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ORDINIS HELENUM Part three
YEARS ACCOMPANYING THE CULT OF HELENA:
** 1102 our Saint Helena
was born (or: in October 1101?). ** 1104 pope Paschalis II created the archdiocese of Lund, which Westgothia
was a part of . ** 1108, 15/2, all Sweden became all christian according to the franciscans
of Stockholm. (Gothia had been christianized since 1072). **1117 Helena married Bengt the Chevalier (according to a play. The earliest
documented Benedictus of Sweden, a member of the clergy at Lund, died
20/2 ~1150; the second one was bishop Benedictus of Scara who was documented
when he was elected in 1170). **1120 there existed 6 dioceses in the country: Eskilstuna, Linkoping, Sigtuna,
Scara, Strangnas and Vasteras. **1123 Sigurd Jorsalafar, the king of Norway, harassed not only Palestine
with crusades, but Smaland too. **1123 the crypt and the main altar of Lund cathedral were inaugurated. **1124 the occupation of Palestine was fulfilled, rendering it possible for
pilgrims to go there. **1125 Tibirke kirke in Sjalland was inaugurated, built next to a source which
still in 1935 was detectable. **1125 +/- 10 years: Westgothian builders constructed the nave, apse and tower
chambers of Kumlaby church. **1126 the building of Scara stone cathedral had started, replacing the wooden
and hypothetical predecessor. Its crypt existed in 1064 - it
was destroyed in 1250, but it is partly reconstructed now. **1130 Helena built Vamb church, replacing a hypothetical and at least 530
years older heathen temple in the large village of Van or Wam. **1130 Westgothians got rid of the uplandian counter-king knaphovde. According
to tradition the assault took place at Karleby/ Falbygden, where an
ancient stone-grave has his name. **1132 Helena's daughter alas got married to the "noble" heathen,
and they lived at Vasterby. Dunney writes that her name was Cecilia.
**1134 king Magnus Nilsson, grandchild of king Inge senior, died at the battle
of Fotevik. **1135, 13/8: Hadn't this inscription in the wall plaster been a falsification,
it would have been plausible that Helena had attended the inauguration
of Forsby church this date. **1136 three breads were transmogrified into stones in the hands of Helena. **1137, 35 years old, Helena was widowed. At about the same time her daughter
became a nun after the deadly attack on the son-in-law. **1138 king Sverker senior founded Upsala cathedral. His family and party
had a positive attitude towards the pope. **1138-40 Helena's pilgrimage was going on. She sailed away from where, 50
years later, Ystad was founded. She met pope Innocentius II in Languedoc. **1138 Innocentius II re-established Lund's archdiocese, which he had laid
under the thumb of Hamburg 5 years earlier. **1139 the city of Ystad was marked on a map on the order of Roger II of Sicily. **1140, 1/8, Helena became the very first female martyr of Sweden, 38 years
old, near Gotene church. During the time following right upon this a
number of miracles occurred, mainly by her Grave and by the Rinsing-stone.
"Pilgrims started to stream to the church which was called S.Elinae,
and to the chapel by a source near Kallegarden, which was dedicated
to the memorial of this saint". Dunney has calculated that the
right year of the martyrdom was 1147! "1140" was mentioned
by ecclesiastical documents from Scara and Linkoping dioceses from the
early 15th century. "1/8" was mentioned already by Brynolf
in 1288. [Lagerbrings Sv.R.Histor 2 part s 147; 2 times by PE Lindskog
1812-16; Forssenius, Messenius and Vastovius]. ** 1140: They started rebuilding the church at Skovde - if
true, this took place before it was even finished - into a central sanctuary
for the region; the ecclesiastical authorities were concentrated at
Skovde. Helena's Oratory by Vambo Rivulet was built (and at least eight
other stone churches within reach). Helena's church at Skovde had allegedly
the same architecture as the original stone churches of Linkoping and
Vreta (inaugurated in 1289 by Magnus Ladislaus), which was a consequence
of the eastgothian, pro-papal support of the cult of Helena. Skovde
church was older than Vreta, and thus Vreta was modelled after it and
not vice versa. Skovde was the "mother" of the annexes: Forsby,
Hagelberg, Hene, Kyrketorp, Ryd, Suntetorp, Sventorp and Vamb.
**1145, 1/9, Lund cathedral was inaugurated. **1150:ies: According to new "discoveries" and "disclosures"
made at the beginning of the 1970:ies, Medelplana church was inaugurated
at this time, and its altars of Helena and Apollonia too. **1150 . Forshem church (or the church which originally possessed the relievos)
got depicted on a stone relievo; the altar was furnished with a relique. **1151 Scara cathedral was inaugurated. A contemporary relievo of it exists. **1152 the church of Sweden was brought closer to the pope thanks to the Linkoping
synod. **1155 erik ruled Westgothia? according to the cistercian order. **1158: Karl Sverkersson, the great promoter of the cult of Helena, had become
the king of Eastgothia and was approved of by the pope; in 1161 he had
become the king of all Sweden, in 1164 entitled the king of East- and
Westgothia by the pope; murdered on Visingso by the erikal clan 12/4.1167.
**1159/60 one succeeded in getting rid of that erik. **1160:ies: 1.Helena was already worshipped in Danmark (but truly there are
no proofs older than from 1430 for a danish cult of Helena, when the
birgittines brought it there). 2.Guthorm Jarl's daughter Helena was
named after S:ta Helena of Gotene-Skovde. 3.The oldest known swedish
documents, apart from rune-stones, were written in this decade. **1161, 4/2, king Magnus Henriksen was murdered - greatgrandson of king Inge senior. **1163-65 our blessed favourite pope Alexander III dwelt at Sens during his
exile. **1164, during the first weekend of August, Stephanus of Alvastra was ordained
the first archbishop of Sweden at Sens/ France by pope Alexander III
and Lund's archbishop Eskil. In 1167 Stephanus was forced to flee to
Danmark; he visited the pope in 1169; in 1176 he inaugurated a church
on Botvid's grave. (Sens was the centre of christianity in the 12th
century, but the cathedral was not finished in 1164
- its choir was inaugurated this year). **1164, during the fall, Stephanus av Alvastra canonized and enshrined Helena
on order of Alexander III - measures which at a high degree were approved
of by king Karl Sverkersson. Firstly 31/7 was Helena's feast-day. According
to a more plausible scenario Alexander III canonized Helena already
during the summer of 1164 at Sens. **1167, from and onwards: Swedish royal letters, acts of donations, ecclesiastical
and papal and other documents are preserved from this time. **1169 the first bishop of Vaxjo known by name, Balduin from Denmark, was
mentioned after Alexander III had re-established or reorganized this
ancient diocese stemming from ~980 AD. **1170:ies: The augustinian monastery of Aebelholt was founded in Sjalland
(~1175), et maybe it owned the area where Helene Kilde is situated.
