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ORDINIS HELENUM Part Two
91:WATER-SOURCES HAVING
ONE OR ANOTHER CONNEXION TO HELENA: Helena hallowed the water in the
sources; it was not holy water that hallowed her, as someone has proposed.
Another one claimed in July 1993 that "sources emerge where ever
Helena sets her foot down". In days of yore the bride before her
wedding took a purifying bath, and the water was brought to the church
in a nuptial vase from a holy source. According to Nordic tradition
the water of sources must in all contexts be used secretly. 91.2: I:Brynolf notifies that Helena was martyred 1/8.1140 at "Gothene",
and in 1708 Benzelius informs us of that the source west of Gotene in
1462 had received a 40 days indulgency letter by Lars Mikaelson, the
bishop of Vaxjo, but maybe he invented this letter, so 1708 ("S:Helena's
Kialla") and not 1462 is its first mention. If 1462 had been valid,
the letter would have proved that the source before this year had been
dedicated to Helena but not that the source had come into existence
on the spot of her martyrdom. The link between where Helena was martyred
and the Gotene source is evidently post-reformatory. A tale-teller at
the beginning of the 20th century invented more: "When she at her
return [from Jerusalem] was going to fare to Gotene church, she was
attacked on her way by these [her old enemies], who here without mercy
deprived her of her life... On the spot where this [her death] occurred,
a clear source broke forth. And one thing and another contributed to
that Mrs Helena became canonized later". In the 18th century the
source "moved" when it was filled with earth, and it became
a fountain; in the 1950:ies it was dried out; nowadays it is represented
by a monument inside the Arla dairy area; its water is communal, and
its pressure and a nozzle makes a fountain out of it. It is unknown
how the monument is situated in relation to the original position of
the source except for the position of the 1950:ies: 'Twas under the
present laboratory barrack. In the 1950:ies it was covered by a stone
lid and its water was clear as crystal
- (yes, a contradiction!). 91.3:One must add here concerning
n:rs I & II that Brynolf only mentions one Helenic source,
and its position is not spelt out, but her source came into existence
during the transport of her corpse, not at her martyrdom. 92: II:5/8.1140 Fons Beate Helene came into existence by Vambo Rivulet close
to the ford; it has no connexion with the site of her martyrdom. It
is nowadays found beneath the old trunk-road bridge within the military
area of Skovde; 'twas mentioned the first two times in 1288 and in 1373;
the memorial stone was erected in 1956; was examined in September 1999;
the surrounding site was meliorated in 2001-02. A lot of small crosses
used to be erected around the source. The source "moved" a
few yards as a consequence of that it was filled with earth in the 18th
century. Its water is undrinkable today - Elisha
ought to come to Skovde and purify this source with salt (cf 2King 2:21-22).
A small suspended bridge, reminding of the one seen on the drawing of
the site of the 1750:ies, was mounted over the rivulet during some decades,
but 'twas replaced in 2001 by stepping-stones in the rivulet - ice
had demolished the bridge in 2000. 93: III:In the 1190:ies Aebelholt's augustinian monastery owned the ground
where Helene Kilde is, and a swedish queen Helena was mentioned in ~1194
in a letter from abbot Wilhelm... and from and including 1512 every
Tuesday a Helena's Collect was read in Aebelholt minster! (The monastery
was at first situated on Eskil's islet in Roskilde Fiord during the
first half of the 12th century; it was moved in 1175 to Aebelholt west
of Hillerod. Queen Helena was the mother of the saints Nils and Valdemar,
and she died at Vreta nunnery). It is annoying that it has been said
about this source that maybe it is the same one which during
the Middle Ages was dedicated to the swedish female saint Helena. It
is not proved that the source was a Helenic source before the early
17th century - one has taken it for granted that it
has been just that since the 1160:ies. That Helene Kilde had healing
water is demonstrated by a maid, 14 or 15 years old, who suffered from
an eve-disease and who went to the source three years in a row to be
healed, and she was healed. One claims that during the catholic era
the recommended visiting period of Helene Kilde was prolonged from 23-24/6
(Midsummer) to 31/7 (Helena's feastday), but at any time of the year
one can (in the evenings?) visit Helene Grave close to the Kilde three
Thursdays in a row for to gain the same healing and power as during
the mentioned period, doing one's devotions there. 94: IV:King Christian IV (1577-1648) mentioned S.Ellenis Kalla at Lyngsjo/
Gard's herred, which supposedly has its origin in the 12th century;
it is the only Helenic source of Scania. Still during his time pilgrims
were streaming to the source. Prest Relations of 1624 mentions S:ta
Helena's Source here; in 1924 she was taken for Constantine's mother,
but in 1932 the error was corrected. See Kristanstad's Lan's Tidning
27/5.1932; Kristianstadsbladet 7/11.1959; register card for the source,
Lyngsjo N:r 87, was written in October 1992. The source is found close
to the northern foundation of an ex-bridge, south of a starch-factory
which was built in 1966 -
whereon they dumped earth and stones right over the source! 95: V:In West Vram parish, Gard's herred, there is Helle Kalla next to a tall
wooden cross by Ullarp 1, on the sloping ridge towards Vram River. Both
n:rs IV and V are situated not too far from from Va city and its premonstratensian
monastery, but V is not regarded as a Helenic source. 96: VI:A very hypothetical Helenic source close to Ystad constitutes a part
of the vague Helena-cult in that district (a smart guess of the 20th
century, probably based on S:ta Helena's Vag 271 32 Ystad). 97: VII:Elie offering-source within Mone parish close to the Hallstad border
was mentioned in 1812 and 1916. According to some individuals in the
20th century it is found on the Hallstad side of the border, within
the premises of Hov, and were in that case identical with Tingmark's
Source, but there exists no proof for this being true. Within Hov's
premises there are three known sources close to each others; they haven't
changed names, but they have been confused for one and other. At a stone's
cast south of one of them there is a boulder, which is an exact copy
of the Rinsing-stone on Skovde Cemetery - one half of it has raised itself up - not to be confused for
the border-boulder of Tingsten (the one with shallow round pits on).
A source nearby (also supposed to be Helena's) is used for watering
cattle with - when
they deepened it in the early 1990:ies they saw how the water streams
out of an egg-sized hole in the sloping ground. Elie is a dative form
(firstly used 3/2.1279) of Eliah, not of Helena, and the correct parish
is Mone. Despite of this one has had courage enough to claim
that in the 13th century they baptized one of the bells of Hallstad
church in this Helenic source! and that one regarded Helena as the patroness
of this source, saying too that its water healed eye-diseases. 97.2:But - this is the correct source, the only one registered
within Mone parish (n:r 17): 85 yards west of a gravel road, in the
middle of a sloping pasture-ground belonging to Stommen, north of the
steep church-mountain; it measures 2 x 2 yards, and its waters pours
out towards northwest; it has a 2 x 3 yards big boulder towards northeast - this
boulder was meant to demolish the church with once upon a time, but
the giant who threw it missed it, and the source broke forth on the
landing-spot and it is today used for watering cattle. 97.3:[Tingmark's Kalla n:r 74 is situated by Tingsten; is 3 yards wide. Tarnekalla
n:r 127 is situated southwest of 74; was destroyed in the 1920:ies;
the 20th century house called Heleneborg is situated west of it. Lidan's
Kalla is found in the neighbourhood too]. 98: VIII:A Helenic source has existed on an island off the Norwegian westcoast:
St. Helenes Kilde on Torget/ Nordlands Amt had already by 1740 lost
its reputation of holiness - it had in other words before this year had
the reputation of being a holy source. The information is dated 1744.
