The Baptismal Font at Ørslev Church

Ørslev Church is a designated "visitor’s church" and it’s worth stopping here to see the somewhat unusual font. It is made out of a Viking soapstone tub, which was originally intended for use as a cauldron/kettle, but here it is in its joyful, yet also interesting, form of use. Across the country, many fragments of soapstone have been found, so its use must have been widespread, but the tub from Ørslev is one of the few preserved whole examples of this type of household utensil. Soapstone was imported from Norway and it’s been said that the Ørslev Church font was originally flotsam from a shipwreck in the Little Belt, which was the maritime trade route to Hedeby.