When Tisvilde was mentioned in writ during the following century its
name still had a liaison to the Asa-god Tyr and not with Helena. (The
monastery was closed in 1500, and its site was investigated in the 1930:ies). **1170 Vaxjo stone cathedral was finished. A church on that very spot had
in the first place been built in the 980:ies by Una-, Suna- and Winaman,
and then their head-reliques had prophesied in the church. (Prior to
1021 king Olof gave the villages of Hov and Kronoberg to the planned
cathedral according to the westgothian law). **1170 Sunniva, Helena's liturgical sister, was laid in a silver shrine in
Bergen cathedral. **1171 Guthorm Jarl was mentioned for the last time in writ. **1172 - (before 1172) - 31/12, "Regina Elena" died at Vreta
nunnery, the daughter of Sverker
senior, widow after Knud Magnusen, who was a greatgrandson of Inge senior. **1190 Helena Guthormsdaughter got married to Esbern Snare, who was 33 years
older than she. They lived at Saeby/Soeby. **1191 reliques from two different Helenas were laid into the altar of Gumlosa
church, which was busily being built. They stem from Helena of Auxerre
and Helena of Bruxelles. **1191: Vaxjo diocese was torn away from the archdiocese of Lund and was forced
in under that of Upsala. **1200 Helena was born, the daughter of Sverker junior, she who became the
owner of the farm Gum between Odeshog and Alvastra. **1204 Helena Guthormsdaughter's husband Esbern Snare fell backwards down
the stairs in Saeby and died. **1205 is included in an incompatible dating and origin story of Helene Grave
and Stone at Tisvildeleje, see #65. **1219 Snorre Sturlasen visited Eskil the legislator in Westgothia (in Long
parish?). **1220/21: the Chapter of Scara was established on order from Rome, people
say -
otherwise the Gothian Chapter was situated at Skovde(?) **1223 (or soon thereafter) the chapel of Our Lady and its prebend were founded
in Linkoping by Helena Guthormsdaughter and her son Knud of Reval. The
foundation is mentioned by a papal letter from 1232. (There is nothing
left above ground level of the Linkoping cathedral of their time). **1234 the pope gave his permission to that the number of churches in Sweden
might be reduced. **1230:ies (at the earliest) Helena Guthormsdaughter was buried in Linkoping
cathedral, at least 70 years old -
greatgrandmother of S:t Holmger and of Ingrid Svantopolksdaughter...
and Bo Jonsson-Grip is one of her descendants. **1240:ies: Brynolf Algotsson was born. At this time the cult of Helena was
waning in Westgothia. The Rinsing-boulder was removed from Skovde by
the erikal party. The cult survived, though, chez the monks of Alvastra,
thanks God. **1240, approximately, S:ta Helena moved to Sjalland, angry because her cult
had been abandoned in Sweden or influenced by the prayers of the carthusian
monks of Asserbo, they claim. She was bright and wonderful. Revelation
of divine truth made her face shine, and she wore a halo and a diadem. **1240-51 (within this period) Helena Sverkersdaughter the younger died and
was buried at Alvastra monastery. **1250 S:ta Helena was taken on by the calendar of Strangnas diocese. That
the cult of Helena was antedating Brynolf's Helenic works is totally
clear. **1251 the cult of Helena was growing vastly at Tibirke. Thanks to her well-water
many indivuduals with eye-diseases were cured. Pontoppidan supposed
that the holy corpse of Helena had been conveyed thither from Skedevig
(Skovde) during the era of king Abel (born after 1214; king 1250-52),
and if it were true, it had left Sweden when bishop Brynolf was but
a wee child. Was Pontoppidan's invention benevolent or malicious? Both
in Sweden and in Denmark the protestants invented lots of "catholic"
memorials, "medieval" monuments and traditions. Provably(?)
Helena's corpse was still in Westgothia until half a century after the
reformation. As to the real introduction of the cult of Helena in Denmark,
see 1430. **1255 (until the 1530;ies) the Johannites were venerating Helena at Eskilstuna
with their highest degree Duplex. **1264 is an alternatively proposed year for when "monks stole Helena's
body in the night from Skovde and transferred it to Tibirke"; a
double of 1251 above, caused
by a writer's lack of precision when he in 1764 referred 500 years back
in time. **1273 Upsala was literally moved to its present position. 24/1 erik's carcase
was transferred thither. **1277: Axewalla "House" was firstly mentioned (a fortified castle
of stone). Another Helena, a queen and a pious lady of Skovde, who in
~1083 burnt down the Asa-god temple of Upsala, has been appointed the
owner of this fortress. **1281 our venerable bishop Brynolf embellished the Mass of Elin. He refurbished
and re-actualized her cult. When he wrote "...In Skodwe Um Aelinaer
Maessu..." he produced the oldest written document known outside
Denmark wherein Skovde and Helena are mentioned - the oldest one all categories, since the danish proofs are retrodated
falsifications. **1282 Vamb church was firstly mentioned (Hvam). **1286 Tisvilde was mentioned for the first time: Tiswillae; vaeld means water-source. **1288 Brynolf wrote his liturgical text to Helena after having sailed from
Alvastra to Vanas Promontory - according to witnesses during the process of
his canonization in 1417. **1292 Una- Suna- and Winaman were depicted on Vaxjo Chaptre Seal. **1292 Nikolaus IV, pope 1288-92, wrote a letter which includes among other
saints one Elene and one Helene. This was a diary catalogue of the papal
letters sent from the Vatican. The Helena-saint of Skovde here constitues
the oldest proof of her existence beside the Brynolfian texts. **1298 Brynolf began building the
bishop's castle of Lacko (it burnt down in the 1470:ies). **1299 Brynolf gave his maternal heritage, "Vamb", to Scara cathedral. **1314 (before this year) monks produced the proto-city-seal of Skovde, which
is dominated by a genuine image of Helena. In 1314 a copy made of wax
was hanging under a document. **1317, 6/2, Brynolf died. **1322-36 were the years (in Scara diocese) of the bishopric of Peder Larsson,
born at Husaby. There are individuals today who believe that he
is the originator of Brynolf's Helenic Office and other works. **1335 king Magnus Eriksson used Helena's Day for dating a letter sent from
Lodose city to Riseberga nunnery: "die beate Helene". **1340 (Magnus var curatus de Schodwi et canonicus Scharensis). **1344 "Virgo Helena" was included in the uplandian collection of
reliques. **1346 king Magnus Eriksson and queen Blanche included Helena's church at
Skovde in their final will. This was the first time that Ecclesie Skodwi
was mentioned. And Henrik Ludvigson, a canon of Upsala, did the very
same this year. **1350, for 31/7: Vadstena monastery described the martyrdom of Helena. **1350 Helena was included into the liturgy of the dominican calendar at Abo. **1352 danish troops or the pestilence ruined Vamb church; everything which
was incombustable remained standing though. **1356 "Ecclesie Sancte Helene in Skodwi" and "in parochia
Skyth" were written. **1357 and -58: Helena's Day was used for dating documents. **1358 bishop Nikolaus of Kolland added Helena's Day, 31/7, to the calendar
of Scara. **1358 there existed a Skovde Landsting (an administrative term), si crede
fas est. **1358-86, during this period, Skovde did flourish: 'Twas the bishopric years
of Nikolaus in Scara diocese. **1371 Eline parish had recently been named after Helena - present
Eling p.. **1373 an indulgency letter was issued comprising 40 days for Helena's Source
and Oratory by Vambo Rivulet, and the Oratory had just been renovated,
by Nikolaus subscribed in her Skovde church the Tuesday after Octaua
apostolorum Petri et Pauli 6/7, interpreted as 12/7. **1380 farms in Hene were donated to Helena's church at Skovde. This was maybe
the period when the church first was re-built totally - one
of many transmogrifications. **1389: Helena was endowed with a liturgical, birgittine text by Vadstena
monastery. **1396 it was decided at the Arboga synod that thereafter and for ever Helena
was going to be the patroness of all Sweden. **1397 premises in Havstena were donated to the renewal of Helena's church. **1398 one of the ~214 species of Helena's own plant-family was mentioned,
Inula, the first time in England: "Enula is an herbe and is oft
callyd Enula Campana", id est Inula Helenium. **1399 is a groundless and alleged year of when Skovde received its city privilegium. **1400 and a number of years: Helena was included into a psalterium and into
litanies within the cistercian order. She was included into the Hemsjo
manual. In the course of time she was introduced into all swedish dioceses
including Abo's. Her famous grating was made, which either was a portcullis
infront of her hypothetic grave-niche, or a gate to the choir. A finger-relique
of hers was embedded into the altartop of Molltorp church. The chapel,
which people believe was a Helenic oratory, was built in real life and
at Tisvildeleje - the building
time of the tale was retrodated to the 13th century, wasn't it. **1400 the farm Lunden was donated to the construction of a tempel
at Skovde (Helena's church). **1400 the Helena Office of Codex Laurentii Odonis was hand-written, including
the farm's name of Gothene. **1403 Elin's parish had recently been named after Helena: "Elinae church
was probably named after one of the holy ones of Westgothia, saint Elin
or Helena of Skovde. The tale tells that this holy woman was killed
by relatives of her son-in-law on her way to Gotene church, which probably
ought to be Goteve, where the mentioned Elin's church has been named
after her". **1413 Skovde was regarded as a town; a "city privilegium" was mentioned. **1416 yet another farm of Hene was donated to Helena's church. **1417 a version of the Helena legend was presented in connexion to the canonization
process of Brynolf. **1425 Sigge, the bishop of Scara, issued a 40 days indulgency letter for
Helena's Source and Oratory there on S:t Seurin's day 23/10. **1425-95 a pulling-contest was going on between Helena and Mrs Brita concerning
the spiritual government of the Skovde region. Helena won thanks God.
But show me the joy that lasts - in 1962 Mrs Brita's new chapel was inaugurated
at Skovde, placed high betwixt two major grave-hillocks. Its antependium
has been designed by Alf Munthe. One can really wonder what Brita thinks
of that her chapel is a part of a crematory and that its excess-heat
is used for warming up houses with? **1429, 18/6 (on Helena of Bruxelles' Day) Lund's archbishop Peder issued
an indulgency letter for Scara cathedral on Helena's Day 31/7. **1429 Helena's prebend by Scara cathedral was created. **1430 (approximately) Mariager's Helene Kilde in Jylland was inaugurated,
see Cod. Holm. K 46 chez Kungl. Bibl./ Stockholm; AF Schmidt in Fortid
og Nutid V 1924-25 p.140. Helena was celebrated here 31/7 unranked,
"widow Helene", according to their calendar from the second
half of the 15th century and onwards, and this Helena's Day of theirs
constitute the oldest documentation within the present borders of Denmark
of Sankt Helene all categories; the next documentation occurred
in 1512. **1430 Helena's image was engraved on the brass plate of Henrik's cenotaph
in Flandre, ordered by Nousiainen church north of Abo, set on the emptied
grave. At his translation his [false] reliques had been brought to Abo
cathedral. Nousiainen church itself was built in 1286; in 1720 the Russians
removed Henrik's reliques from Abo. **1435 an indulgency letter was issued for Helena's church at Skovde. **1436, 19/11 at Vattlosa, Sven, the bishop of Scara, issued a 40 days indulgency
letter for Helena's church at Gotene. This is the oldest proof of that
this church had been dedicated to her. **1440, 20/11, an altar to Helena (and to Anna, Mrs Brita and Elisabeth of
Hungary) was inaugurated in Upsala cathedral. **1448 the archbishop issued a 40 days indulgency letter for those who pray
Pater Noster and Angelus infront of the images of Christ's Grave and
of S:ta Helena in Upsala cathedral
- with reservation for that this Helena really
is the mother of Constantine? **1450, soon after: Helena's church at Skovde was furnished with a brick tower
and with a monument of S:t George and the Dragon. ** 1462: "fontem S.Helene et locum interemptionis in Gothene". In
1708 this sentence was published that the bishop of Vaxjo, Laurentius,
in 1462 had issued a 40 days indulgency letter for Helena's Source and
the site of her martyrdom at Gotene. Alas this indulgency letter seems
to have been invented in ~1708, and it cannot be rediscovered. **1467, 27/1 (on Julianus of Le Mans's Day) Helena's church at Skovde was
mentioned in a document. **1473, 10/1 (on Guillaum de Donjeon's Day) the same church was thus mentioned
again. **1480 an indulgency letter was issued for the same church. **1480 the bishop of Scara, Brynolf III Gerlaksson, issued an indulgency letter
for Helena's church at Gotene on the First Advent Sunday. **1482 (+/- 3 years) Helena was painted on the wall inside Kumlaby church,
Visingso, including a banner with her name on, see 1922. **1492 bishop Brynolf I Algotsson was canonized or beatified. **1497 Helena was styled Specialis Patrona Vestgotorum. **1498 another Helenic prebend was created at Scara cathedral. The cathedral
itself was dedicated to Virgin Mary. **1498 Helena's day became one af the most important feast-days of Sweden
placed on the same level as either of the feasts of Mary and as the
Trinity. **1498 the Helena Office in Breviarium Scarense was printed, including "Gothene".
