Sorø Kirke og Kloster i Praksis

Et liturgisk blik på søndre sideskibs vestre portal

Resumé

Sorø Church and Abbey in function. A liturgical view of the western portal of the southern aisle
By Martin Wangsgaard Jürgensen

In the portal of the lay brethren in Sorø Abbey Church a strange circular hole is found in the eastern capital. The capital was clearly produced in the early 13th century with this hole. It is a puzzling feature which has been left undiscussed in the numerous works on the church. In this article the small hole is interpreted as something intentional and something desired. It is suggested that the hole was used to fasten some sort of lighting arrangement, a lantern or candle, in the doorway. This position of a light source is presented here as a feature used ceremonially. In particular the liturgy of Christmas Night is discussed as a possible motivation. However, the article only suggests this as one of many possible situations where such a use of light could be relevant. The article concludes that a liturgical perspective is necessary if one wants to move beyond the mere recording of building history and descriptions of the architecture.