieces Made from Walrus Tusk, Bone, and Antler Excavated at Øm
by Helle Reinholdt
The artifacts excavated on the site of Øm Abbey are many, and of great variety. This chapter concerns itself with a very small group of these objects, namely pieces made from walrus tusk, bone, and antler. The material was especially found during excavations in the 1970s, and from 1994-1996, and as casual findings with very little exact information. The material in question provides very few possibilities as regards further analysis, and chronology due to its nature, quantity, and distribution.
The pieces made from walrus tusk, bone, and antler can, however, provide information about everyday life at the abbey, and also about the functions which were not included by the motto ora et labora. Knives tell us about the meals at the abbey. A carving knife with a handle carved out of walrus tusk - the ivory of the North - is special: the handle is shaped like a bishop. Several needles bear witness to the handling of textiles at the abbey, and the personal hygiene of the monks is likewise reflected in artifacts such as combs, and aural scoops. But dice, and primitive musical instruments reveal sides of monastic life, which the holy Bernard of Clairvaux would hardly have approved of..
Translated by cand. mag. Mia Bøgebjerg
Books
The Burials at Øm Abbey
by Lene Mollerup
At all times, and in all cultures, a death is a significant event for the surviving relatives. An event which leaves its mark in the human mind as well as in the history of civilization. The ritual ceremonies performed in continuation of a death can be seen as a reflection of a certain age. The physical actions; the preparations for the burial, the burial itself, as well as the spiritual actions; the religious notions of an afterlife, and the salvation of the soul can provide information about life in the past, and it is against this background that the burials at Øm Abbey are examined more closely. Øm Abbey is exceptional, in that a large number of burials have been excavated at different locations within the area of the abbey. This unique situation provides an opportunity for a possible interpretation of the religious, and social significance of the burials from their siting. The burials east of the choir, and the eastern range have a common pattern, which is markedly different from what is seen in the churchyard west of the church. Whereas the eastern churchyard is interpreted as belonging to the inhabitants of the abbey, the social significance of the burial spaces can be seen, for example, from the lay burials where the most prominent are sited inside the church, especially to the east. Also the material used for a burial often provides information about the spiritual, and religious conceptions of the Middle Ages in that the choice of coffin (or the omission of a coffin), as well as the layout of the grave reflects the time. The stone coffins fall into disuse in the 14th century which may be interpreted as a conscious manifestation that the body, and life on earth, hence the layout of the grave, becomes less important, whereas ideologically, a deliberate accentuation of the soul, and the afterlife is favoured.
Translated by cand. mag. Mia Bøgebjerg
Books
People in the Heart of Jutland -
Demographic Relations at and about Øm Abbey
by Jesper Boldsen, and Lene Mollerup
Human skeletons are a unique source of information, which in many ways can tell the present something about the past. Independent of time and place, every individual is different due to their genetic inheritance. Some differences are so small that a spectator would not pay much attention to them, the differences; however, are there, and they can be measured. If examined more closely, they can provide information about human relations such as population mobility, and matrimonial patterns in Denmark in the Middle Ages. This chapter deals with the shape, and proportions of the forehead of male skeletons from Jutland with the object of examining the genetic relations between people in the Middle Ages. Based on the skeletons from Øm Abbey, the demographic relations in Jutland in the Middle Ages are examined. Apparently there is no difference between the people buried within the precinct of Øm Abbey, despite the differences of the graves regarding social status. This means that the average population, and the social upper classes presumably shared the same genetic background. A closer look at the different local communities in Jutland, on the other hand, reveals significant differences between them in terms of the shape, and size of the forehead. A clear, and statistically significant tendency was revealed, namely that geographic distance was connected with biological distance. This probably means that geographic distance was a decisive factor for all types of communication between local communities. For this situation to have had genetic consequences it must have influenced the matrimonial patterns as well. What can be concluded from the examinations of skeletons is that, in the Middle Ages, people very much preferred to marry someone from their local community or someone from the neighbouring parish.
