Aal Church – enigmatic images from the Middle Ages

Opening hours and first impressions

Aal Church is located at Kirkegade 40A in the northern part of Oksbøl and is normally open daily from 8 am to 4 pm. The church interior is particularly known for its extensive Romanesque frescoes. Look towards the north wall of the nave, where a long frieze of mounted combat turns a church visit into something of a visual riddle.

A battle without a solution

The frieze has been interpreted as everything from David’s battle against Absalom to the Song of Roland and tales of King Arthur. No interpretation is certain, however. Throughout the church, the motifs range widely: the Last Judgement, the childhood of Jesus, legends of Saint Nicholas, ecclesiastical rites, everyday life and battle scenes. The paintings were later uncovered and restored with freehand repainting and additions in accordance with the practices of the time. What is visible is therefore not, in every detail, the medieval original.

Small traces in stone and wood

In the south wall of the chancel, the runic inscription “blomæ” is set upside down. It may be a man’s name, perhaps that of the stonemason, and the stone was probably turned during a rebuilding. The chancel also contains 14 large wooden reliefs from an imported medieval altarpiece with biblical scenes. The church’s other furnishings include a Romanesque granite baptismal font, Gothic altar candlesticks, a lord’s pew and a Renaissance pulpit. Outside, the immediate surroundings are protected in order to preserve the church’s open setting as well as views towards and from it.