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Ancient See of Börglum

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(BURGLANUM, BURGLANENSIS.)

The ancient See of Börglum, in Denmark, embraced the ancient districts of Vendsyssel and Thy, that is, the whole of the extreme north of Jutland beyond the Limfjord. The see was first at Vestervig, the diocese having been formed out of that of Viborg, which then included the whole of Jutland, on the death of Bishop Val in 1059. Magnus, first Bishop of Vestervig, was drowned in the Elbe about 1060, when returning home after his consecration by Adalbert I, Archbishop of Hamburg. Albrik, Dean of Bremen, was the second bishop (1066-85). Vestervig was the residence of St. Thoger, a missionary from Thuringia and chaplain to St. Olaf. After that king's death in 1030 Thoger retired to Vestervig, where he built a church of thatch and wattle, and preached Christianity to the inhabitants of the surrounding district. He died on 24 June, 1067, and was canonized in spite of the opposition of King Svend Estridsen and Bishop Albrik. Eventually St. Thoger became the patron saint of the diocese. Albrik's successor, Bishop Henry, was chaplain to King St. Canute, and was with him during his stay in Vendsyssel in June, 1086. Bishop Sylvester (1134-36) transferred the see to the Premonstratensian Abbey of Börglum. It became the cathedral of the new diocese, and its canons formed the diocesan chapter with power to elect the bishop. The last two bishops led very inconsistent lives. Their names were Niels Stygge (Rosenkrantz) and his nephew, Stygge Krumpen. Niels Stygge (b. 1455) was Bishop of B from 1486-1533. Stygge Krumpen became coadjutor bishop in 1519, and diocesan bishop in 1533. He made some efforts to stay the progress of Protestantism, but he was imprisoned from 1536 to 1542. He was then endowed with the property of the nunnery of Asmild near Viborg, though obliged to maintain the nuns; he died there in 1551. In the territory of the former diocese of Börglum there are fine old churches at Vestervig and Börglum, the former dating from the beginning of the twelfth century. Besides the Abbey of Börglum (founded 1128) the diocese contained the following Benedictine nunneries: Vreilef (1268-1554), Hundslund (1268-1536), and Oekloster (1160-1542). There were also the Abbey of Vestervig (Augustinian canons), which lasted from 1110 to 1526, the Commandery of the Knights of St. John at Dueholm (1351-1539), and the Carmelite Priory at Saeby (Maristed), which lasted from about 1460 to 1536.