Translated by cand. mag. Mia Bøgebjerg
Books
The Hospital at Øm
by Hans Krongaard Kristensen
During the years of 1994-96, the Department of Medieval Archaeology at Århus University undertook the excavation of a large building across a canal east of the eastern wing of the abbey. The excavation established that, the area functioned as a churchyard before the erection of the house, and the building of a first canal in 1313. The graves were oriented according to the east wing (which was under construction in 1246), and were systematically arranged in such a way that they only rarely overlapped. This part of the churchyard was probably used only for men, and should be considered used exclusively for interring monks. The investigation established two canals; the older of which was constructed in 1313, whereas the younger one had been built at the same time as the house, in 1495. The canal under the house was edged by a bulwark made of split beech logs, held in place by oak posts driven into the ground. Deposited layers in the bottom of the canal were rich in finds, and remnants of plants. The beginning of the canal farther to the south was not established, but an investigation from 1978 shows that it turned north east outside the church chancel. It is therefore thought to have joined the eastern abbey canal. The excavated house was 10,8 m wide, and originally had a length of at least 29,5 m. However, the eastern gable was not found, as it lies underneath the present village street. Only parts of the cellars are preserved. At this level the canal divided the house into two parts, whereas the upper floors must have been adjoining. In the west, partition walls divided the cellar into three rooms, whereas the eastern part constituted one large room, which was covered by vaults resting on strong square pillars along the central axis. This part of the building also had buttresses, which suggest that the upper floor was also vaulted. This was probably a tall, and light room with a double nave, the vaults of which rested on slender granite columns. Fragments of such columns with a diameter of 20-22 cm were found during the excavation. Presumably the building was a hospital accommodating the sick in the vaulted hall, and with lavatories above the canal. At some time a small extension (5,1 x 6,4 m) was built onto the northern side of the building. This small building was also situated over the canal, which was at this place constructed as a brick-built drain with a barrel vault. No doubt the building was made in order to transfer the lavatory function from the house to this extension. The excavation showed that even in the best-investigated monastery site in Denmark, it is still possible to find considerable remnants from a large, and complicated building complex.
Translated by Anette Lerche Trolle
Books
Greatness before the Fall -
Øm Abbey at the Time of the Reformation
by Bo Gregersen
The study of the Danish medieval abbeys has so far primarily concerned itself with the foundation of the abbeys, and their consolidation as well as the conflicts, which arose during the ecclesiastical controversies in the 13th century. The destiny of the many Danish monasteries during, and after the Protestant Reformation, in 1536, has only been of little interest to historians. This also holds for Øm Abbey, since very little has been written about the abbey during the Reformation, in spite of large excavations of buildings from the late Middle Ages, and a considerable number of written sources. The focus of this chapter is thus the Cistercian abbey of Øm, and its expansion in the 15th, and 16th centuries as well as the problems, and opportunities which the Reformation meant for Cara Insula, and its inhabitants. Was monastic life disliked? Did great changes occur? Or did the year 1536 have less influence on the abbey, and those who lived there than has so far been acknowledged? This chapter is an interdisciplinary case-study of Øm, which can provide information about new sides of Denmark during the Reformation by means of written, and archaeological source material. The augmentation of holdings, and monks ceased in 1536, but the inhabitants of the abbey were not disliked, and the Abbots continued their administration of the 242 holdings until 1560. In this respect Øm is presumably not very different from other Danish abbeys since most expanded, and continued as centers of administration and education after the Reformation. Teaching proved a sensible occupation for the monks, and the possibilities of the great buildings were skillfully utilized by Abbot Peder Sørensen, and the last Abbot of the abbey, Jens Simonsen. When the last monk had finally moved, Emsborg played a central role in the royal administration as the main residence in the provinces for King Frederic II. This chapter thus demonstrates that no great changes occurred in 1536 since the abbey's activities continued for quite some time. If this proves to be the case for the majority of the abbeys in Denmark, perhaps it is time for a thorough study of their history during this period with the object of gaining more understanding about the history of Denmark in the 16th century.
Translated by cand. mag. Mia Bøgebjerg
Books