”Det er mit Blod, som udgydes for eder”. De troendes persepsjon av Trettenkrusifikset i før- og etterreformatorisk tid

Abstract

My master thesis in art history from the University of Oslo focuses on the pious believers’ plausible perception of an extremely sorrowful, fourteenth century crucifix from Tretten church in Gudbrandsdalen. In this article, on the other hand, I do not treat their perception of Christ’s suffering in general, but more specifically of the vast amount of blood which is so characteristic of this Christ figure. Initially I ask why one would commision such a bloody crucifix in the first place? As a starting point, I chose to look for answers based on the general assumption that crucifixes relate intimately to the eucharist, the Church’s most important liturgical action, as a visualisation of the substance in the transformed bread and wine. Further on, I ask what the blood may have represented for the believers after the Reformation, and if the supposedly close connection between the eucharist and crucifix can be said to having continued into this period. Because, the crucifix was never repainted and it was not only kept in the church until 1862, but it received an immensely prominent location: in the choir, next to the altar. This implies that it must have been of great value for the believers.

This article is an abbreviated excerpt from my Master thesis. An important aim is to show how fruitful (though not infallible!) a methodological approach which involves a connection between theology, liturgical history and art history can be to create plausible meaning in a crucifix which would otherwise be very «silent».