The Cursed Candleholder of Ribe Cathedral

The cathedral in Ribe is perhaps the most impressive church in the country. Quite fitting one would say, for one of the oldest towns in Denmark. The cathedral is a strange mixture of heavy square towers and slim spires, and the surrounding town is absolutely steeped in legend. Also there is a cursed candleholder inside the Ribe Cathedral. The first stone cathedral was begun by Bishop Thur in 1110 and completed in 1134. Tufa stone was imported from Germany to build a permanent structure, since stone in the area was not available. The cathedral was built in the Romanesque style with half-rounded arches supporting a flat timber ceiling, a typical basilica style building patterned after churches in northern Germany. Late in the 12th century a magnificent main door way was carved for the cathedral. The relief above the door shows Jesus being taken down from the cross. In 1259 King Christoffer I of Denmark was buried at Ribe Cathedral.

The cursed candleholder inside the Ribe Cathedral

On the third pillar from the east on the south side of the central part of the Ribe Cathedral, there is a small brass candleholder. It doesn't look that special, but the inscription on it lays curse on anyone who moves it or uses it for anything but its original purpose. According to legend, it was put up by some purse-proud knights in the middle ages.

During renovation in the church in 1845, none of the workers dared to move it, but finally a young man said he would do it. Nothing happened at first, but a few minutes afterwards, when he climbed the scaffolding to continue what he was doing below the roof of the church, the whole structure collapsed, sending him to a messy death on the floor below. As the story goes, the candleholder went back up on the pillar very quickly.

Sources:
Paranormal Magazine Issue 56 February 2011: "Dane-lore: 10 of the weirdest sites in Denmark" by Dr. Lars Thomas;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ribe_Cathedral

Pic Source:
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