Corpselamb, Hellhorse and Gravesow

Church grim

There is a peculiar, but fascinating Scandinavian folklore about a thing called kirkevaren, which means a church guard (or actually a church warning) in Danish. It is a ghost of an animal or human buried alive to protect the church and warn about a fortcoming death. In Swedish this creature is called kyrkogrim, kyrkovård or kyrkrå: the guardian of the church. Outside Scandinavia it is known only in the Northern England, where it is called a church grim or church genius.

In Finland they had something equivalent in plural called kalman väki (death folk) or kirkonväki (church folk). Death folk were ghosts of the desceased or other spirits. They were mouldy, putrid and hollow voiced and they had their High Mass in the church at nights. They were not directly protecting the church, just dwelling there. It is told, that they easily could stick on the living and follow them giving illnesses and other burdens. Sometimes they would come as church grims warning about a fortcoming death.

Illustration by Hans Schmidt for St. St. Blicher's book: Mowns, 1886

Church grim's other tasks were to protect the church treasure and to take care of peace and silence at the graveyard at night-time. It also gave a sign to a priest if the departed person would go to heaven or hell, and had to prevent people burying somebody or something secretely into the graveyard.

The myth originates from a very old belief, according to which all dead creatures are the most luck-bringing amulets for the living. In the best case they are martyrs, who have given up their lives so that others could live. Thus humans and animals buried alive had a very special magic power. It was assumed they could prevent catastrophes and protect buildings and people. They were like seeds sown in the ground and dying, while giving life to a whole new plant. Like Jesus says in the Bible (John 12:24):

I can guarantee this truth: A single grain of wheat doesn't produce anything unless it is planted in the ground and dies. If it dies, it will produce a lot of grain.

Catholics are still worshipping the powerful dead in their churches as martyrs and their relics. However, even before the first Scandinavian churches were built by the Catholics for thousand years ago, someone had to give up his life. While building a church, an animal was buried alive under or in the foundation for protecting the church against evil. (Attacks from the so-called pagans were normal. No wonder, because churches were usually built over old pagan shrines).

Once the church grim was not an animal. It is told in a place called Vejlby the church architect promising to bury alive the first creature walking by the church. Unluckily it was his own son and he had to bury him alive!

This is not as unbelieveable as it may sound. There is solid documentation of common people burying animals alive under their doors as late as in the 19th century. Dogs, cats, snakes, chickens, horses, cows and geese were used for getting their ghost to guard the house.

Corpselamb

The church grim was quite often a lamb, Corpselamb (in Danish: liglam). The Lamb of God - Agnus Dei, is a known symbol of Jesus Christ and his role as a sacrifice. Therefore it is not strange to think of it as a protector of a church. The Christ-lamb is depicted with a gloria and one leg up holding a cross. Occasionally, the lamb may be bleeding from the area of the heart. Usually the picture of Agnus Dei is located just atop the the main door in a church. It is stated in the Bible (Revelation 5:6 and John 1:29):

And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Corpselamb is a ghost of a lamb buried alive. It had only three legs, was shining white and long-haired. It could be seen on the graveyard by night-time, and it was an omen of death. Corpselamb was living in the church in the tower or in domed arches. Once a year people left hay for him inside the church.

Illustration by O. A. Hermansen for Ingvor Bondesen's book: Æventyrets Dyreverden

Hellhorse

Hellhorse (in Danish: helhesten, hellen) had flaming eyes and was a three-, two- or even one-legged ghost of a horse buried alive — sometimes with, and sometimes without a head. The horse was believed to be not only a death omen, but actually Death himself as a horse. Actually one should rather say 'herself', because Hel is an old Nordic goddess of death. When people got mortally ill, they used to say: "Now the Hellhorse is going around!"

However, usually the Hellhorse stayed at the churchyard jumping around the graves. The most well-known Hellhorse is buried under the famous cathedral of Roskilde. It lies under a blue stone inside the church. Every time people went by the stone, they spat on it for shielding themselves from all the disasters the Hellhorse could bring, should he appear.

Illustration by Niels Skovgaard for Drachmann's book: Troldtøj

Gravesow

The third popular church grim was Gravesow, the ghost of a sow buried alive. She is as lethal as the two others, having sharp bristles. In Danish she is called gloso (shining sow), gravso (grave sow), gråso (grey sow) or glumsoen (dark sow). In Swedish she is gräf-, grubb- or gropso. People thought it was easiest to see her at the time of Yule, and they left her the last corn on the cultivated field as a sacrifice. This leads my thoughts to the goddess Mother Earth, whose alter ego a sow is, and who was worshipped by corn products at winter solstice.

Illustration by O. A. Hermansen for Ingvor Bondesen's book: Æventyrets Dyreverden