Tillitse

Facts

Wendish parish on South Lolland

By Anna-Elisabeth Jensen, Souschef, arkæolog (6 stories)

Tillitse is the only Danish parish village with a Wendish name. It has about 600 inhabitants and is in the South-west part of Lolland Municipality, a couple of kilometres north of the Baltic Sea. The parish is set in very fertile arable land and was densely populated in the Middle Ages. Many parish churches were built at that time. As a parish village, Tillitse dates as far back as the 13th century. It was built of bricks in about 1250 and its churchyard has one of at least five Viking runic stones that once stood along the north coast of Rødby Fiord.

Public place

Selected entry

Christian runic stone in a Wendish village

Story written by Anna-Elisabeth Jensen

Time / Periode 1200 1299

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Wendish place names are known from Lolland, Falster and Møn. The Wendish name of Tillitse means that Tilo's people inhabited the village. Tilo is a German Christian name. The runic stone in Tillitse is from about 1050 but happens to be Christian, and has four Nordic names on it: Toke, Tora, Eskil and Skulke. The inscription also bears a cross and says: Eskil Sulkesøn had this stone erected for himself. Always while the stone lives on, this memorial inscription will stand, as Eskil did. Christ and St Michael help his soul!" The stone also bears the inscription "Toke carved the runes for his stepmother Tora, a noble woman". The stone was once bricked into the wall of Tillitse church. But today stands alone in the churchyard outside the porch. "