Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1977, Blaðsíða 57

Halgigongu-krossur úr Kirkjubø
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BÚKMENTIR
1. Bang, A. Chr.: Den norske Kirkes Historie. Kristiania 1912, bls. 189.
2. Dahl, Sverri: Skráseting av føroyskum miðaldar kirkjugripum. Fróð-
skaparrit 24. bók. Tórshavn 1976, bls. 82 ff, talva bls. 88.
3. Eldjárn, Kristján: Ufsakrossinn og fleiri íslenzkir róðukrossar. Gengið
á reka, Akureyri 1948, bls. 148 ff, myndin bls. 155.
4. Kommissionsbetænkningen 1709/10. Tórsh. 1934, bls. 113 f.
5. Kulturhistorisk Leksikon, Bd. V, teigur 186.
6. Patursson, ].: Tættir úr Kirkjubøar søgu, Tórsh. 1966, bls. 249 ff.
7. Schindler, P.: Liturgi. Kbhn. 1928, bls. 280.
S. Vilhjálmsson, Bjarni: Róðukrossinn í Fannardal. Árbók Hins íslenzka
fornleifafelags, Rvík. 1975, bls. 7 ff.
SUMMARY
This article considers a cross from Kirkjubøur which came to the
National Museum in Copenhagen in 1876, collection number D 11502.
The author is grateful for this early opportunity to provide a fuller
description of the cross. A description to have appeared in the list (p 85)
in Fróðskaparrit 24 (and mentioned in the table, p 88, and summary,
p 108, ibidem) was misplaced in printing. It is sculpted from oak but
covered with thin, handsomely ornamented copper plates (fig. 1).
Older sources describe the cross as brass-plated. From this, one can
speculate that it was originally gilded and that the traces of gilding
could still be seen two hundred years ago.
The overall height is 47.0 cm, the span of the transverse 40.4 cm and
the thickness of the elements 2.2 cm. Front, back and sides are all copper-
clad. The uppermost end of the upright and the ends of the transverse
are carved with what appears to be a shamrock design. However, the
uppermost leaf of the shamrock is not rounded as are the other two,
but tongue-shaped. In the centre of each shamrock there is a socket
surrounded by a raised edge. It is likely that an ornamental stone or
possibly a gem stone was set in each socket. The copper sheathing on the
back is intact (fig. 1), but the sheathing on the front is so peeled that the
sockets on the arms have disappeared, leaving only the uppermost socket
and a large socket at the junction of the upright and the transverse.
The upright has a wooden tang at the bottom, suggesting that the
cross either stood on an altar or on a carrying pole. It can have stood
on an altar and also have been carried during processions as it is orna
mented on both front and back. A dating of 1400, with some latitude, is
suggested.
It is concluded that the cross may be the only Faroese processional
cross that has been preserved.