This is a 14th century church that was damaged during the reformation, when the interior of the building was whitewashed, as it was thought to appear too Catholic.
I was exploring this wonderful gothic church in Sweden when I realised that I was surrounded by prolific death symbols that were carved on tombstones and memorials.
Currently the church looks stunningly beautiful and parts of the walls have been cleaned to reveal medieval frescos on the walls. Despite the age of the church it has recently been updates with a fantastic new organ and has the most welcoming atmosphere of any religious building I have been inside for some time. The church has been celebrating its 700th anniversary this year.
Within the floor there are a lot of worn tombstones, many with medieval symbols of death on them. You can see these in the pictures below. There are also similar symbols set into memorials that hang on the beautiful white walls.
It was a priviledge to be able to see this religious history still on display and to see that this glorious building is still being used for regular worship.
The hourglass in death’s hand
Floor carving
Frog and snake
Ceiling
Skull with sand timer
Wall memorial with skull
Hell wall art
Worn carving on Cathedral Floor
The altarpiece is made of oak
Floral decoration at the end of a pew
Close up view
Hourglass and skull below crucifix
Skull on memorial
Floor memorial stone
New Organ in St Peter’s Church
The skull and crossbones has a frog and a snake shown on it. These are medieval symbols relating to death