**1498 a Helena's pilgrim's badge was soldered on a bell of Fredberg church. **1500 (or a few years before 1500) the most of the wooden sculptures of Helena
were made - that's what people guess today - and
the most of them seems to be made by the same artist. **1500 (some time during this century): The song 'Helena och Havsmannen' (Helena
and the Man of the Sea) was written, which can be considered as a version
of the Perséphone-legend. It shows too how spiritually dangerous it
may be to go to church and how harmful mothers-in-law are! **1509, 18/10 (on Luke's Day) Vincentius Henningson, the last Scara bishop
(1505-20), issued an indulgency letter for pilgrimages to Helena's church
at Skovde. **1512 and onwards each Tuesday a Helena's Collect must be prayed chez the
augustinians of Aebelholt monastery. This information of theirs is
the oldest documentation of the cult of Helena in Sjalland ever,
cf 1430 above. Script. rer. dan., VIII p.285,
300; V p.378; VI p.213. Go to 1627 and 1634 to find the third and fourth
oldest proofs of Helena's cult within the present borders of Denmark. **1512, 28/10, a framed painting of Helena fell against the retable of Asserbo
minster, whereby the crown of queen Margrete fell out of a hatch (she
lived from March in 1353 to 28/10.1412). Cf 1822 below. **1520 a rhymed chronicle was written: "...aff Skoedwe then hellige ffru
sancta Elin...". **1525 Visnum church bought its retable wherein Helena is included. **1526 Skovde received its (renewed?) city privilege letter. **1527 the Riksdagen (~parliament of Sweden) forbade cults of saints. **1529 Helena was liturgically adopted by the birgittines of Altomünster,
Ms.415 (55 g 13) chez the library of Monast. b. M. v.ad Scot in Wien.
The birgittines had included Helena in a Missal chez their hospital
in Rom (Cod Vat lat.5742 Vat. Libr), and A 36 of KB/ Holmia shows another
birgittine adoption of Helena in the Continent. **1530 Helena's church at Skovde was plundered by the new government of Sweden. **1533 a canon at Lund, Christiern Pedersen, wrote that Inula Helenium is
an effective antidote towards poisonous snake-bites. He based this statement
on the tale of Helena's exile and on the effect of the same plant on
the island of Faros off Alexandria/ Egypten, an exile which had occurred
som ~2333 years earlier. **1534 "Sankt Helene Kirke" was mentioned at Lund, "fejl for
Allhelgona kloster". **1540 S:ta Helena's prebend by Scara cathedral was mentioned in a register
of the possessions of the diocese. ** 1540- and -50:ies: During this period Helena's oratory at Tisvildeleje
was demolished. Its ruin is deceptively called Helene Grave, because
the investigation of 1923 showed that the elevation there is conceiling
the walls of the 15th century foundations. There had never been any
grave there, even if it has been claimed that the grave has been situated
at a stone's cast from the ruin. One must remember, though, that nothing
proves that the oratory has been dedicated to Helena!
- this dedication was invented in the 17th century. **1546 Elin ceased being an independent parish and was incorporated into Goteve;
the church was dismantled in the 1590:ies. **1568-77 Pierre de Ronsard wrote remarkable sonnets to Helena, surpassing
Homer as to worship of her. He gave her the title 'Goddess on earth',
inspired by the papal title 'Deus in terra'; thus he didn't hesitate
to regard Helena as Goddess, whereby he proves that he is a true and
praiseworthy prophet. **1579 our swedish catholic martyr Johannes Messenius was born at Freberga/
Kälvesten; he wrote truthfully on S:ta Helena; two sons were executed
and he himself was imprisoned for life because of their catholic faith;
he died in prison in Finland 8/11.1636. **1596 was maybe the year when the holy reliques of Helena were interred.
The silver shrine itself was taken away from Skovde, allegedly, by the
supermen of abraham angermannus. The expansion of Skovde was tampered
with and a decay was commenced. "This is your moment; now the powers
of darkness are ruling". **1597 Skovde School was founded. <021203> **1601 it was written in England that "Elecampane sprang first from,
as it is said, the teares of Ladie Helena". The plant is Inula
Helenium, see 1398 and 1533 above.
**1605-16 Goteve was introduced (with a v instead of an n) into the legend
of Helena thanks to Sigismund III's Officia Propria. **1623 Johannes Vastovius invented that Helena had died in 1160 and that her
father had been Guthorm Jarl - in his Vitis Aquilonia printed in Koln; he
also described S:t Torsten of Vattlosa. **1624 S:ta Helena's source at Lyngsjo was mentioned by Prestrelationer. **1627 Helena was called a "missionary" in liaison to her source
in Sjalland. The same year the priest Stephanus of Slangerup claimed
that Helene Kilde had been given its name for to honour "Mrs Elin"
after the christianization of Sjalland had been completed. **1627 a tall cross by Helene Kilde at Tisvildeleje had the inscription that
Jesus, the Son of God, Mary and St. Helene may be merciful towards all
you sick or poor who come here. **1634 the priest of Helsinge, Peder Lange, described Helene Grave and her
nabs lying on the stranded reef which is called St. Helene Steen. **1636, 4/8: a girl who had been bitten by a viper, drank Helenic water out
of her Kilde at Tisvildeleje, and got cured. **1640:ies: King Christian IV (1577-1648) wrote that by Lyngsjo Bridge there
is Sankt Ellenis Source, streaming directly out of the ground with totally
clear water; that people keep visiting it, and that there are many recently
erected crosses with tufts of hair attached to them and sometimes money
too. The same king sought refuge too to Helene Kilde at Tisvildeleje
to get healed. It bears doubt though that the first danish-scanian mentions
of Helenic sources use names like Ellenis or Helle Lene, since these
names got nought to do with Helena. **1640:ies too: Liars invented the "lid on Sigfrid's grave" inside
Vaxjo cathedral. **1643 the compilation of Acta Sanctorum was commenced, biographies of saints
and martyrs, by the Bollandists at Antwerpen, and they swallowed without
any criticism the wrong pieces of information on S:ta Helena, such as
the wrong year of her martyrdom ("1160")... Since the original
documents concerning her and other saints of 1145 +/- one decade had
been incinerated, the document which popped up at Skovde in 2001 must
be a phoney one. **1647 Helena's stone off the beach at Tisvildeleje was described by Ole Worm. **1650 Erich Hansen, Graested, described Helene Kilde in his Fontinalia Sacra. **1658 Traditions on Helena were written down in Sjalland. The jesuit Henricus
Lindanus sent this year a report from Copenhagen to pater Bollandus
on Sankt Helene Grave at Tisvilde, printed in Acta Sanctorum, July,
VII, p.330: Each summer large crowds of pilgrims arrived at this holy
place; the sick and the limping stayed all night on the Grave, and often
they left their crutches behind; they gave gifts out of gratitude for
having been healed, and they carried with them from Tisvilde small bags
with earth in, dug out from under the Tombstone. **1667 liars invented "Sigfrid's Source" at Husaby/ Kinnekulle. **1680 (or thereafter): Helena's reliques were allegedly shipped from Karlskrona
to the Vatican. **1686-90 Sven Jonsson-Tiliander visited the ruin of Helena's oratory and
her source bt Vambo Rivulet during his time as the director of Skovde
School. **1687 the geometer ME Filmer made a drawing of Helena's church at Skovde.
At this time it looked a mess. It had been without a roof for many years,
and it had been patched here and there; it was out of proportions. **1693 Erik Dahlberg depicted S:t Torsten's source at Vattlosa on a copper
plate. **1700-1705 Johannes Messenius's texts on Helena were printed, written during
the first third of the 17th century. See Scand. III. Tom. 9 p.34. **1700-1730, during this period a protestant effort was carried out to fill
Helena's source at Gotene with earth and stones, but it got resurrected
as a fountain not too far off. During this period Peringskold mentioned
"Aelina Kyrkia" at Skovde; and before 1717 a copy of the seal
of the Helenic Guild wound up in Dalarna.
**1708 Erik Benzelius re-issued In Vite Aquilonia, see p.70. He seems to have
been ruthless enough to invent the indulgency letter of 1462 which is
mentioned above. His mention of S:ta Helena's source at Gotene is the
first concerning it. **1724 Holberg wrote a comedy, Kilde-Reysen, in which Helene Kilde at Tisvilde
is included. **1724-26 Erick Wallmarck was the priest of Skovde, so he was in the city,
like Tiliander and Linnée, before the Firestorm. They saw Helena's
church as it looks on Filmer's drawing (1687); they thus saw no transepts,
but they did see an apse; they entered the cemetery through a roofed
gate. Erick Wallmarck had acquainted himself with another Helenic parish
namely Bjorkang's 1709-24. **1725 sand was busy covering Sjalland, if not Tibirke parish. **1725: "Anders Kraak lived at Elin-Stommen. He became priest without
having visited any academy and became in the end too old and that brittle
that no-one rightly could mention it out of politeness. He never had
had any special abilities for the execution of his priesthood. Herr
Anders at Ilum died in 1725 and was buried at Goteve where his tombstone
is. He was the last proprietor of Elin-Stommen in Goteve parish". **1730, 1/11 (Festiuitas omnium sanctorum) the greater bell of Helena's church,
Skovde, cracked into two halves -
a salute from all saints, who, at that time, were denied there!;
a pedagogic punishment. All three present bells were re-moulded in 1908. **1734: all traces of Helena were gone from her ex church. Her Grave was empty.
Only a catholic incensory remained, hanging in its chains (until it
was melted away by the coming Firestorm in 1759?). **1734 E. Frondin in Upsala printed in De Schedvia the two famous letters
of indulgency concerning Helena's Oratory close to Skovde of 13730712
and of 14251023 - and the equally important one concerning her church at Gotene of
1:st Advent Sunday in 1480. **1734-36 Anders Forssenius wrote about Helena and Skovde in latin: Disputation
de Schedvia, see P.II p.59f. **1743, 13/7, Rasch calls Helena a danish princess, cf 1843. He says too that
Helene Kilde at Tisvilde is a twin-source
- and it still is. This
year seems to be the year when the hypothetical family-members of Helena
in Scania and Denmark were invented. **1744 it was written "St. Helenes Kilde paa Torget havde allerede ved
1740 tabt sit Ry for Hellighed", about her source in Nordlands
Amt on the norwegian westcoast. **1746, 27/6, Carl von Linnée wrote meantime visiting Skovde that this city
was Sanctae Helenae Seat in days of yore. **1750:ies: An ink-drawing was luckily made of Helena's Oratory by Vambo Rivulet. **1754, 9/9, queen Lovisa Ulrika stopped the royal carriage when she caught
sight of the sad ruin of Helena's Oratory, and she walked to it and
pitied its walls and vaults. Her husband didn't bother to leave the
carriage. **1756 Vattlosa church was enlargened and medieval parts were destroyed. **1756, 8/9, danish fishers were able to feel the indescribably wonderful
perfume of the balmed body of Helena by the ruin of her oratory at Tisvildeleje.
