The Danish ghostly horse spirit Helhest is said to roam around St. Canute’s Cathedral in Odense, Denmark. It is believed seeing the three legged horse is an omen of imminent death.
The name Odense dates back to the pre-Christian era and means “Odins Vi.” and was a place where Odin was worshipped. It is also the site of one of older churches in the country, with a Christian history dating back 900 years.
Read more: Check out all ghostly tales from Denmark
Some of the stories have long lines back to the pre-Christian era, like the story of the haunting Helhest that we find traces from the Viking Age and are said to haunt some of the most famous cathedrals in Denmark.
St. Canute’s Cathedral
The church, also called Odense Domkirke or Sankt Knuds Kirke has in one form or another been on Abbey Hill for over 900 years, named after Knud den Hellige, or Canute IV.
The earliest known church on the present location was a travertine church which was reported under construction by Aelnoth of Canterbury, a Benedictine monk at the nearby St. Alban’s Priory in 1095. The foundations of the travertine church can still be seen in the crypt of the present building.
In all it took approximately two hundred years to complete the cathedral, which was finally dedicated on 30 April 1499. The single tower was completed in 1586 over the west entrance in the same style as the rest of the cathedral.
The Helhest in St Knud
The first mention of a “helhest” in Odense dates to 1673, where it is mentioned by Jens Hansen Odense, but if we are to believe the legends, the legends are much older. A helhest, or horse of Hel, in Norse mythology was the horse used by the goddess of death, Hel, to bring the dead to her realm.
In Odense, it is said there is a “Helhest”, a hel horse. A Helhest is said to be a horse buried alive in a churchyard for good luck before any humans were. According to the legend, it walks on three legs. From the Danish Folklorist, Evald Tang Kristensen it was said that: “In St. Knud’s parish in Odense, a three-legged horse will walk in the cemetery at night like a ghost. In another parish, a sheep with a lamb will walk.”
Read More: Check out the in depth article about The Helhest: Death’s Horse in Danish Folklore
These particular Church Grimms from early Christianity in Denmark could be either a horse, a lamb or a pig. All animals which were also used as sacrifices in the Viking Age, and particularly horses have been found buried together with people in their graves.
The Virgin Ghost Haunting the Cathedral
The story of the Helhest is not the only ghost said to haunt the old Cathedral. In the pavement in front of Sankt Knuds Kirke, a stone with a small hole has been preserved. According to the legend, a young woman was once chased through the cathedral, up the church tower by Swedish soldiers invading Odense. Some say that it was during the war of Carl Gustav of Sweden in 1658-60 and that her name was Karen Jørnsdatter.
To save her virtue, she threw herself from the tower to her death. The mark in the stone is said to be the imprint of her foot and called Jomfruspringet, or the Virgin Leap. The stone was once right before the church, but was moved during redirection of the road and can now be found on the corner of Munkemøllestræde. She is sometimes said to have come back to haunt the church.
The Brothers in the Ghost Carriage
In the church there is a tomb chapel where two brothers from the Glorup Manor are buried. Although their ghosts are not said to haunt the church itself, the legend ties it to their grave.
Legend has it that every night at midnight, they are seen driving in a black carriage with four horses from Odense to Glorup. Arriving in Birkum though, it drives off the road and into the fields, as the roads they once drove on have now moved. But their ghosts don’t realize this, and still drive down the old road they remember.
Newest Posts
- The Haunted Ruins of Lier Hospital in Norway
As a place of dubious drug testing and the place where most lobotomies were done, the Lier Hospital and former asylum was left with a haunted rumor lingering in the decaying walls. Although most of the buildings are now torn down, it is still remembered as one of Norway’s most haunted places. - A Haunting Helhest in Odense St Canute Cathedral
The Danish ghostly horse spirit Helhest is said to roam around St. Canute’s Cathedral in Odense, Denmark. It is believed seeing the three legged horse is an omen of imminent death. - The Helhest Haunting Saint Olaf’s Church in Helsingør
According to old legends and Danish folklore, there are stories of three legged horses haunting the churches and graveyards in the country. in Saint Olaf’s Church, the spirit of the helhest is said to be the omen of death. - The Hauntings of Gamle Aker Church Over a Dragon’s Den
Could it be that the oldest church in Oslo also has the oldest haunting? From legends about a dragon’s den underneath the structure and the ghostly silhouette haunting, the Gamle Aker Church perhaps has more activity than what meets the naked eye. - The Janissaries Vampires in Veliko Tarnovo
During a time when Bulgaria was under the Ottoman Empire, there was talk about a vampire haunting the streets of Veliko Tarnovo. The rumours got so bad, that the Islamic rulers had to turn to pagan belief to rid themselves of the bloodthirsty creatures. - The Legend of the White Lady of Utstein Monastery
In the windswept landscape of Norway’s west coast lies the Utstein Monastery, a site steeped in history and haunting tales. Known as Norway’s best-preserved medieval monastery, its ancient stone walls and iconic Gothic windows whisper stories of faith, love, and loss as well as the ghost of a Lady in White. - The Lord Edward Pub: The Rebel’s Restless Spirit
After dying for the cause of Irish Independence, it is said the ghost of Lord Edward is haunting the pub he is buried close to and bears his name. - St. Patrick’s Cathedral: The Restless Spirit of Jonathan Swift
In the ancient St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin, there are said to be restless spirits still lingering. One of the more well known is said to be the ghost of Jonathan Swift, perhaps best known as the author of Gulliver’s Travels. - The Hauntings of Stortorvet Gjestgiveri Restaurant
In one of the city’s oldest buildings, the freshest food is served in the ancient locale. For years though, there have been talks about Stortorvet Gjestgiveri restaurant being haunted, and even made it as one of the most haunted clips in the national ghost hunting show. - The Headless Ghost of Buck Jones: Dublin’s Restless Sheriff
Haunting Jone’s Road in Dublin, a headless horseman is said to roam after his life turned dark after scheming peers. And the former Dublin Sheriff, Buck Jones has become one of Ireland’s most well known headless horseman ghosts. - John Kavanagh’s ‘The Gravediggers’: A Pint with the Dead
Next to the Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin, there is a pub called John Kavanagh’s ‘The Gravediggers’, where they went to have a pint after working at the cemetery. Rumor has it that the pub is haunted by those buried next door. - The Armenian Vampire Dakhanavar of the Valleys
Said to be a protector of the Valleys in Armenia, the Dakhanavar vampire hides in the caves in the mountains, waiting for intruders to quench his thirst.
References:
St. Canute’s Cathedral – Wikipedia
Jomfruspringet (The Virgin Leap)
