Saturday, 9 July:
Before we checked out from the hotel in Linköping on Saturday morning, we went for a walk from there to Linköping Cathedral, only a couple of blocks away.
Linköping Cathedral (Swedish: Linköpings domkyrka) is an active Lutheran church in the Swedish city of Linköping, the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Linköping in the Church of Sweden. One of the largest Gothic cathedrals in Europe, it is situated opposite Linköping Castle, on a site that has been in use as a church since the 11th century. [Wikipedia]
It's a huge building, and I had problems fitting it into my camera ... So I'll start with a photo borrowed from the Swedish Wikipedia article (obviously taken at another time of year):
Below is what I saw through my own camera:
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The pulpit
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The entrance to the pulpit, on the other side of the pillar.
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Modern altar
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Older altar (at the far end of the church) with fairly modern altar piece
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Older altar piece in a side chapel
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Full-size modern sculpture lying on the floor along one of the walls
'The Pilgrim' - (the dosser) by Charlotte Gyllenhammar
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Modern candle holder (for prayer candles)
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(Someone was playing on the smaller organ in the
cathedral while we were wandering around there.)
Gothic architecture and sculpure speaks to me on a level few other styles do, and so Linköping Cathedral has a strong appeal. I know what you mean about not fitting the entire building in one photo! Sometimes it is impossible to position ourselves right, with other buildings, roads etc. in the way.
ReplyDeleteWhat does it mean that the pilgrim is on the floor? Is he asleep, too poor or pious to find anything more comfortable? Did he die there, having reached his pilgrimage‘s goal?
Meike, as with so many works of art, I suppose the interpretation is up to the viewer! For me, the double title "The Pilgrim / the dosser" (homeless person) made me think along the lines of how perhaps too often we jump to conclusions without knowing someone's full story...
DeleteOh my WORD!! The golden trimmings inside must be worth a fortune! But it is gorgeous, and unusual as well. I love the outside, especially the color of the roof. i would have loved touring through it. But now I have!
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed the 'tour', Ginny :)
DeleteIs the roof of the Cathedral copper, or green tile? I remember that quite a few important older buildings, especially in the bigger cities, had beautiful copper roofs.
ReplyDeleteCG, I think the roof is copper. (I checked the Swedish Wiki page and it seems to have varied over the centuries but copper again since the 1960s.)
DeleteI was very puzzled by the alternative title 'The Dosser' which I would not have interpreted as being a homeless person. The term in the UK is usually applied to an idler or person who sleeps rough like a tramp rather than a person who sleeps rough per se. I agree with your response to Meike over jumping to conclusions.
ReplyDeleteGraham, the Swedish word 'uteliggare' literally means 'someone who sleeps outdoors' but I think for most people this word has a more negative ring to it than 'hemlös' (homeless), which is kind of more neutral. Finding the best equivalent for subtle nuances in another language is always a challenge. The definition of 'dosser' in Meriam-Webster's online dictionary is "British, informal + often disparaging : a homeless person". Thinking about again it now, 'tramp' might actually be an even better translation - as that also suggests wandering about.
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