**1758 the Geodesic Authority in Stockholm produced a copy of Filmer's map
of Skovde, on which Helena's church looks totally different - almost
like the mass-produced "Tegnér's barns" but with an extra
turret on the roof over the middle of the nave, like the one of today.
**1759, 11/9(sic) all Skovde burnt down, and Helena's church was severely
damaged. Then the ruin of her oratory was wiped out completely above
ground level since its stones were re-used in re-building the church
downtown. "Your servants, Helena, love the stones of your temple,
yes, we are even fond of its gravel and dust" (Ps.102:15). **1765, 10/11, Helena's church at Skovde was re-inaugurated provisionarily. **1767 GH Barfod made a drawing of S:ta Helena herself (at Skovde). **1769 and for a few years there was a painting of Helena, dressed as a nun
(O.Praem) outdoors(?) on the upper part of the southern side of the
tower. A truly wise initiative, but of course an "ambitious"
black soul made sure that it was removed. Perhaps the whole tower then
tumbled down and it wasn't rebuilt until in 1828. **1782 Vamb church was restored and re-inaugurated. (According to an incompatible
tradition its Communion Bell had been moulded in 1744 and had been employed
until 1796 spiting the inhibition for ringing such bells). **1790 a memorial metal sign was nailed on the wall of Vamb church having
a text which read that it is plausible that S:ta Helena has owned this
soil thanks to a heritage from her father, and that she has lived here,
wherefore the village has been given the name of Varfruhem (the foyer
of our lady); and that she built this Temple in 1130 for her devotions
and to the honour of Virgin Mary. The sign was still there in 1861. **1812-16 PE Lindskog mentioned twice the right year of Helena's martyrdom
- 1140! He also mentioned Appollonia's Source on Lesser Meadow of
Bestorp in Medelplana - its prime mention. **1814 the sjallandian Helenic legend was written down. In the same year Just
Matthias Thiele had, during a visit to Sankt Helene Brond (well) at
Tisvilde, heard the narration directly from a farmer's daughter, which
has been presented above. **1822 a substantial amount of information on the cult of Helena in Denmark
was published, see 1512 above. Helena is therein, though, identified
with Helena Guthormsdaughter, who was holy too, and not with our S:ta
Helena. **1823-24 they removed Helena's and Apollonia's altars from Medelplana church. **1843 Helena was called a scanian princess by JM Thiele. **1850 there was a wooden statue of Helena by her Kilde at Tisvildeleje, but
later (in 1872?) it emigrated to USA
- it was brought thither
by a mormon. Dunney says, though, that the statue there by the Kilde
was representing Mary. **1858 more Helenic traditions were described in Sjalland. In the same year
Jorgen Sonne made a drawing of the Midsummer celebration by Sankt Helene
Grave at Tisvilde, and in A.Schmidt's book this and similar drawings
by Sonne are reproduced, such as 'The Sleep Of The Sick Upon Helene
Grave During Midsummer Night'; in the back-ground the Midsummer fires
are flaming. **1868, 15/8, J.C. Watson at Ann Arbor found the 101:st asteroid, and its
name is HELENA! **1885 A Chr Bang reminded the world of St. Helene Kilde on the norwegian
westcoast on the island of Torget. **1888 the ursine or leonine portal was mounted in Helena's church at Skovde;
the church was refurbished. **1895 (some time before), the names of the four genuine Helenic churches
of Scania were published in Denmark. At the same time it was stated
that no church ever had been dedicated to Helena west of Oresund, and
if Vilhelm Bang is right, it means that no document supports that the
oratory (Helene Grav) at Tisvildeleje ever has been dedicated to Helena
- a thing which nowadays
is taken for granted. **1898 Helena's (Elin's) source of Medelplana had been known for a few decades
according to a newspaper article from 1955. **1915 Pehr Johnsson invented the second pilgrimage of Helena and "Gothem"
in 'Ur Vastergotlands Sagoskatt', the chapter called 'En Kvinnlig Pilgrim'. **1915 B.Anrep-Nordin published in VFFT sequences and hymns to S:ta Helena.
**1916-20 fourteen oil-colour-paintings were painted by Ove Kunert (1893-1975)
which describe the cult of Helena in the district of Tisvilde. They
are mural paintings in his villa ibidem. **1919 Bering Liisberg wrote her book 'Domina Helena'. **1922 the first medieval mural painting of S:ta Helena was rediscovered,
thanks God, painted in the 15th century in Kumlaby church. **1923 Helene Grave in Sjalland was investigated: Here they could state that
it is, as one can see today, the remnants of an old chapel from the
15th century. They didn't find the remnants of any ancient grave, but
that is not the same thing as to say, that it thereby was proved that
there earlier hasn't existed such a grave (or a juridical venue) on
this spot, or that the two stones cannot be the divided lid-stone of
an ancient grave. **1926 Saint Helena Parish in Albany/New York was founded. The parish reaches
from Consaul Road to Mohawk River and from McClellan Street to the eastern
shore of Niskayuna. Its first priest was Joseph Dunney until 1934. Wrong
Helena (Constantine's mother) is represented by the stained glass painting
of the church. Apart from this, Dunney founded the gazette 'The Evangelist'
19/3.1926. **1927 it was detected that no less a beauty than Helena had been regarding
the church-visitors of North Ny church since 1764 from one of the shutters
of the retable. Above there is a quotation from the text of the detector
published by Svenska Dagbladet 9/7.1927. The find was signified as a
miracle by him and as her answer to his prayers. **1927 Helena's church of Skovde was renovated again. **1927, 13/9, it was correctly reported that S:ta Helena is one of the saints
in the retables of Rudskoga and Visnum churches. **1930, in Oremus which was printed this year, the Collect was included from
the 1:st vesper of the brynolfian text In Solennitate Sancte Helene
under the headline: 31 July Sancta Helena, widow, martyr. Buried at
Skovde, canonized in 1164. Church prayer... **1931 Antonia Schmid wrote a chapter on S:ta Helena in her book on Sigfrid. **1931 Sigismund III's Officia Propria was printed again. **1932, 2/7 and 3/7 at Varnhem, a play was performed written by von Mirbach:
The Play On Sancta Helena. Honestly a lousy play, but hopefully it served
as a reminder of our saint. **1932 a 12th century grave was detected under the floor of the tower of Vamb
church. **1935 Helena's source of Lyngsjo was correctly set in liaison to our S:ta
Helena. In 1924 it had wrongfully been connected to Constantine's mother
Helena. **1936, 29/5, CR af Ugglas mentioned Helena again in Svenska Dagbladet. **1937: Joseph Aloisius Dunney, 56, Albany, USA, wrote Saint Of The Snows
- A Chronicle of the Holy Elin of Skovde - after 10 years of research.
