Søbygård and castle mound

Facts

The royal moats of Ærø

By Vivian Etting, Museumsinspektør og seniorforsker på Nationalmuseet (28 stories)

The castle mounds of Søby Ramparts overlook reclaimed land that was once Vitsø Cove on the island of Ærø. The mounds consist of one main embankment protected to the north by a rampart built between two moats. Outside the moats stood a barbican, built on an embankment of its own. The castle was probably a Crown possession dating to the 12th century, and excavations have turned up wood used in the construction of buildings. Across the road in the middle of an artificial lake stands Søbygård Manor, originally built around 1580 by Duke Hans the Younger. Søbygård is made up of a small castle mound and a mound where the farmyard was located. The present manor house was built at the end of the 18th century.

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The midnight ride of King Valdemar

Story written by Vivian Etting

Time / Periode 1100 1200

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According to an old ghost story, there was once a lord at Søbygård notorious for his ruthlessness as a hunter. After his death, the wild hunts continued, and each night he could be heard racing through the air, followed by a raucous hunting party and a huge pack of dogs. Similar tales of wild hunts from the beyond are a recurring theme in many legends. Castle gates swing open and hooves echo across deserted courtyards, while barking and hunting horns resound over field and meadow. Most famous of all is probably the night ride of King Valdemar across Zealand. One folksong recounts how many a frightened peasant was left crossing himself whenever hunters and their packs fly by in the darkness.