Steen of Snaphanen sent us a link to this video of a beautiful “Christmas Eve in Copenhagen Cathedral” (my translation of the title — no help from any Danes!). It was shot from the cathedral balcony while the organ was playing and people were singing.I could just about smell the evergreens and the candle wax. You can hear the congregation singing a carol (in Danish), one whose tune I don’t recognize, yet which seems oddly familiar.
Steen sent this followup note:You did notice the famous Jesus by sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen (died 1844).- - - - - - - - - -
For some reason it’s one of the most famous Jesuses in the world.
More information on Thorvaldsen’s Christ can be found at this LDS web commerce site, of all places. It seems that the Mormons have copied the statue and placed it in the Temple Square visitors’ center in Salt Lake City. Wasatch Sculpture makes small replicas of the piece and sells them over the internet.
That Jesus fellow really gets around.
15 comments:
First, I hope the interview went well.
Second, I hope the two of you had a nice Christmas holiday.
I noticed, Baron, that there had not been much posting on things Danish for awhile, it seems to have picked up since the 24th.
I guess you still have the Danish contingent, so I was wondering how many Danes still go to church regularly?
I am of the impression that while they are a bit more resilient in fighting Islamofascism than the Swedes or Norwegians, they are not more religious.
Is this a correct impression?
Ahhhh Christmas....the mass of Christ. The very name evokes a feeling of peace...even though I'm at best a nominal Christian.
Unfortunately it also evokes an almost subliminal feeling that I'm doing something wrong in even saying it...a bit of the post-colonial guilt we all have to get rid of if we're going to win this fight.
It's not even post-colonial guilt. It's post-modern guilt, heavily ironic as we've really nothing to be guilty for, yet we're made to feel guilty by constant repetition of a few well-rehearsed lies.
Zerosumgame,
Church attendence is pretty low in Denmark, except at Christmas and Easter. However, church attendence is not always a good indicator of how religious people are in general many people around here do not attend church, because they don't believe that the church is representing them and their beliefs, and the church in general have been given bad PR by the MSM for decades of being dull, unimportant, dead, etc. Some of it deserved some of it not.
So many are keeping their beliefs to themselves and do not often go to church, and in some ways I believe that this is actually a good thing... Christianity is about having a relationship between you and God, not between you and the Church (and all the dogma that follows the Church).
Danish Churches always seem to be beautiful, the Village churches especially so, the Gruntvig Church Built in the 30s is in my eyes especially beautiful, it blends the old style with modern building it might not be santified by age but it certainly has a special feel. Torvaldsen, well Torvaldsen is one of those special Danish Gems that the Danes keep close to there chest. When you see adverts for Denmark it is Tivoli Gardens, The Little Mermaid. The Torvaldsen Museum is the building the tourists and most of the Danes walk past to take a photo of the Danish parliament or the old Stock Exchange, It is certainly well worth the visit, for he is one of the Greatest of the worlds sculptures.
As a local observer, I don't feel the resistance to the Islamification of Denmark has much to do with religious belief for the greater majority. It is more a cultural battle. This society has been built on Christian belief and attitudes and it's laws reflect that. Danes talk of Denmark as being a State built on law, not religion. Therefore, if you live here, you must first and foremost respect the law of the land in it's entirety, which also guarantees the freedom of religious belief for the individual.
Religion is alive and well in Denmark. One could set the question mark after the term "Christianity".
Your Danish is impeccable, Baron - and nice to see Steen's footage from Christmas Eve in Copenhagen. It touched a sentimental string in my old heart (I celebrated my Christmas in Paris. Quite different from Danish traditions : in the afternoon I went to the Nativity Scene in Fort de Nogent together with a few friends and then to the Midnight Mass in Notre Dame).
And I agree with Exile : The Church of Denmark plays no role in politics whatsoever. Unfortunately that may change : some 200 priests have decided to demonstrate against our government's immigration policy on January 6.Th. They will not wear their ceremonial outfit, but nevertheless they'll disgrace the entire Church by doing so. Somehow those vicars tend to consider themselves "gutmenschen" - which I believe is in grave conflict with the meaning of a Lutheran confession.
Happy new year Dymphna, Baron and all commenters !
I think these danish priest are a disgrace to christian faith.
Luckily the head of the church on the video Anders Gadegaard is pretty cool, he has spirit.
And there are others priestly fractions that are cool. My personal favourite is the Grundvigian fraction, that is something special, christianity combined with the nordic gods and greek philosophy. If there ever was a secret gem in Denmark, we have never shared - it is the writing of Grundtvig.