(Before March 1885 there existed no more Norwegian Helena-sources, but
during the 20th century someone claimed that one or two more exist on
Norwegian westcoast islands). 99: IX:In 1955 Elin's supposedly health-creating source was mentioned, lying
beneath Bosgarden in Medelplana parish along the road, and it was sub-comprehended
that it had been known some years before 1898, but this newspaper article
is the first mention all categories of this source. It was renovated
and furnished with a sign in July 1974; its stony sides were made higher
and a lid was set onto it. It measures 1 x 0.8 x 0.25 yards. Its bottom
is the very mountain; it holds ~10 litres of water; three small steps
lead to it from the road. One wanted that this source was going to be
a replacer for the Helenic source at Gotene, which had become hard to
visit for tourists since it is situated inside an industial area. One
claimed that the first christians of the district had been baptized
in this medelplanian source; baptismal and purifying water had been
brought to the church out of it. 100: X:In July 1993 it was notified that there has existed an Elin's source
at Varkumla parish next to Elin's House
- the plant, they claimed,
had been one of the most central positions within the cult of Helena,
and it had been situated on a hill somewhere west of Varkumla church...
(maybe he meant the round ruin of something on the hill which is situated
directly west of the cemetery; he had learnt this information from the
local Dorcas Society). There are no sources nor any traces of Elin's
House in Varkumla. In Kinneved there is only the Church-bell Source.
In Goteve there are only the Disa Source (1200 yards north of the church)
and a stone with a natural waterhole in (at Tovarp 1:5). 101: XI:On Halloween in 1993 (probably Saturday 6/11) S:ta Helena's Source
was re-inaugurated by Ranneslov's Watermill by a priest, publicum and
journalists. The nether stone-sides are medieval. (The owner had Sunday
4/7.1993 expressed some hesitation concerning if the source hadn't been
called S:ta Gertrude's source in his childhood, but "maybe it was
S:ta Helena's". In Scara diocese one didn't start worshipping Gertrude
of Nivelles until just before 1400. As an exempel of another "shared"
source we can mention that in ~1466 Uppgranna's source was dedicated
to the saints Helena, Gertrude and two others). 102: XII & XIII:Very uncertain sources in the context: Not far from the
premonstratensian monastery of Backaskog, at Barum in Kiaby parish,
there is maybe another Helenic source, and there used to be a coin-box
like Helene Kilde Blok at Tisvilde. In Alsheda parish there is Leenas
Kalla on top of or beneath a rock at Lena Farm. 103:HELENA'S SOURCES IN DENMARK: I:Assens/Fyn, Odense Amt, north of Assens,
"Sankt Helene Kilde #856" on the very beach on the westside
of the island towards Lilla Balt, 38 km from Odense. It pushed a stone
away from itself. II:Grinderslev p., Viborg Amt, Salling north herred, "Helene Kilde #1653.1",
at a stone's throw to the east from the parish monastery, north of the
road to Langesgard. III:Halsted p., Lolland, next to Maghoj Kilde not far from the 13th century
benedictine parish monastey; "Helene Kilde "742.2". IV:Hammer p., Aalborg Amt, Kjaer h., 300 yards south of Prastgarden; "Sankt
Helene Kilde #1469". V:Helsingor, close to Kronborg Castle, "Helle Laene Kilde" - is
not included by August Schmidt in his source inventory, and its "existence"
is probably due to error -
its name concerns in reality Helene Kilde at Tisvildeleje, because
how far "close to" is, is a matter of judgement. VI:Mariager rural parish, Randers Amt, Onsild h., south of Forest Himmelkold,
on the northern slope of a hill; "Sankt Helene Kilde #1851.1".
The Birgittine nunnery of Mariager was started in 1430, 23 km north
of Randers city. VII:Nodagers p., Randers Amt, Djurlands southern h., at Pederstrup, mentioned
in 1743 as "Sankt Helene Kilde #2031.1". VIII:Orting p., Aarhus Amt, Hads h., "Sankt Helene Kilde "2139.1",
halfway up the east side of a hill in the suburb of Halen. IX:Ruds Vedby p., Holbaek Amt, Love h., "Helenes Kilde "284.2",
on the steep hill of Gibbet Grounds, mentioned in 1758. X:Stillinge p., Soro Amt, Slagelse h., "Helene Kilde #435.2", on
the premises of Keldstrup at a stone's cast from the village. XI:Tibirke p., Frederiksborgs Amt, Holbo h. in Sjalland, "Sankt Helene
Kilde #32.1" - is described above thoroughly. (A double source
which has been triple: a morally dirty person got in touch with the
water in the third well, whereupon it immediately dried out). XII:Tybjaerg p., Praesto Amt, Tybjaerg h., "Sankt Helene Kilde #563",
on the premises of Tybjaerg Farm, by the so called Kirken (church). XIII:Vorup p., Randers Amt, Galten h., "Sankt Helene Kilde #1921",
in a paddock by Strommen Station. One may add Tofte Kilde by the meadow
of the forest not far south-east of Tibirke church, because it is mentioned
in the context of Sankt Helene and Tisvilde, and this source was the
reason to that the church was built right there in the 1120:ies. 104:LITURGY: According to the proprium de sanctis of the modern swedish catholic
Missal "Elin of Skovde, martyr" is celebrated 30/7, and "Elin"
(and Sunniva) are included in the Litany to the saints of Norden, Oremus
466. Here is a choice of Helena's prevalence in older liturgy: a)At
Aebelholt monastery (OSA) every Tuesday from and including 1512 a Helena's
Collect had to be read. b)Helena was worshipped by the birgittines
according to a document of 1529 in Altomünster county. c) and d)cistercian
litanies from either Gudhem (nuns, first mentioned in 1168) or Varnhem
(monks, f.m.i. 1151) including Helena and Sunniva. e)The Johannites
celebrated Helena with an uniquely high degree at Eskilstuna. f)She
was included in the calendar of Mariager birgittine nunnery. g)At Rome
she was included in a birgittine Missal. h)Skokloster (monastery) celebrated
her (in 1219 there were OP.-monks, exchanged 1225-36 for OSB.Cist.-nuns
from Byarum; in 1277 there were OP.-nuns). i)The liturgical texts to
Helena were written by Brynolf in 1281 and 1288, possibly inspired by
older Helenic texts which he had found at Alvastra monastery. j)Helena
and Sunniva are mentioned by a psalterium from the 15th century from
Scara diocese. k)A calendar of Strangnas included Helena in ~1250. l)In
Abo diocese she was included from ~1350 by a dominican calendar. m)She
was included by the calendars of Scara diocese in ~1350 and in 1498.
