PREFACE by James Mellon
THERE IS A STONE IN JUTLAND, AT JELLING, on which is written in the ancient Danish runic alphabet that it was set up by Harold Blue Tooth, "who made the Danes Christian." It was not as simple or as quick as that, but certainly the Danish Vikings had decided that they had had enough of being pirates on the edge of civilisation. They wanted to come out of the cold and to embrace civilisation as it then was in Europe. This was Christendom, and they became Christians.
The Vikings' journey into the warmth of Christianity was swift and the benefits immediate. Farming and trade flourished, new technology came in, and wealth increased enough for nearly 2000 churches to be built throughout the whole of Denmark between 1050 and 1150. The abstract art of the Vikings was overnight replaced by the art of southern Europe, with paintings representing the life of Christ and the saints. At first the models were found in imported manuscripts but very soon artists were using Danish models and Danish faces.
The next four centuries were spent filling the walls of parish churches with superb, lively and sometimes earthy pictures of the Old and the New Testaments, of the lives of the saints, and often too of the lives of contemporary sinners. Then, at the Reformation, most of these paintings were whitewashed over. During the last hundred years the whitewash has been carefully picked away, and now there are 400 churches with remains of these medieval wallpaintings, an art treasure which is unique in the world.
From this treasure house I have put together a series of pictures in the form of the Life of Christ, to be looked at not just as art, not just as history, but as illustrations to a well-loved and well-known story. This is the way in which they were seen by the Danish congregations, who have knelt in these churches over the last 900 years.
26 And in the sixth month the
angel Gabriel was sent from God unto
a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
27 To a virgin espoused to a man
whose name was Joseph, of the house
of David; and the virgin's name was
Mary.
28 And the angel came in unto
her, and said, Hail, thou that art
highly favoured, the Lord is with
thee: blessed art thou among women.
29 And when she saw him, she was
troubled at his saying, and cast in
her mind what manner of salutation
this should be.
30 And the angel said unto her,
Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found
favour with God.
31 And, behold, thou shalt
conceive in thy womb, and bring forth
a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
32 He shall be great, and shall
be called the Son of the Highest: and
the Lord God shall give unto him the
throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the
house of Jacob for ever; and of his
kingdom there shall be no end.
34 Then said Mary unto the
angel, How shall this be, seeing I
know not a man?
35 And the angel answered and
said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall
come upon thee, and the power of the
Highest shall overshadow thee:
therefore also that holy thing which
shall be born of thee shall be called
the Son of God.
36 And, behold, thy cousin
Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a
son in her old age: and this is the
sixth month with her, who was called
barren.
37 For with God nothing shall be
impossible.
38 And Mary said, Behold the
handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me
according to thy word. And the angel
departed from her.
4 And Joseph also went up from
Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth,
into Judaea, unto the city of David,
which is called Bethlehem; (because
he was of the house and lineage of
David:)
5 To be taxed with Mary his
espoused wife, being great with
child.
6 And so it was, that, while
they were there, the days were
accomplished that she should be
delivered.
7 And she brought forth her
firstborn son, and wrapped him in
swaddling clothes, and laid him in a
manger; because there was no room for
them in the inn.
8 And there were in the same
country shepherds abiding in the
field, keeping watch over their flock
by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord
came upon them, and the glory of the
Lord shone round about them: and they
were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them,
Fear not: for, behold, I bring you
good tidings of great joy, which
shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day
in the city of David a Saviour, which
is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto
you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped
in swaddling clothes, lying in a
manger.
13 And suddenly there was with
the angel a multitude of the heavenly
host praising God, and saying,
13 Then cometh Jesus from
Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be
baptized of him.
14 But John forbad him, saying,
I have need to be baptized of thee,
and comest thou to me?
15 And Jesus answering said unto
him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus
it becometh us to fulfil all
righteousness. Then he suffered him.
16 And Jesus, when he was
baptized, went up straightway out of
the water: and, lo, the heavens were
opened unto him, and he saw the
Spirit of God descending like a dove,
and lighting upon him:
17 And lo a voice from heaven,
saying, This is my beloved Son, in
whom I am well pleased.
1 Now a certain man was sick,
named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town
of Mary and her sister Martha.
3 Therefore his sisters sent
unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he
whom thou lovest is sick.
4 When Jesus heard that, he
said, This sickness is not unto
death, but for the glory of God, that
the Son of God might be glorified
thereby.
17 Then when Jesus came, he
found that he had lain in the grave
four days already.
20 Then Martha, as soon as she
heard that Jesus was coming, went and
met him: but Mary sat still in the
house.
21 Then said Martha unto Jesus,
Lord, if thou hadst been here, my
brother had not died.
22 But I know, that even now,
whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God
will give it thee.
23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy
brother shall rise again.
24 Martha saith unto him, I know
that he shall rise again in the
resurrection at the last day.
25 Jesus said unto her, I am the
resurrection, and the life: he that
believeth in me, though he were dead,
yet shall he live:
26 And whosoever liveth and
believeth in me shall never die.
Believest thou this?
27 She saith unto him, Yea,
Lord: I believe that thou art the
Christ, the Son of God, which should
come into the world.
28 And when she had so said, she
went her way, and called Mary her
sister secretly, saying, The Master
is come, and calleth for thee.
29 As soon as she heard that,
she arose quickly, and came unto him.
41 Then they took away the stone from t
he place where the dead was
laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said,
Father, I thank thee that thou
hast heard me.
42 And I knew that thou hearest
me always: but because of the people
which stand by I said it, that they
may believe that thou hast sent me.
43 And when he thus had spoken,
he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus,
come forth.
44 And he that was dead came
forth, bound hand and foot with
graveclothes: and his face was bound
about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto
them, Loose him, and let him go.
47 And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him.
1 And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation
with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried
him away, and delivered him to Pilate.
12 And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that
I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews?
13 And they cried out again, Crucify him.
14 Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they
cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him.
15 And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto
them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.
16 And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and
they call together the whole band.
17 And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and
put it about his head,
18 And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews!
19 And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him,
and bowing their knees worshipped him.
20 And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and
put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him.
28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: