The Teilmann Manesten

GPS Link: 55.678768, 8.590464 

Parking: At the small parking space near Nørholm Estate (55.685080, 8.597218)

Good To Know: Remember to bring some proper footwear for the trip, and a flashlight if you plan to go there after dark.

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Located deep within the woods of Nørholm in Western Jutland stands one of the few remaining "manepæle" in Denmark, with several spooky legends surrounding it

About the stone

Odd-looking and slightly ominous, Teilmanns Manesten is a variation of the traditional “Manepæl” . These were usually wooden poles employed to keep restless spirits in the ground, but precisely because Teilmanns Manesten is made of stone, it has been able to withstand even the most unforgiving weather. Thus, as something quite unique, Teilmanns Manesten is probably the original, believed to have been raised around 1830.

Teilmanns Manesten has been known by locals and residents of the nearby Nørholm Estate throughout its existence, but its true purpose was forgotten along the way. For some reason it was thought to be a monument for the dead horse or dog of a former Nørholm owner. However, around the year 2000, it was revealed that the stone was in fact something much more sinister.

It appears that Teilmann’s Manesten was erected by residents of the nearby Nørholm Estate, together with the equivalent of an exorcist from another parish, as the local priest didn’t feel up to the task. Not much is known in detail about this endeavor, except that the target of the “maning”, or binding to the ground, was the spirit of a former Nørholm owner Andreas Charles Teilmann. Teilmann would have been dead for a great many years at this time (since 1790), but apparently he was thought to still be haunting the area where the stone stands. Judging by the level of outside involvement, the ghostly activity must have been quite bad, and the locals were clearly desperate to finally put his spirit to rest.

The road to the Teilmann Manesten

You can reach Teilmanns Manesten by following the path from the parking space into the woods. When you’ve reached the former spring fountain, seen in the above photo, you are about half way there. When you are about to arrive at the target coordinates, there will be a sign pointing towards the stone. From here, you will need to cross the water at certain places. Keep your eyes peeled, you can easily miss it.

 

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