n)She was included by a litany of the Hemsjo Handbook from the 15th
century, but she had already during the 14th centry been included by
the litany of Hemsjo church. 104.2:The gospel-text choosen for Helena's Mass was firstly Math.12:26-35;
then, during bishop Brynolf's days, Math.12:46-50, and nowadays it is
Math.10:28-33. 105:POPE ALEXANDER III: He was born in ~1105; became a pope in 1159; was exiled
to Sens in France 1163-65; died 30/8.1181. During the first weekend
of August in 1164 he ordained Stephanus of Alvastra the first archbishop
of Sweden - in the choir of Sens's cathedral, which was the only finished part
of the cathedral - in the presence of Eskil, the archbishop of
Denmark. These things are historical facts. Alexander decided, as a
result of the crazy measure of the people of Upland to worship an anticatholic
drunkard as a saint, that thereafter all canonizations must be effectuated
by the pope. He canonized Giovanni di Meda (1159?; 26/9 was his appointed
day), Guarinus (1159?, 6/2), Helena of Skovde (1164, 31/7), Thomas Becket
(1173, 29/12), Bernhard of Clairvaux (1174, 20/8) and Galganus (1181,
5/12). 106:IDEAS CONCERNING THE CANONIZATION OF HELENA AND ITS CEREMONY: 1)Not only Brynolf was informed on Helena at Alvastra (in 1288), but Stephanus
too (before 1164); maybe the acts of the canonization of Helena had
been written in Sens. One can even draw the conclusion from Brynolf's
text that Stephanus was the person who preserved the memorials of Helena
and who thus was the only one who was able to give pope Alexander III
the adequate information on Helena for his canonization of her. 106:2 2)It is likely that Alexander III did canonize Helena already during
the summer of 1164 at Sens viz. because of the political reasons which
are descibed above. If the ritual was carried out in Sweden, it can
have occurred absolutely not before Stephanus's return to Sweden
- after August 1164. 3)A document which Alexander III supposedly had written in Sens for Helena's
canonization was, supposedly, read in Alvastra minster during the fall
of 1164 (it wasn't inaugurated until in 1185) by archbishop Stephanus.
The canonization wasn't thus carried out in Skovde church, which is
a general and immovable opinion. 106.3: 4)She was, supposedly, canonized 31/7.1164 by Stephanus at Skovde on
the order of anti-pope Paschalis III (1164-68). 5)She was, supposedly, canonized in the summer of 1165. 106.4: 6)She was, supposedly, canonized in 1163, "and hereof we have
a possibility to date the church of Medelplana to ~1163". (1161
too has been propsed). 106.5: 7)She was, supposedly, canonized by Clemens III, pope 1187-91, in 1188.
This invention is an insult to Alexander III, who had personally been
engaged in the canonization of Helena at Sens in 1164, jeopardizing
his own life in the process. 106.6: 8)Much later (than the funeral of 1140) Helena's reliques were laid
into a silvery shrine in an ambitious ceremony including a lot of monotonous
lessons; single flames sparkled from the metal crosses on the towers
(a phenomenon which thereafter is called Saint Helena's Fire), and the
shrine was placed into the vaulted niche somewhere in the north-east
part of the church at Skovde, measuring 1 x 1.5 x 1.5 yards. An iron
grating having a complex construction was hung infront of the niche
in the 15th century. (It is still preserved in the church; iron bars,
twined like unicorn horns, are mounted through one another). Double
doors with double locks were hung infront of the niche, and monks promised
to guard it. Indulgency was promised for those who yearly were going
to attend S:ta Helena's Mass and who also would contribute to the finances
of the church. 106.7: 9)30/7.1164 S:ta Helena's nice-scented bones were elevated from the
grave in the central choir (the church and her grave were not finished
in 1140, so between 1140 and 1164 her remnants were resting in an interim
grave. That the church was built between 1136 and 1164 is fully plausible)
and were placed in a silver shrine, which was set on the altar. After
the words of the canonization ceremony had been read out loud, the shrine
was placed in the grave which she herself had designed. Thereafter Masses
were to be read by her grave yearly on 31/7, a decision yielded by archbishop
Stephanus in 1164 but which was later expanded to daily helenic Masses. 106.8: 10)A catholic dictionary adds the odd piece of information, that 8
english miles from Copenhagen Helena was enshrined in a church which
was dedicated to her. (Let us remind you here of that no church has
ever been dedicated to her on the western side of Oresund). 106.9: 11)In the 15th century it was written on Helena's canonization: Anno
domini millesime centesimo sexagesimo tercio consecratus est... stephanus...
nacione anglicus... canonizauit... Sanctam Helenam in Skedwe... (Reg.
lat.525 in the Vatikan library; copy chez KB/Stockholm; cf Script. rer.
suec. I:1, p.51, 61-62). 106.10: 12)Believe it or not, but the floor of Helena's church at Skovde today
is on a level more than one yard above the 12th century floor. If this
is the truth one hereby gets an explanation to why they couldn't find
Helena's mentioned niche during the latest restauration of the church - they
didn't look for it deep down enough. 107:BRYNOLF ALGOTSSON: He was born in the 1240:ies in Hasthalla farm in Skallmeja
parish. In 1266 he went to Paris Varsity (founded in 1120) to study,
and there he perhaps got acquainted with, at least bibliographically,
goddess Elene. Through election in 1278 he became the bishop of Scara.
In May 1797 he and king Magnus Ladislaus attended the meeting on Adelso,
and in October the same year he attended the synod of Talje. In 1281,
141 years after Helena's martyrdom (1/8.1140) he meliorated her Mass
- 'tis a cert that he
had discovered her a long time before the summer of 1288, when he studied
her at Alvastra monastery. In Dipl. suec.709:4 he mentioned in 1281
Aelinaer maessu in Skodwe, and also Botulfs maessu and Pancrasz in Falukopungi;
Halldraehaelghunnae day, Laurinszaer and sanctae Michiae days. 107.2:The Vatikan documents which could have validated Helena's canonization
are incinerated, but one must find it difficult to believe that
Brynolf would have durst to lie about such a controllable piece of
information (that she is canonized) during his trials to launch
the cult of Helena, when he in 1281 in writ mentions a Helena's Mass
at Skovde, which used to be celebrated there 31/7. 107.3:Sister Jessica (O.Hel) says: "Brynolf started re-activating the
then 141 years old cult of Helena when he elevated and glorified her
Mass adapted for, like it has become, in Scara diocese 30/7 and elsewhere
31/7. Apart from this one-day-aberration her feast-day was unmovable
in the calendar. And after the miracle on Lake Vettern he wrote a liturgical
text for her during the fall of 1288
- for the Rose of Westgothia, the Torch of our
Ancestors. "He based the text on local and oral tradition, and
on another and simpler legend". The latin is different and more
primitive in the parts of the text of the office which follows after
Lectio Nona compared to the text before this, but the language of the
Gregorian sermon is strangely similar to the main part of the office.
One may think there seem to exist traditions on Helena which are of
such a kind that it were not impossible that they are older than Brynolf's
version of her legend, but appearances are deceitful herein, because
these "traditions" cannot be dated back in time longer than
to the 20th century, occasionally to the 19th century. It is unlikely
that Brynolf had an older Helenic text to go by, expressed tendenciously
above, since he himself claims that it was because of that her life
earlier had not been written down that a large portion of the
information re her had been forgotten. Others claim that an older hypothetic
liturgical Helenic text might have been lectured and had been used as
a goldmine for delivering ideas to sermons before Brynolf's time on
Helena's day, and upon this foundation Brynolf continued to build: Helenam
sanctam viduam quam presul inuocauit historiam per congruam decenter
honorauit - with a fine narration he honoured the holy
widow Helena, to whom he had called for help. Toni Schmid shows and
proves in her chapter on Helena at the end of her Sigfridian book that
Brynolf has borrowed wildly and recklessly from other hagiographies,
which alas casts a shadow of questioning over parts of Helena's office.
