Elmelunde church originally dates back to the 1080s, but what makes it special are the painted ceiling vaults that, like its whitewashed stepped tower, were added four centuries later. Remarkable frescoes by the so-called “Elmelunde master” illustrate garbled biblical messages, giving reminders of the shortness of human life.
Notice the human-headed serpent in the Garden of Eden (above the rear arch leading to the organ), Herod’s soldiers dressed in medieval armor (central ceiling) and a devil leading the damned into the monstrous mouth of hell (above the 1649 carved pulpit hood). There’s also a fine relief of the Last Supper on the altarpiece. While the frescoes here are similar to those at Fanefjord and Keldby, Elmelunde church itself feels smaller and cozier inside.