Dear Asgar,
I don't think I would be so critical of the Danish Priests. This link takes you direct to the Danish website of the ISLAMKRITISK NETVÆRK I FOLKEKIRKEN
http://inif.dk/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
what follows is a copy of the first paragraph of there website and my English translation. No way can you say that they are in an advanced stage of mental dimmitude. The clarity of the statement leaves nothing to the imagination, short simple and to the point. I am certain that there are not many readers of this Blogg who will disagree with this statement.
Kristne og muslimer tror ikke på den samme Gud
Islamkritisk Netværk i Folkekirken er et løst organiseret netværk, der ser det som sit formål at studere og kritisere islam. Netværket, som blev dannet i forsommeren 2006, har som sit udgangspunkt, at kristne og muslimer ikke tror på den samme Gud. Den kristne tror på Gud som fader til Jesus Kristus, den treenige Gud. Muslimen derimod bekender sig til Muhammeds Allah som skænker af bogen Koranen. Forskellen markeres tydeligt i Koranen (9.30), der indeholder en forbandelse af den, der bekender sig til Kristus som Guds søn.
Christians and Muslims do not believe in the Same God
The Islam critical network in the people church is a lose orginised network whose aim is to study and critise Islam. The network was formed in the spring of 2006 and states that Christians and Muslims do not believe in the same God. The Christians believe that God is the father of Jesus, the trinity. Muslims only accept Muhammeds Allah who gave them the Koran. The difference is clearly shown in the Koran (9.30) that contains the curse on those who accept Christ as the son of God.
End of Translation
I agree with you about Gruntvig, but the Gruntvigian revolution was more the reaction to losing the Prussian Danish war of 1864. What we have lost without we must win within. Gruntvig and Kristian Kold were instumental in founding the Danish Folk Highschools which did so much in changing the Danish attitude to education and the revival of the Danish farm industry, which prior to the opening up of the America praries had been a principle supplier of grain to Europe. The Manic Bishop was istrumental in changing the Danish farm industry from a supplier of grain to a high value Bacon and Butter industry, which it still is today. It wouldn't surprise me if the hymn that is being sung in the video is not one of Gruntvigs because I think 90% of all the songs now in use in the Danish Church come from his pen.
If you really want to know the real secret Danish Gem then Ludvik Holberg gets my vote. Not only for his plays.
Here is a quote from Ludvik, which I hope the Danish readers can translate and post here as my command of old Danish is not what it should be, if it says what I think it says than I have made my point
Quote
Man er gierne lettroende i de Ting, som fortælles om eens Fiender. … … Man kand
derfore sige, at alle deslige Historier ere ikke andet end raa Fabler, opdigtede af nidkiere
Christne for at giøre Mahomed desmeere sort, og tiene ikke til andet, end at giøre dem
selv foragtede blant Mahomedanske Skribentere; thi man har ikke nødigt at bruge
saadanne Midler til at vise Mahomeds Bedragerie og falske Lærdom, hvilken ved dens
Urimelighed igiendriver sig selv.
OK Yorkshireminer : The hymn in Steen's video is N.F.S. Grundtvig's translation of an old German psalm "Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her" (Danish : Det kimer nu til julefest - English : To Chistmas Fest the Bells now chime").
And here is what Ludvig Holberg says : "easily believed is that what's told of ones enemies....so one can say that all those tales are nothing but crude fables, made up by fanatic Christians in order to smear Mohamed so much darker, and it serves no other purpose than further disgracing them in the eyes of Muslim writers; it is however in no way necessary to use such means in order to unveil Mohamed's treachery and false wisdom, which by its own stupidity contradicts itself".
Dear Kepiblanc,
thank you for the translation, I think I have made my point. I have lost my pre 1947 Danish dictionary before the new spelling rules came into force. I could guess at some of the meaning of the words but I wasn't absolutely sure. I have been one of the lucky people I came upon our good friend Ludvig not through having to read his works, but by standing on the stage of the Royal Theater in Copenhagen as an extra in many of his plays pretending to talk Gobbledegook and listening to the poetry and the words, and getting paid 50 kroner for the pleasure. I have often looked up at the box where Hans Christian Anderson used to sit and marveled at how such a small land could produce such outstanding quality. Holberg is often referred to as the Danish Shakespeare, how offensive, Ludvig Holberg stands alone and does not need a comparison with Shakespeare. it is demeaning, both to Shakespeare and Holberg. Danish Culture stands in the shadow of no one. Steen's video proves this and says a hell of a lot for the Danes. The church might not play the role it used to have played but I am certain that the Danish Culture is dominant if not dormant in the minds of most Danes and when it comes to make you mind up time then Danish Culture will dominate.
Deep Regards
Yorkshire Miner
Thank you for the kind words, Yorkshireminer ! - So you were playing Holberg in The Royal Theater ? - May God preserve the bonds across our common North Sea !
And, when the times come I have one link for you :
I'm sure you know him !
Dear Kepiblanc,
I must first apologise to the Baron and Dymphna if I swear, but you bet your bloody life I know who that gentleman is, my dear dear friend, that is if I am not mistaken is “ HOLGER DANSKER” he resides still in Kroneborg Castle. Kepiblanc I leave it to you to enlighten the readers of this Blogg of his mythological significance for the Danish nation. I have LITERALLY many times raised my hat to the gentleman, as I would have raised my hat as I passed the Statue of Liberty unfortunately that has never happened. By the way eat your heart out all you Danish Bloggers I am registered as HOLGER DANSKER on many bloggs and if you come across that name under a comment on Jihad Watch or many other Bloggs then you know it is Yorkshire Miner ( an Englishman) firing off a salvo in defence of Denmark. By the way Kepiblanc I have stood in silence, head bowed where the body of Kia Munk was found. Now there was a Danish Priest a land could be proud of. I do not know if this has anything to do with an over worked sense of history or imagination but I have felt the same when I walked over the battle field of Bosworth and saw the place where Richard III died or when I walked over the battle field of Waterloo . I have relived the battle of Gettysburg in my minds eye. I have seen the high water mark of Southern hopes in Pickets charge dashed and break on the center of the Northern defence.. I isnstintively knew that this was the turning point. Kia Munk's death was certainly a turning point in modern Danish history when it came to Danish people choosing between the aix and the Allies, they instinctively chose for the Allies. I do not yet know if the cartoon row was the turning point where Denmark finally chose between dimitude and Danish culture perhaps that is still a couple of years in the future, what I do know is that Denmark will not be islamitic. By the way Kepiblanc I am in many ways far more Danish and American than English, I have a deep and abiding love and respect of your cultures, I have immersed myself in your history and culture, not because I had too, but because I wanted too, they have not let me down, I am an Englishman with very deep roots far deeper than I could have imagined, I have lived now in Nederland for 20 years. I love the country I am completely assimilated into the culture, but I will die an Englishman
Deep regards
Yorkshire Miner
Wow Yorkshireminer - YOU are the sig HOLGER DANSKE ! - That explains a few things.... And you're right about Kaj Munk, his murder opened quite a few eyes here. Just like the Motoons did. I think our PM was right when he said that it made the scales fall from our eyes and separated the sheep from the rams. I visited Elsinore this summer and I think I heard a strange rumbling coming from underneath the castle Kronborg, like some giant slowly waking up....
You live in the Netherlands now ? - Up here we nowadays associate that country with names like Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Theo van Gogh, Geert Wilders and Pim Forteyn. And IMHO an Englishman with deep roots means a Dane from Thy (Teutons- Northern Jutland), Angel (Anglos - Southern Jutland) or Saxony (a bit South of Jutland) ;-)
Dear Kepiblanc,
you can bet your life that there is some Danish blood in my mongrel pedigree, I have a good anglo Saxon name, it is derived from a village in the area controlled by the Dane law in North England many of the villages round about have good Danish names it is certainly not inconceivable that the odd Barbarian from Denmark had his wicked way with one of my earlier ancestors. I can trace my ancestors back to the 12th century. My beloved daughter by the way is half Danish with the hint of a bit of Swedish on her mothers side. My Grandson by the way, well need I say more a certain gentleman who went under the surname of LARSEN had his wicked way,and he is the result. They decided to call him Christian, I personally would have preferred a more pagan name like Thor or Ulf but my daughter who right from her birth has made her own decisions , decided otherwise. Granddads have nothing to say, and if I am honest, I have no reason to complain, Mr. Larsen who by the way comes from Jutland has turned out to be great dad. I have performed my duties perfectly and like the stage directions from the Royal Theather, will when the time comes, make a graceful exit stage left.
By the way you might have been mistaken,the rumblings under Kroneborg you detected might have been the rumbling of the Danish population. I have personally experienced the rumbling of Kroneborg but that was when Christopher Plumber played in hamlet there.
There is a sea change in Europe, or to be more correct I perceive a sea change in Europe. Geert Wilgers has gain 9 seats in the last election here in Holland and will gain certainly more in the next election. Holland is about a year behind Denmark. Britain is a little more doubtful but the British National Party web site has twice as many visits as the ruling labour party. I expect them to do very well in the next elections. Things can of cause change, as Harold Wilson used to say a week is a long time in politics. I personally expect the middle east to implode before the Muslim demographics jouganoutht gets going in Europe.. The laws that Denmark have brought in seem to have tempered the Muslim birth rate to 2.4 live births which is just above replacement level. All that is needed is a tightening of the immigration screw and there is no way Denmark will become Muslim.
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