The genuineness of the brynolfian office of Helena houses an innate
doubt, incorporated by its own composer, and it maybe doesn't say so
much about the historical Helena but mainly is a pattern-story of how
saints in general must be portrayed. The individual who once has existed,
exists for ever according to Luk.20:34-38; then again the earthly existence
of Jesus has been increasingly doubted during the last ~150 years, so
christians mustn't cast stones in a house of glass questioning the existence
of Helena". 107.4:In 1282 Brynolf received Jón Rode, the archbishop of Nidaros. The cult
of Helena was thriving at Alvastra monastery, where Brynolf in the summer
of 1288 was able to study a preserved sketch to an act concerning Helena's
canonization. In the evening of 14/8.1288 he visited Helena's church
at Skovde and her reliques. His uncle Thorner Cryda was killed by his
own servants in a way which reminds one of the circumstances of the
death of Helena's son-in-law - in the name of logic before 1288; otherwise 1290 is indicated. In
1298 Brynolf founded a bishop's fortress on the ruin of a fortress which
Magnus Barfod had built on Kollandso in ~1100
- the Lacko Castle-in-spe.
Brynolf's buildings burnt down in the 1470:ies though. 107.5:In 1299 he donated his premises in Vamb, which he had inherited from
his mother - she had "owned all Vamb" - to Scara cathedral. 2/9.1304
he received at Lodose a spine from the crown of thorns of Christ delivered
by a messenger from king Hakon Magnusen of Norway. The spine had originally,
si credere fas est, been found by Constantine's mother Helena - it
takes a Helena for inventing anything like this! Brynolf carried the
relique barefoot to Scara cathedral; he encapsulated it in a globe of
glass held by two small angels of metal, and he wrote a liturgical text
for it. 107.6:Brynolf died 6/2.1317. Some of his seals are preserved, and his pilgrim's
badge is soldered on the lesser bell of Lindarva church. 2/2.1349 Mrs
Brita perceived the sweet scent which factually exists at the eastern
end of Scara cathedral, and she attributed it to Brynolf, whose grave
probably was in the crypt "among the swines". The exact position
of his grave has been unknown since the 1590:ies. His present feastday
is the day when he was beatified in 1492
- 16/8. His beautiful oratory inside Scara cathedral
used to be to the left of the abhorrably ugly main-altar retable, but
the oratory was reshaped when the cathedral was renovated at the end
of the 1990:ies. 108:MONDAY BEFORE ASCENSION-DAY: This day was connected to Helena's Oratory
outside of Skovde. In relation to her Mass then, they carried her image
and a crucifix in a procession out across the fields and prayed for
a good growth. (This piece of information has been added during the
20th century, and it lacks a true relation to the cult of Helena. Furthermost
this "migrant tale" goes back to Luke 24:50: Then Jesus
led the disciples outside the town, near Bethania, and there he elevated
his hands and blessed them. "Migrant tale" is the expression
we choose, since this custom and others are iterated in every parish;
individuals ape statements of old times which they find attractive and
applicable on their home district regardless of that no real relation
exists). 109:THE SEAL: We maintain that monks, before 1314, designed and produced the
Skovde Seal (of lead or tin), which presents a true picture of Helena
and her signature, symbolizing that she, in the 1130:ies, founded this
megalopolis where the outskirts of seven big farms met. Without any
trace of proof it is nowadays claimed that Skovde attained its town
status in 1399 or 1401. 110:THE CITY OF SKOVDE: Upon seven complete tax-freed farms, given by Helena
to the sockdologers, Skovde was founded in the 1130:ies. There were
seven "villages" (conglomerates of farmsteads) around the
growing city: 1)Hasslum (firstly mentioned in 1415). 2)Havstena (fmi
1396; called a village with a church 8/12.1495 cf Brita's oratory above).
3)Hene (fmi 1347 but existed before the Viking Age on the plateau west
on Alva Source; the newest graves of its grave-field are from 1050;
there was a great oaken forest). 4)Horsas (fmi 1356). 5)Kapplunda (fmi
1413). 6)Risa (fmi 1393) and 7)Segerstorp (fmi 1326; finally erased
29/1.1992). Two other neighbouring villages were Ryd (fmi 1400), where
the church was depicted in 1655 but was gone before 1659, and Asbotorp
(fmi 1344), one of the oldest farms of the district, and which is unique
through being the only medieval farm which is situated on top of a flat-top
mountain of Westgothia. 111:THE STATUS OF HELENA'S CHURCH AT SKOVDE: The following statements are
by and large totally wrong; their motives span from distorted benevolence
to irony: This church was the first one of the district, older than
that of Vamb. Skovde parish was an incorporation of the parishes of
the seven villages and of Elene (both mentioned above); to the west
there were the independant parishes of Hene and Vamb; to the south there
was maybe Kyrketorp lacking at the time a church of its own. In present
Omb there were two farm churches next to eachothers (Bjarby and Omb).
Skovde became an ecclesiastical unit, and here were the ecclesiastical
authorities. The central sanctuary of the district was the church of
S:ta Helena - it functioned as a diocesan dome - and
it had been founded in 1140 for this purpose. Its architect had apparently
been inspired by Lichčres church -
a sanctuary with hospice along the pilgrim's road towards San
Diego di Compostella - applying his impressions,
after his return to Westgothia, on Helena's church. The administration
of Skovde followed that of Lund until 1300
- does that mean that
the Skovde district was annexed to Lund altogether? The Vatican consulate
was placed at Skovde (according to a 18th century man, but this is pure
nonsense). 112:COMMERCE: The remnants of Helena did, it was claimed, cause miracles (cf
Sirach 48:13-14), and business-men profited richly on people who kept
streaming here to the latin Masses and the indulgency. Her church was
one of the three most important goals for pilgrims in Norden during
the Middle Ages, while her cult in the Continent only was disseminated
thanks to the birgittine order. 113:HELENA AS AN EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW: Inspite that Mrs Brita nowhere in her
Books of Revelations mentions Helena, the legend of Helena had been
read aloud for her and her sister between 1313 and 1316 in Aspanas mansion
by her mother's sister Katarina Bengtsdaughter. (Katarina's husband
Kanutus Jonsson was, apart from this context, a descendant of Helena
Guthormsdaughter in the fourth generation both via Helena's son Knud
and via her daughter Ingeborg; Kanutus was the actual regent of Sweden
for a period). 113.2:Helena's life served as a model to go by for christians of the time - for
both women and men. She was a strong woman: She directed the work at
the farm herself after having become a widow. She managed well without
a new earthly husband. Suffering couldn't spoil the things she had settled
for realizing. She regarded resistance as nihil. To God she gave, not
only her belongings, but her body too. Brynolf wonders what weakness
a man thereafter may refer to as an excuse, regarding her, a woman,
who inspite of her weaker sex, still conquered the world! 114:THE CITY OF SKOVDE exists today thanks to the richness that the very popular
pilgrimages to the very attractive Helenic monuments conveyed. The protestants
did all they could to wipe out our dear, beautiful, spiritual queen
Saint Helena, but still they haven't succeeded! Her shrine was confiscated
maybe in 1596 on the order of abraham angermannus, and her Holy Bones
were perhaps, at the best, inhumed in Skovde cemetery. Ab warred against
the bones, images and graves of saints
- he was ghostly fighting with shades. The same
he-man destroyed too the grave and reliques of Brynolf at Scara. 115:WHERE ARE THE REMNANTS OF HELENA TODAY?: Due to a plausible misunderstanding
it has been proposed that they already in 1164 were transferred by archbishop
Stephanus from Skovde to Alvastra, but probably he transferred thither
some chip of her reliques together with the cult itself, which hibernated
on the eastern side of Lake Vettern until at least the winter of 1314-15;
in Linkoping diocese and at Vadstena she was factually celebrated increasingly
all the way up to the reformation. At Vadstena they composed their own
Helena's Office. 115.2:Others have claimed that Helena's remnants in 1164 were transferred
to Upsala cathedral, which is a not altogether unplausible scenery,
but it were a freightening scenery: there they cannot have survived
many years since Stephanus was expelled from there and was forced to
an exile in Denmark. If it were true, and if they had survived the period
when satan ruled at Upsala, it would have been thence that the danes
had stolen Helena's remnants and transferred them to Sjalland
- Stephanus may, of course, have brought them
along with him to Sjalland! In the 15th century there existed reliques
of Helena in Upsala cathedral irregardless of all speculation. 115.3:At Skovde they guarded carefully the treasure which Helena's reliques
comprised, and they feared that the danes wished to steal them for to
lay their hands on their advantageous monetary function. When the storm-clouds
of the reformation began looming threateningly at the horizon this treasure
maybe, all the same, was transferred to Denmark, to the present Tisvilde/
Tisvildeleje. 115.4:It has too been proposed that Helena's remnants were shipped from Karlskrona
to the Vatican city in the 17th century. Karlskrona was founded in 1680.
