Guest Profile Image
Join our Ghostwatch or login

Nidaros Cathedral, Norway

Nidaros Cathedral, Norway

HISTORIC

 Haunted Location

Ghostwatch Europe
Views: 3,656
Report by: Ghostwatch
"Nidaros Cathedral, dates back to the 11th century. Built over the burial site of Saint Olaf and home to the Bloody Monk."
Report ID: 278

Nidaros Cathedral, Norway

The Nidaros Cathedral or “Nidarosdomen” in Norwegian is an imposing medieval cathedral built in 1070 as the final resting place of King Olaf II of Norway, who was killed in 1030 in the Battle of Stiklestad. King Olaf was canonized as Saint Olaf a year later by the bishop of Nidaros (which was later confirmed by the pope). It was designated the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Nidaros from its establishment in 1152 until its abolition in 1537 under the Reformation.

Since the Reformation, Nidaros Cathedral has served as the cathedral of the Lutheran bishops of Trondheim (or Nidaros) in the Diocese of Nidaros. Trondheim is the third largest city in Norway. 

Paranormal Activity - The Bloody Monk

One reliable witness account was printed in the newspaper, Aftenposten in 1930. A bishop’s wife by the name of Marie Gieditsch during a church service in 1924 saw a most unusual sight. As the priest was singing a hymn, she saw an apparition of a medieval monk first standing in an archway in the cathedral. This figure’s sad bright blue eyes locked with hers.

“He had a tonsure and wore monks robe. His face was beautiful, with sharp lines and glowing eyes. The monk walked right through one of the choir members attending the mass. While the priest was in front of the altar, the monk moved behind him.”

Alarmed Marie saw this figure place its hands around the priest’s throat and begin to choke him. Others in the church saw his hands encircle the priest’s neck, but they did not see the rest of him.

“Then he raised his head, and the woman (Marie) saw that he had a stripe of blood on his throat.”

Marie repelled by the sight of blood dripping from his slashed throat averted her eyes downward only to look up a moment later to see the monk standing in the area near the church archway again. Despite the blood, she described him as being young and very good looking.

“I looked back up, the monk was standing with his arms crossed then he just disappeared.”

The priest who conducted the service later stated he had gotten a feeling of desperation, and then a sense that something was stuck in his throat. Part of the legend is that Marie also saw this apparition remove its head from its bloody body before it disappeared.

Various witnesses over the years have seen this monk in the cathedral, in the smaller chapels and also outside near the cemetery. 

Yet other church members have seen this monk’s hands reach out and choke other people. It seems this is how he shows his displeasure with people he does not like. Some claim they have even conversed with this ghostly monk.

Recent accounts also mention inexplicable chanting and organ music is heard coming from the Nidaros cathedral late at night.

Another ongoing phenomenon in this church is seen in one small basement room. This room is so low people cannot stand upright in it. 

Early in the cathedral’s history, the basement was used as a tomb for prominent figures from Trondheim. Ever since people have spotted rose petals scattered across this small room’s floor. 

When recent witnesses have inquired about these petals, they are told that they just appear. It seems once a week fresh rose petals appear and the wilted ones disappear. No one knows who does this. The entrance to this room is always kept barred and locked.

This ghost story about this monk is so popular in Norway that it was made into a television series and it inspired Frid Ingulstad’s novel The Monk in 1991.

Also in the same year King Harald and Queen Sonja were consecrated in Nidaros Cathedral, Trondheim, on 23 June, following the tradition introduced by King Olav in 1958.

Several historians claim that Nidarosdomen was never connected to any order of monks. Regardless – the tales of the Nidarosdomen monk live on to this day.

 

Specific details

Resources:
https://seeksghosts.blogspot.c ...

Have you seen a Ghost?

Share your paranormal experiences

Add your report to the Ghostmap

Search Local Map

Shop for FLIR products

FLIR Thermal Imaging Solutions


Report a problem

Please let us know what the problem is and we will work to fix it

Please, enter your name
Please, enter your e-mail address Mail address is not not valid
Please tell us which link is broken

Problem with this report?

Join our Ghostwatch or login

Map the Paranormal World with us

Add your own Nidaros Cathedral, Norway report

If you have any additional information about this report please leave a comment or add your own Paranormal report to Ghostwatch.

Ghostwatch

Ghostwatch Reports

Remove this ad? Click Here