**1938 Helena's holy finger-relique was donated to Scara museum by Molltorp
church, where it had been resting in the altar since the 15th century. **1939 Skovde communal escutcheon was approved of, which is dominated by its
image of S:ta Helena. **1940 Helena was identified in the retable of Kullings-Skovde. In 1878 a
museum in Goteborg had bought it for 25 quids. **1940:ies: Helena was identified in the retable of Grasmark. In 1877 it had
been donated to SHM/ Stockholm. **1943 the memorial stone was erected on the knoll of the ruin of Elin's church
in Goteve parish: "Here has Elin's church been standing. Erected
in 1943 (sic)"; outdoor services began being celebrated there.
Elin-Stommen had been mentioned in eg. 1545 and 1715, where the priest
lived, and it is situated 2 km thence. **1945 the Order of Saint Helena was founded in USA. They own now 2 convents
in New York and 1 in Georgia. **1950:ies and onwards: A note-book, which they hide somewhere in Gotene,
is treating of the secret life of S:ta Helena and is regarded as an
authentical source of information by the library and by an inner circle. **1952 Helena was identified in the retable of Onum church. **1953 Gotene communal escutcheon was approved of by the authorities. **1953 Erik Olson painted the Helena picture for the choir of her church at
Skovde. **1955 a photo was shot of a medieval cellar vault which was destroyed by
excavators close to the gymnastics hall of Helena School in Skovde when
the carrefour was enlargened. This may have belonged to the hypothetical
monastery of Skovde; the "Source of Darkness" is mentioned
in the context too. **1955 the play 'Spelet Om Sancta Helena' by von Mirbach was reperformed
- at Gotene this time. In 1957 it was rerun at Flyhov near Husaby.
**1955 the stone monument on S:ta Helena's source inside Arla's industrial
site at Gotene was constructed. **1955, 7/12, a newspaper article was published which constitutes the first
mention of Elin's source at Medelplana. It treats of 1898. **1956 the Helena sculpture of Toreboda-Bjorkang was reported, but it had
been identified a few years before this. Sometimes it has been identified
with another saint. **1956 (at the earliest) the fenestrations of Scara cathedral, which comprise
multicoloured stained glass mosaics jointed with lead, were made, and
the main feature is S:ta Helena on the southern gable. She's holding
a blue sword. **1956 the memorial stone by S:ta Helena's source by Vambo Rivulet was erected,
and in the same year the book on her was released which still is the
best one: Det Aldsta Skovde och Sankta Elin (The oldest Skovde and Saint
Elin). One can say that by this time there had started a renaissance
of the Helenic cult. **1957 von Mirbach wrote benevolent articles on Helena which were just as
interesting as innovating; she seems to have been inspired from above. **1960:ies and onwards into the third millennium: Several Helenic monuments
and texts were constructed and composed. **1971 (29/8): An altar of 3 tonnes -
Helena's - was
placed next to the choir altar in Medelplana church. For 150 years it
had been cumbent in a stony field. It is going to be used as a baptismal
altar. **1974, in July, the sign was erected by the refurbished site of Elin's source
beneath Bosgarden, Medelplana. **1975 S:t Nikolai Guild at Lidkoping wrote an article in Lidkopingsbygden
about Elin's source in Medelplana. **1979, 10-12/5, the first post-reformatory pilgrimage was carried out to
Helena's monuments of Scania and Sjalland and, 1/6, of Kinnekulle. **1980 Saturnus's twelfth moon was named Helene; it is not perfectly round
and it measures 36 km's at the widest point. **1980, 18/5, Mount Saint Helens in southern Washington state exploded with
an unbelievable violence. **1981: Jordan B. Jordanov from Bulgaria carved a splendid copy of Helena
and the whole retable of Grasmark church. **1983 Tryggve Lundén's book on missionaries and church-founders of Sweden,
including an ambitious chapter on S:ta Helena, was released. He adds
a "digressive" chapter on her, wherein he presents the first
known liaison between Helena and Ranneslov parish. **1985 the hurricane of the year above the Mexican Gulf was named Helena. **1980'ies, late: A school musical on Helena was performed at Scara. At the
same time a pupil of Gotene collected information on Helena from books
and from an OFM.Cap-monk of Lidkoping. **1991, Tuesday 13/8 at 09.30, SSHGO was founded in the ruins of the premonstratensian
monastery at Dragsmark/ Bohuslan. **1992, 6-7/6: "Helena is the saint of Westgothia, and she lived at Vattlosa".
