Vor Frue Kirke - Danmarks Kirker - Nationalmuseet

3290 THE CHURCH OF OUR LADY
supplemented by granite in the plinth, portals
and columns.
The exterior (pp. 3070-85). The walls rise
above a conspicuous plinth (fig. 64) of granite
and brick, whereas the cornice (fig. 65), which
may be a later replacement, consists of saw-
tooth bonds alternating with smooth bonds.
The church is entered through three portals, of
which the one in the west and in the north re-
spectively observe the symmetry of the plan,
but the third in the east wall of the south tran-
sept seems a compromise, made there in order
to facilitate access to the church from the market
square nearby. All three portals (figs. 54-56, 66-
72) received their present appearance in 1917-21,
and several features are reconstructions based on
uncertain evidence. For instance, the granite
jambs of the east portal may have once had
columns, just as details of the corbie-stepped
projections of the two other portals (figs. 70, 72)
are scarcely authentic.
The church’s thirty-one windows are notable
by virtue of the elegant and unusual moulding
of their external corners (figs. 58, 73-76), re-
created 1917-21 on the basis of firm evidence,
e.g. traces of windows walled-up at an early
date overlooking the sacristy (fig. 104). The ex-
ceptional point that the splayed sides of the west
transept lack windows may indicate the exist-
ence of a †manorial pew above the main en-
trance.
The central tower is a complete reconstruct-
ion dating from 1869-70 based on earlier illustrations
(figs. 38, 81 and 108), whereas the four
outer towers are preserved - albeit with heavily
restored details. For example all lights, includ-
ing the curious biforium in the upper storey
(fig. 57) were reconstructed in 1867-71. This
also applies to the small pointed gables which
encircle the outer towers. Prior to this restora-
tion, pointed gables were only preserved on the
east and west towers, and only the former was
enriched by small blind niches - round-arched
and with an infilling of zigzag brickwork (figs.
33, 80). The lozenge-shaped putlog holes (figs.
57, 61, 79), taken as evidence supporting the
fortification theory, were presumably used for
suspended scaffolds when repairs were carried
out, and their shape was simply a fashionable
choice. Details of the original †central tower,
whose walls were considerably thicker than
those of the present one, can only be roughly
estimated from old reproductions. A granite
Capital (figs. 82,83) presumably comes from one
of the tower’s biforia.
The interior (pp. 3086-96). The interior of the
church (figs. 84, 89, 99) seems small compared
with the lofty dimensions of the exterior, and
since 1917-21 its red brickwork is once more ex-
posed, the contrasting whitewash now only
highlights the vaults and soffits of arches. How-
ever, the chancel was whitewashed once more in
1976 to enhance the altar-piece. Four splendid
granite columns in the nave, the most striking
elements of the interior, are commissioned
work, possibly hewn from stone quarried in
Scania (Skåne). They are about 6.15 cm tall in-
cluding base (formed as an inverted cushion
Capital), trapezoid Capital, and shaft made up of
two monoliths each with a bead at the upper end
which produce the characteristic shaft rings.
When the columns were re-erected in 1868-71
the most damaged elements were renewed, viz.
three bases (fig. 87) and three parts of shafts (cf.
figs. 85, 86a), whereas the rest were redressed
and repaired with cement. The free-standing
columns have counterparts along the walls of
the nave in the shape of engaged brick columns
which flank the surbased round-arched arcades
of the transepts. The bases of the engaged
columns, which vary in pairs (figs. 90-91, 94-
95), were reconstructed together with their
trapezoid capitals in 1917-21. Only the cone-
shaped bases of the south arcade, and the variations
on the north side (figs. 92-93) are presumably
authentic. In order to emphasise the
liturgical axis the jambs of the east and west
transepts’ arcades are enriched with recessed engaged
columns (figs. 53, 88). During the resto-
ration of 1917-21 a stair to the church loft was
re-established in the south-east corner of the
nave. Later this was demolished presumably for
lighting reasons (cf. figs. 97 and 108) after the
sacristy was heightened and new access gained