115.5:In 1734, anyroad, every trace of our beloved Helena was gone from Skovde;
but the tale doesn't end thereby: People kept thinking about her. As
recently as in the 1950:ies a school pupil wrote in an essay that Helena's
reliques are preserved in the church chest, which from 1927 was standing
underneath the northern choir window containing the church silver, by
the steps to the pulpit. Next to the chest there was Helena's 15th century
grating, which nowadays is found to the right infront of the choir.
116:RELIQUES OF HELENA: Thanks God that there still exist a few reliques of
Helena in the country. A chip of her finger-bone is preserved in a newish
(1960:ies) silver box in the altar of Gotene church; it was mentioned
in 1944; it used to lie in a matchbox, they say. 116.2:Another finger-bone chip is embedded by charcoal in the altar of Vattlosa
church; 'twas investigated and laid back in 1910 together with a letter
and these objects were sealed up with plaster. (The relique has not
been taken from a pyre just because there is charcoal involved - it
has been proposed that this is a relique of St. Lawrence which Sven
Estridsen received at Eastertide in 1053 "together with coal from
the pyre". The name Laurentius happens to be engraved on the chalice
of Vattlosa church). 116.3:Yet another chip of her miracle-effectuating finger was rediscovered
in 1938 in the altar of Molltorp church, and since then it has been
preserved by Scara County Museum. This relique, which gotta be a tiny
chip judged by its size, see below, and the two others in the same reliquary
are wrapped up in a thick leaden foil hidden inside a hollow miniature
log. 116.4:(In 1191 reliques from two different Helenas were together with reliques
from 92 other saints laid into the altar of Gumlosa church in Scania,
but they were all interred in 1720 in a place unknown. Gumlosa is the
oldest exactly dated brick building of Norden
- 26/10.1192). Reliques
of Helena have existed in Copenhagen and Roskilde
- these are maybe taken
from our S:ta Helena; otherwise it has been proposed that they are taken
from a relative of Sven Estridsen named Helena. 116.5:According to a journalist (12/12.1996 at 13.30/ Heléns garden) Skovde
museum owns a Helenic relique, but he must have seen a temporarily borrowed
reliquary? A lesser amount of Helena's reliques was preserved in Upsala
cathedral among its most dear gems. They are possibly taken from Helena
of Auxerre though, since her title here is Virgo. RELIQUE SPECIAL 117:"On International Women's Day 8/3.1994 at 2 PM I got the closest
possible physically to Helena - spiritually there are no limits - when
I by two employees at Scara County Museum, which at that time hadn't
re-opened after the renovation, was shown her reliques. I was permitted
to hold the cardboard-box, wherein the reliquary was, for a moment...".
"1995-97 the reliquary was a part of a miscellanarian exhibition.
I made an exact drawing of it 22/4.1997. Its leaden bottom measures
~6 x 2.5 cm, and Helena's white bundle of silk is ~16 x 7 mm, and her
parchment label from the 15th century got these words: De Digito Ste
Helene - id est From Saint Helena's
Finger. The textlabels of two other reliques read De Xj Mileb//s Vgin//m
and De Sta B'gitta respectively, id est From 11.000 Virgins and From
Saint Birgitta respectively". 118:HELENA AS A SUBJECT FOR ART: There exist at least 10 medieval pieces of
art of Helena. The oldest preserved image is probably her seal copy
from 1314. It was made of wax and hung under a parchment. One has taken
it for granted that the retables which include Brynolf cannot have been
produced until after 16/8.1492, when he was some kind of canonized,
and that those which include Katarina of Vadstena not until after 2/8.1489
when she was the same - according
to Book of Saints Brynolf got canonized for real in 1498 and Katarina
got beatified in 1484 - but none of this can be taken for granted.
WOODEN SCULPTURES IN RETABLES 118.2:All older images of Helena are rough and too earthly to be yclept spiritual.
What does Brynolf tell about Helena's physiognomy? He describes her
as both beautiful and decorative and compares her with a statue of Venus.
He means that she was simultaneously classically good-looking and sexy,
and this ought to end all babble about that Helena was non-feminine.
Tryggve Lundén describes her adequately as the Most Beautiful Woman
Of Our Country. It were interesting to know what the Elene-sculpture
looked like in her oratory of Therapne on Peloponnesos. 119: I:In TOREBODA brick church, inaugurated 2/10.1870: The sculpture was
made in ~1430 and used to pose in the 13th century wooden chapel of
BJORKANG, "the genuine Birka", which was dismantled and reconstructed
every century for maintenance reasons, until it was finally destroyed
in 1869. Parts of it were re-used in Toreboda church, which was built
on a rock three stone's casts to the east. This Helena sculpture is
different from all the others: It is bigger and older and made by another
carver. The retable itself was made in 1738 and it was painted in 1766
- maybe they made new copies of the sculptures
then too (refurbished again in 1928), replacing the medieval and mouldy
predecessors: S:ta Antonia of Spain is standing under Helena. 119.2:Bjorkang Chapel was maybe originally built as a Helenic oratory; its
odd position indicates that it was built there for other reasons than
to serve as a farm church - it was flooded yearly - so
its motivation was surely religious. The chapel has been called an "offering
church", but the offers of coins and other objects were done in
a natural cup constantly filled with water on a boulder which stood
near the chapel. The memorial stone, erected 8/12.1925, is supposedly
placed 25-30 yards from the exact position of the chapel. A full-scale
copy of its belfry was constructed in the summer of 1992 on the double
church ruin of Karleby near Mariestad. 120: II:In GRASMARK church: According to a tradition immigrants from Finland
had brought this retable with them to Varmland - a
county which then was a part of Scara diocese. Others say that it firstly
was mounted in Sunne church (absolutely not in East Emtervik), and without
doubt is has been mounted in the predecessor of the present church at
Grasmark, which was situated not very far off. This Helena was made
in ~1500, and its wonderful, painted original is preserved in Stockholm
by SHM (Statens Historiska Museum). Well, in 1981 the bulgarian carver
Jordan B. Jordanov made a perfect copy of the retable, which now is
mounted in Grasmark church. Brynolf is one of the three other saints
in it. 121: --:In GOTENE church: Alas, this sculpture is an Amazing Disgrace! A male,
paintless and armless demigod from the, at the time, still unrenovated
retable was in the 1960:ies furnished with new arms and was re-named
'Helena'. He is in reality one of the twelve apostles. A couple of centuries
ago the Madonna sculpture of the church was mistaken for a Helena ditto.
