Statue - Cnut the Holy
Close to Odense City Hall and the cathedral stands the bronze statue of Cnut the Holy – the Danish king who was killed in Odense in 1086 and later canonised. The statue stands just a few steps from the site of St Alban’s Church, where one of the most dramatic chapters in Odense’s Viking history unfolded.
Cnut the Holy in the heart of Odense
The statue was created by sculptor Einar Utzon-Frank and unveiled in 1953. Cnut is depicted with his sword behind his back and his gaze raised, while the inscription on the plinth commemorates the king and his fate in Odense.
Utzon-Frank was a prominent figure in Danish sculpture during the first half of the 20th century and often worked in a classical, monumental style. This is reflected in the statue of Cnut the Holy, with its upright figure and restrained portrayal of the king. The crown and sword also link the sculpture to a long tradition of depicting Cnut as both king and saint.
The location is no coincidence. St Alban’s Church once stood near present-day Albani Torv. It was here that Cnut sought refuge during a rebellion and was killed in front of the altar on 10 July 1086.
The inscription on the plinth reads:
KNUD SATTES DETTE MINDE
DEN KNUD DER HER BLEV DRÆBT
DANMARKS KONGE 1080–1086
MYRDET MODTOG HAN MARTYRKRONEN
KNUD DEN HELLIGE
In English, the inscription reads:
TO CNUT THIS MEMORIAL WAS RAISED
TO CNUT, WHO WAS KILLED HERE
KING OF DENMARK 1080–1086
MURDERED, HE RECEIVED THE MARTYR’S CROWN
CNUT THE HOLY
From king to saint
A few years after his death, Cnut was canonised. His grave made Odense an important pilgrimage destination, and his story became closely associated with both the city and Christian kingship in the Middle Ages.
Today, you can continue the story just a few hundred metres from the statue. Cnut the Holy’s remains lie in the crypt beneath Odense Cathedral, while markings at Albani Torv show where the church in which he was killed once stood.
The statue was donated to Odense by Fyens Disconto Kasse to mark the bank’s 100th anniversary in 1946 and was unveiled in 1953.
Last updated by:VisitOdensejmjen@odense.dk