"Helena was born at Vattlosa and died at Gotene". **1992, Wednesday 22/7 at 09.45, Initiatio into the cult of Helena befell
at her source at Gotene. **1992, in October, the register card was written for S:ta Helena's source,
20 yards above sea-level at Lyngsjo parish as N:r 87 by Kristianstad
museum. **1993, 6/11, a priest re-inaugurated the source in the slope infront of Ranneslov
Water-mill, and a sign was erected reading 'Sankta Helenas Kalla'. **1994 Skovde museum arranged an exhibition about S:ta Helena, and they compiled
information on her and shot new photos of some of her wooden sculptures,
and their accomplishment was for sale there then. **1994 a new and complete Sankta Helena's Mass was composed using the texts
of the modern catholic Missal. Since then a lot of Helenic music has
been produced. **1996: A mural painting and ten relievos were made to the House of the Church
at Skovde, all owning Helenic symbolism with references to both Westgothia
and to Peloponnesos. **1997, 24/2, our first internet texts on Helena were launched. **1997, at Midsummer Tide there was an exhibition on Helene at Tisvildeleje. **1997, during the profane Midsummer 20-21/6: S:ta Helena appeared next to
her holy source near Skovde at midnight and in full moon light as a
black cat, after the completion of a Helenic rite there. [After the first surprise
had been calmed down we realized it was a real cat, not a saint in disguise,
not even the reincarnation of a medieval cat]. **1997, 16/8, 17/8, another Helenic play was performed with music at Gotene.
The woman behind it had been guided by a dream to create some kind a
manifestation. The CD which was used to the play had been produced by
a company in Sankta Helena Street at Skovde. **1997, 3/10, a new Helena's silver ring was made at Skovde. **1997: During this year they planned to 1.create a park in Gotene with a
source and a riding Helena. 2.to create another park here with
a stone relievo presenting Helena on the opposite side of the street
where the city founder already is depicted, and with a small pond and
a plantation of Inula Helenium-flowers. 3.to arrange a Helena's Marathon
Race from Skovde to Gotene or vice versa. And in the same year all three
ideas were discarded. An inofficial Helena's flag was created, based
on the French flag since the preparations for Helena's canonization
were carried out at Sens in France in 1164, or maybe the very canonization
took place there. **1998 they intended at Skovde to name a clinic for girls suffering from anorexia
'S:ta Helenakliniken'... **1998 Saint Helena's Trophy, Sankta Helena Basket and the social democrat
union 'Sankta Helena S-forening' got Skovde-based internet sites. ** 1998, 10/5, a wooden sculpture of Helena was erected at Salt Lake City.
It looks like the other ones, which were made in ~1500, but it is in
a good shape, and it is surely new-made. Now it had been transferred
there from Huntsville (or Hurricane) in Utah. We had reported a "sculpture
of Helena missing" 21/8.1997 near Habo to a couple of mormon elders,
and they promised to investigate to where they had taken it in 1850
or -75 - from
Tisvildeleje, that is. **1999, 15/7, S:ta Helena's source of Lyngsjo was no longer detectable. **1999, 21/9, the hypothetical "true source of Helena" was discovered
along Vambo Rivulet. **1999, in November, Joseph Dunney's book on Helena was translated into swedish. **2000, 3/3, von Mirbach's Helena play was rewritten into modern and rhymeless
swedish. **2000, August-September, EM Gudvardarsen wrote at Tisvildeleje that Helena
hadn't come there from Sweden but directly from Greece, and that she
thereafter has inspired the danes. **2001 in general: Yet another play on Helena was performed on the market
square infront of her church at Skovde when the new year bells had stopped.
5-18/1 a play on Beautiful Helena was performed by Skovde Theatre. 18/4
yet another Helenic play was performed in Binneberg Court-house. 21-29/4
a Helenic composition was performed in her church at Skovde. 6/6, during
the royal visit to Skovde, the Binneberg play was rerun. 31/7 a big
Helenic feast befell by her source outside Skovde. All these things
would have been fine on the condition that they had followed the only
ancient document there is on Helena - Brynolf's
liturgical text - and that they had withheld themselves from
lying about her. **2001, 1/1, a new communal escutcheon replaced the older one from 1939 at
Skovde; Helena is its central feature. This new one is actually better
than its despondent predecessor. **2001, 23/3, a pilgrimage was accomplished to the three Sankt Helene monuments
of Tisvilde & Tisvildeleje, Danmark. Skov og Naturstyrelsen has
erected signs by Helene Kilde, Helene Grave and Kildeblok with good,
illustrated information on. **2001 and 2002 (in the summers of) the bridge situated next to Helena's source
outside Skovde was dismantled due to maintenance work, without finding
any medieval stones from the ruined oratory inside it. **2001, 15/8, you could read in Gotene newspaper: "The tall flower to
the right is a healing herb which Sankta Helena brought with her here
to Gotene" - 'tis an Inula Helenium, and thus the additions
to Helena's memorial continue... **2001, 9/10: A papal letter from 1292, which mentions Elena and Helena,
wound up at Skovde more or less miraculously. **2002, at springtime: A sign was erected next to Helena's source within the
Arla industrial area/ Gotene, which comprises childish expressions,
wrong spelling and wrong information such as that Helena would have
been canonized in 1188. **2002, 19/7, (three days in advance) the ten-years-celebration of Helenae
Initiamente was successfully carried out at Gotene with eg. visits to
her relique in her local church and to her local source, and with a
specially required tart with a text on reading "SSHGO 10
years". **2002, 31/7: In Skovde commune they decided to celebrate Helena yearly this
day in her church and by her local source. In 2002 the celebrations
started at 5 PM. **2002 7-17/8 we up-dated 'Le Ravissement de moi par Hélčne', which describes
Uriel's and Helena's common life. **2003, 20/2, a new search was carried out for a "flat stone with inscription"
id est Helena's grave-lid, because they believe it to lie under a building
which burnt down recently at Skovde. **2003, 28/4, the official SSHGO internet site was up-graded. **2004, 1/1, scheduled re-opening of Skovde Museum including Helena's Chamber
and her stoney breads. HAIL HELENA, our Westgothian Saint! 1:st ed. written
with pen and paper in the fall 1997 at Gotene; transferred to discette and launched
on inter-net 15-17/7-98; 2:nd ed. on "Gregorij pape
et confessor" 1999, on inter-net; 3:rd ed. on "Eupli m"
in 2001. 4:th ed. on "Maximi ep. commemoratio"
in 2002 - translated from english to swedish; up-dated on "Wenceslai m"
in 2002; re-translated into english on "John
of Damascus" in 2002; improved on "Viti et Modesti
martyrum" in 2003. S.D.G. Superhelena
Contents
English
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Superhelena svensk version
Superhelena
1 Superhelena
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