As things are now Helena's two churches (Gotene and Skovde) lack a medieval
image of her. (Helena's namesake, Constantine's mother, has suffered
too from getting a manipulated image dedicated to her: In the crypt
of Holy Cross Church, which she built in 320 at Rome, a Juno sculpture
was given new arms and a new head and was furnished with a cross in
order to become a 'Helena sculpture'!) 122: III:In KULLINGS-SKOVDE church: This Helena, made during the 15th century
or about 1500, is preserved since 1878 chez Goteborg's Historiska Museum;
she lives nowadays in Polstjarnegatan 8C, 417 56 Goteborg (on Hisingen)*.
The sculpture is very worn out and looks like flotsome. A gypsum copy
of it is shown by Skovde Museum. *It is (or a copy of it) nowadays
mounted behind glass and exhibited in room 15 in the mentioned museum,
now called Goteborg City Museum. Creases of her robe have traces of
orange paint, and her collar is still partly gilded. 123: IV:In RUDSKOGA church: This Helena was made in ~1500. (The old church
was situated next to the present one from 1777). 124: V:In VISNUM church: This Helena was made in ~1525, when the church bought
it; she is the most beautiful of these wooden images. Brynolf too is
included in this retable. The carver has probably carved sculptures
to Rudskoga and S. Rada churches too. (Wisnhem was firstly mentioned
in 1248; the present church was inaugurated in 1733 situated a few hundred
yards north-west of its predecessor). 125: VI:In ONUM church: Only here and in Toreboda exist within Scara diocese
the saint of Westgothia, S:ta Helena, as a medieval image today. This
is the fifth Helena who maybe was made in ~1500 and maybe by the same
carver; she is 44 cm tall; the retable was renovated in 1934, but was
very clumsily painted. A student of 'Helena In Art' has detected that
Onum's Helena at first maybe was a part of the retable of Vara church,
which now is kept by SHM and is deprived of its sculptures, since this
Helena's outlines can be traced as shifts of colour on the back of her
niche of the retable. Onum's retable with Helena was on exhibition in
Scara old library in the spring of 1994. She has held a staff in her
right hand. The original position of the church and the cemetery was
by Stommen until 1865, where a 17th century church-building had replaced
the medieval one. Onum was firstly mentioned in 1325. UNCERTAIN SCULPTURES 126:From either North or South HARENE a wooden sculpture of Helena has been
transferred to the "museum of the westgothians at Scara".
There they deny this, and there are at least three other big museums
in the region wherein this sculpture can have been displaced. (The solution
of the riddle is that Tryggve Lundén, who published the "information",
had happened to confuse Harene for Onum: There has never existed a Helena
sculpture in either Harene parish. In 2002 another prelate confused
Onum for Ottum in a printed tract). 127:In 1872 a mormon elder took a carved image of Helena from Helene Kilde
at Tisvildeleje with him to Utah/USA. (This is a half-and-half statement
being 50% plausible and 50% doubtful). 128:At Varola a Helena sculpture was preserved at home chez a famous church-builder,
but it is unknown wherefrom he had gotten it. Alas it is equally unknown
where Skovde Museum has displaced it. (Solution: This is the gypsum
copy of the Kullings-Skovde-sculpture that the museum exhibits). 129:West Skedvi, 15 km north-west of Arboga, owned maybe a wooden sculpture
of Helena in its retable - Schiodvii S. Helenae - which
the mentioned angermannus and his superheroes sent away in 1596 into
happier grounds. (Solution: Skovde, not any of the places called ~Skedvi,
is the correctly comprehended church in the context). 021202 MURAL PAINTINGS 130:In KUMLABY: The church is situated on Visingso in Jonkoping commune, id
est on the island south of the position where Westgothia, Eastgothia
and Smaland meet among the waves which Brynolf once upon a time struggled
against. The Helenic image of Kumlaby owns a specific quality since
it was the first one to be rediscovered (except for the seals), namely
in 1922. It was painted in the 15th century using a pilgrim's badge
as a model. The painter used the same method when he painted Mrs Brita
beside Helena. Their names are painted on banners under "New Jerusalem"
which is descending from above. The building is profaned and has eg.
been used as a school. 131:In the "HOUSE OF THE CHURCH", Skovde: In 1996 a mural painting
measuring 3 x 7 yards was painted on the concrete wall in the assembly
hall. The two painters have combined attributes of Elene of Mykene and
of our S:ta Helena, bravely enough, and the Lion Gate of Amyklai is
depicted and a greekish landscape by the side of the choir-end of Helena's
church of Skovde and 4.5 of their own relievos of Helenic symbols, viz.
the chalice, the sword, the heart and the hour-glass, see below... UNCERTAIN MURAL PAINTINGS 132:In GOTENE church: People conjecture that they can see Helena painted to
the left inside the southern side of the triumphal vault between the
nave and the choir; and that the two other saints there are Mrs Brita
and her daughter Katarina of Vadstena, but the paintings have been manipulated
in order to create conformity, and this was done before Helena had been
rediscovered as to church art - the workers didn't know who she was. Katarina has, apart from this,
been furnished with birgittine attributes, and on her head she wears
a military helmet with camouflage-net on; Helena's left hand has been
furnished with a string with prayer-beans on
- this hand was originally
conceiled under the garment. Maybe these three women are simply pilgrims
coming to worship Helena at Gotene. Or else they may be Etheldreda and
two of her saintly sisters, which would rhyme well with this english-looking
church. 132.2:It has been said about another of the mural paintings in Gotene church
under the pretence that she were Helena: In the choir of Gotene church
Helena is depicted on (sic) a naive painting, carrying a basket filled
with alms... See further below. (By accident the basket in the context
is interesting, see at the top above, but Dorothy is the normally basket-carrying
saint). OIL-COLOUR PAINTINGS 133:In NORTH NY church: On the inside of the right shutter of the retable
of N. Ny church the most known image of Helena is found. The five knobs
on her book represent the five spike-heads of Christ. There are many
oil-colour-painting-copies of this piece of art, whereof one now is
placed in the tower chamber of Helena's church of Skovde, and it served
as a model to go by for the female artist who made the cupreous statue
of Helena, see below along with two other objects to which this N. Ny-painting
has served as a model. Before 1764 N. Ny church was situated 2 km to
the south along Klar River. 133.2:Helena factually used to be depicted as a framed painting on the preacher's
pulpit in her church at Skovde, but it and the other paintings have
been packed up in boxes and these have been stowed away in a place unknown.
134:In a villa at Tisvilde there are 14 oil-colour paintings representing
the local Midsummer celebration and the legend of Sankt Helene. The
painter Ove Kunert (1893-1975) made them ~1916-20. Helena looks like
a radiant angel. 135:The surrealist painter Erik Olson has made the Helena-picture which is
hanging on the southern wall of the choir of her church at Skovde. The
churches of Vamb and Skovde are also included. A VERY UNCERTAIN OIL-COLOUR PAINTING 136:A female writer is somehow able to see "Elin" depicted on the
retable of Hedared church, lowest to the right, with a veil on her head,
holding a long staff or a sword pointing upwards over her right shoulder - it
is nonsense. To begin with this is a man, and then it is evident
that the twelve guys around the retable are the twelve apostles - and
this is what the guide of this wooden church says. DRAWINGS 137:A militarist of Skovde, G.H. Barfod, made a drawing of Helena in 1767.
She holds a staff in her right hand, while the left is covered by the
garment. She wears a hood; is dressed like a farmer's wife. Under her
feet there is an escutcheon decorated with a heart. 138:Jorgen Sonne made in 1846 a drawing called 'Midsummer Night upon Helene
Grave at Tisvilde'. STONE RELIEVO 139:"Elin", Vamb church and Vambo Rivulet are depicted as a relievo
together with a lily stone on the south side of the stone pillar called
Gyllen in the church park, Skovde. The man behind this piece of art
is Helge Johansson. METAL STATUE 140:Since 1950 there is a cupreous statue of Helena in a niche on the north
side of Helena's church, Skovde, made by Astri Taube. GRAVURE 141:In NOUSIAINEN church, north of Abo/ Finland, Helena is one of the many
saints who in Flandre in 1430 were engraved on the brass plates of Henrik's
cenotaph. ART OF STAINED GLASS 142:In HELENA'S CHURCH OF SKOVDE: Helena was one of the four, approximately
1.5 yards tall saints, who were painted on the choir windows behind
the altar - they were mounted
here between 1888 and 1927. All four wore haloes. Probably Helena resembled
her escutcheon-picture which was used before 2001 by Skovde commune.
Since the leaden joints had begun to give in, the pieces of glass were
packed up in boxes and stowed away
- nobody knows where. In 1927 another stained
glass painting replaced it, and it was retained possibly until 1972 - it
showed seven biblical sceneries under God's all-seeing eye - but
today people confuse the two different sets of stained glass art; the
latter one is packed up in boxes in North Malm/Skovde. 143:In SCARA CATHEDRAL: In 1956 the multicoloured stained glass image of Helena
was made; it is mounted in the fenestration of the southern transept
gable; it is a mosaic. It is the only one of the modern Helenic images
which is truly good. She holds a blue sword in her left hand
and a black book with a silvery finger on in her right hand. DISAPPEARED PIECES OF HELENIC ART 144:There must have existed medieval images of Helena in A)her church at Skovde
before the middle of the 16th century; B)her Oratory outside Skovde;
C)Scara Cathedral. 145:In the 1770:ies there was a painting of Helena on the tower of her church
at Skovde, see below and at "1769". IMAGES WRONGFULLY CLASSED AS HELENIC 146: A)Helena is utterly feminine and attractive, and thus people have been
trigger-happy in identifying her here and there. In 1920 and 1929 a
male man, painted by Amund in the 15th century, was called Helena in
the ceiling of the choir of Gotene church. 147: B)It is wrong too to claim that Helena is the mural painting of a crowned
woman on the south choir wall of Gotene church. She has a book tucked
up under her right arm, and she stretches out an empty left hand. She
is not Helena, even though a crown could have been expected as one of
her attributes with reference to her mother's angelic message, see the
beginning of this book. 148: C)In Skee in Bohuslan (in ex-Norway) is the woman with a cross and a
church in the retable "who blocks the apsidal widow" not our
Helena, regardless of what you can read in a new book on modern pilgrimages
in Sweden. 149: D)Lucia, not Helena, is depicted in Tortuna church. 150: E)East Emtervik - read: Sunne church. 151: F)A whole bunch of medieval images of Helena, a woman claims in the third
millennium, exist "of course" in Upland according her new
pamphlet aimed towards Helena's church of Skovde - this so called Church
Description is crammed with lies and desinformation. Apart from Grasmark's
Helena, which SHM preserves, there is not one vestige of our westgothian
Helena in Upland. (Solution: Helena, the mother of Constantine, is,
though, frequently depicted in the county of Upland). 152: G)In Overselo church: Here you can count to five male men who hold a
book and a sword, but none of them is Helena. I excommunicate herewith
the rumours of these wrongful Helena identifications, and the conservers
of the lies too: Close the book, blow out the candle, shut to the door
and ring the bells - amen! 153:REASONING ABOUT HELENIC ART: The oldest images of Helena show her holding
a staff, standing inside a monstrance, looking like an
abbess. Other pictures show her veiled, with a sword and a book
with a ring-finger on, and thus the copy of the Helenic Seal of 1591
is unique. Nunnery attire and staff are not connected with her in her
ecclesiastical art. As recently as at the end of the 18th century she
was painted, though, as a nun high above the ground on the outside of
the tower of her church at Skovde. Norbert, the founder of the Premonstranesian
Order, is depicted in a monstrance, and if it is correct that Helena
got acquainted with this order in 1138 at Jerusalem, it is no wonder
that she too is depicted in that a way. There is, in the most cases,
a Helenic source near the scandinavian premonstratensian monasteries.
The monks of this order of double (for both men and women in the same
plant) order were canons, and in and near Skovde there are "canonical
cottages" (sic). 153.2:A book with a finger on must be included on the escutcheon of Helena
and Skovde according to a decision of 12/1.1939. The staff was supposed
to be her wanderer's staff - it was otherwise the attribute of an abbess.
Originally the staff may have been a palm twig or a writing-feather.
She wore cloistral attire; had the golden crown of martyrs on her head;
held a golden chain... 153.3:In her church of Skovde there was in the choir a stained glass image
of Helena 1888-1927, but it was included among other pieces of contemporary
art of the church in the 1950:ies when these were listed! beside a painting
of Helena on the preacher's pulpit and two more on the choir walls - one
of them is still there, painted by a surrealist, who presents Helena
between the churches of Vamb and Skovde. Obliquely underneath this painting
is her 15th century grating monted. On the outside is since 1950 the
vert-de-gris statue of Helena standing in a niche, gazing narrow-sightedly
down Hertig Johan's Street towards Resecentrum with a sword in her right
hand pointing upwards, and a book in her left hand. On the same side
of the church there are two 13th century bears or lions mounted since
1888 or 1927 (according to different sources): They are lying on top
of the jambs, seizing a man (Gustav Wasa?) and a goat (Martin Luther?).
In the church park there is the round pond and its great stone pillar,
Gyllen, with relievos of e.g. Helena; upon the pillar there is a woman
(Froja?) having an austere air, sitting on water streaming unto the
four cardinal points. At a stone's cast from this church there is Skovde
Museum, which owns e.g. Helena's stony breads, the important ink-drawing
from the 1750:ies of her Oratory, copies of the Vatican notes on Helena
- but the original documents from the 1160:ies are destroyed by fire
- models of Skovde city
in the 18th century, of the Oratory, Helena's church, a well with "living
water", etc. 154:HELENA'S CITY SEAL: Its existence was mentioned in 1467, and its oldest
preserved copy is from 1591 having this text: Sancta Elena Sigillum
Ville Skedevensis. And Helena looks like a bandit holding a bludgeon
on a seal-like picture which the church of Skovde today is using as
logo, significatively enough; their polyglot folder about the church
has a drawing of the mentioned Astri Taube statue. A Helenic escutcheon
was drawn in 1767 by GH Barfod, and the seal of her Guild was preserved
by Nikolaus Rabenius (1648-1717). The former Helenic Skovde city-seal
was approved of in 1939, and 5/8.1992 it was decided that this escutcheon
(logotype) must be used on all communal letters and envelopes, advertisements
and documents -
until it was replaced 1/1.2001, and 20/2-01 it took over all
qualities of its predecessor. 154.2:This concerns the former escutcheon: On top of it there are five turrets.
Centrally of the escutcheon Helena is standing inside a monstrance.
She holds a pilgrim's staff in her right hand and a book with a finger
on in her left hand. She wears a halo, and infront of her feet there
is a little inescutcheon showing a heart
- originally this heart was a hillock and its
heart-shaped tuft of grass, and the tuft was idealized into a heart.
(This green hillock, upon she often is depicted standing in retables
etc - isn't
it Elinemark's Kulle, the hill where Vasterhojds school is today?).
The colours of this mark 1939 version are mainly gold, white and red,
and this strict (gloomy) image of Helena decorated to and including
2000 the borderlines of Skovde commune, roadsigns, flags, communal vehicles,
garbage receptacles etc. (In 1979 there were by the city entrances of
Skovde red signs with the text "Welcome to Skovde" on and
with Helena's escutcheon to the left, but they were removed since they
were considered disturbing!). (A picture based on this escutcheon decorates
a new Helenic Summons sent from Goteborg in 2002). 154.3:The new escutcheon: It is better than its predecessor, but the staff
has been replaced by a sword and the finger is grotesquely huge. It
is simple and red. Helena is in the centre of it drawn with white lines;
she has a halo, a veil, a frock without creases, a wide mantle which
makes her look fat. Her left hand holds the horizontal book on which
the finger is resting. Her right hand holds a sword pointing downwards.
E.g. the communal vehicles are decorated by this heraldic piece of art.
(A similar escutcheon is used by a sports society at Skovde, but they
have drawn her with the sword pointing upwards). MISCELLANEA objects related to the cult of Helena 155: A)ALTARS: 1)An altar was dedicated 20/11.1440 in Upsala cathedral to
the westgothian widow Helena, and it was positioned centrally. 155.2: 2)In 1971 an altar weighing 3 tonnes was rediscovered in a stony field
by Hissingsgarden west of Elin's Source, which had belonged to Medelplana
church. Now it was dedicated to Helena, and placed to the right of the
main altar and is used for a baptismal altar. It is ~58 cm high, ~135
cm long, at the broadest point ~105 cm; the breadth of the altar-top
is ~60 cm. Two somewhat recessed corner columns measure ~45 x ~12.3
cm; these are supposed to look like table-legs. Apollonia's sister-altar
of the same church, found beside Helena's, is ~45 cm high, ~135 cm long,
at the broadest point ~83 cm. Two corners have shallow double niches
("three-phase corners on the front side"). Both are "12th
century altars of sandstone". In 1824 Helena's altar had been broken
in two pieces when it was transported out of the church; "of course
a 12th century altar got a great cultural and historical value".
155.3: 3)The main altars of Gotene and Vattlosa churches must be regarded
as Helenic since each one of them houses only one relique and both are
chips from Helena's ring-finger. In Vattlosa the 12th century altar
was conceiled under the panel in 1910 and during the latest renovation.
The relique of Helena is still enclosed in the stone altar there, though.
It is plausible that Helena knelt before this altar when she received
the Lord's Supper there. It is possible that she had been baptized in
the font of the church; it was shipped in 1872 from Lidkoping via the
canal to SHM at Stockholm. 4)There exists no documentation
which could describe if or how much the Helenic cult occurred at Molltorp,
but the altar of the church there used to house one of her finger reliques.
156: B)The communal escutcheon of Gotene was approved of in 1953, and it shows
a cross over S:ta Helena's Source, flanked by two swords. On feast-days
of Gotene commune they hoist, in the park by the house of commerce,
a big quadrate red flag having the same items on it as has the escutcheon.
Gotene museum shows the legend of Helena illustrated with cartoon-like
pictures; the image of Helena has been inspired by the North Ny-painting.
157: C)Exemples of places with connexion to the cult of Helena: Alvastra (where
her cult hibernated); Gotene (2 miracles), Lyngsjo (pilgrims coming
to her source there); the site of her Oratory (miracle); Skovde (3 miracles
by her grave, 2 on the cemetery, and 1 close to the church); Tisvildeleje
(many miracles); Lake Vattern north of Visingso (where Helena re-conquered
and saved Brynolf 14/8.1288). 158: D)Helena's Stone at a stone's throw from the beach at Tisvildeleje, on
which some individuals still, at ebb-tide, can see impressions of her
body. Divers examined it in the summer of 2002. 159: E)Helene Kilde Blok at Tisvilde -
coins which were offered out of reverence for Sankt Helene were
inserted into the slot on its metal lid; king Christian IV once inserted
120 dalers there. This square wooden thing is protected by a small building
in the middle of the old Fogdegarden's site - the
last farm there had been built in ~1765 but it burnt down in 1958. In
1936 Ebba Holm made a drawing of Helene Kilde Blok. 160: F)The fathomless little lake called Elinasjon in the royal park called
Klyftamon in Holmestad parish - no-one knows today where it is (Igelsjon?).
161: G)Elinegerdit (half a tax-freed farm) in Horred parish was firstly mentioned
in 1540 may indicate a local Helenic position? 162: H)The engraved die belonging to the ecclesiastical office of Medelplana
and Vasterplana shows pictures of saints Elin and Apollonia, but it
was made by a local artist in the 1970:ies. She based the two saintly
images on medieval originals known from other places. Alas the die has
been regarded as a proof of that Medelplana church had been dedicated
to these two saints in the 12th century. Elin's "presence"
there cannot be documented further back in time than to 1955, and Apollonia's
"presence" not further back than to the first decades of the
19th century. 163: I)There are three cloven stones having a relation to the cult of Helena:
1)In Mone parish close to her source (read: Eliah's source). It was
set into a Helenic context in the 1950:ies. 2)Within reach from her
church at Skovde; it disappeared before the 1250:ies regardless of what
different rumours tell. 3)On Helene Grave at Tisvildeleje
- a misunderstanding. The standing stones constitute
a part of the wall of her(?) ruined oratory there. 164: J)By the herb garden of Helénsgarden/ Skovde there is a bricky image
of ceramics hanging which maybe presents Helena holding a staff on a
hillock above a heart. The founder of the park is the maker of the image
(lived 1912-87). 165: K)Three zip-codes has Helena's name in Sweden: Helenavagen 763 41 Hallstavik;
Sankta Helenagatan 541 30 Skovde; Sankta Helenas Vag 271 32 Ystad. In
Tisvildeleje there are Sankt Helene Vej, Helenevangen, and Helene Kildevej.
Copenhagen too has a street named after her. 166: L)"Helene Kirkes Laen" has existed with its basis in Lund/
Scania, confused for Helgeands Laen of the same city. 167: M)Some people claim that one of Helena's pilgrim's badges is soldered
on a bell from 1498 in Fredsberg church next to badges of Olav and Mrs
Brita. 168: N)In Skovde church they used to preserve the white funeral sheet during
the catholic era, the sheet which had been wrapped around S:ta Helena's
body when she was conveyed to this church after her martyrdom. Occasionally
it thereafter got lended, after permission of the bishop, to severely
sick persons for to heal them. Once it healed a deadly wounded leader
of farmers, and the blood on the sheet was washed away during the night
by the dew. 169: O)In 1996 ten relievos were produced on lime slabs and mounted in the
aula of the House of the Swedish Church at Skovde. They represent: 1)S.ta
Elin's source. 2)A mitre torn apart. 3)"The thorn and the eye".
4)The heart. 5)The chalice. 6)The ring. 7)A broken crucifix. 8)Eight
drops of blood and the grating. 9)The hour-glass. 10)The sword, partly
of gold. Numbers 1, 6, 8 and 10 make sense in the Helenic cult context,
since they are motivated by what is told about her; the others seem
hard to grasp: The mitre of Helena (2) was invented in 1998 by SSHGO;
otherwise it might be regarded as a Brynolf symbol. The thorn (3) is
a true Brynolf symbol, while the eye could remind one of that Helena
heals blindness. The heart (4) looks like four ginger-cakes and has
maybe a similarity to the communal escutcheon of Ranneslov-Ysby. The
chalice (5) has too remote a motivation to be comprehended, and the
crucifix too (7). The hour-glass (9) was invented in 1998 by SSHGO:
Helena preserves her eternal youth by turning the hour-glass up side
down whenever it pleases her. 021203 09.22 SDHASG Superhelena
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