Ribe - Oldest Town. Cathedral, Adam and Eve

Ribe

St. Mary's Cathedral

Ribe is said to be the oldest town in Denmark.  It is now part of a larger community of Esbjerg and Bramming, all known as "Esbjerg" - but signs to Ribe remain.  Good idea.
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Ribe was first mentioned in a document from 854-860 AD, a request from Archbishop Ansgar of Hamburg-Bremen to the King of Denmark.  The Archbishop wanted to build a Cathedral in this growing trade town. The "mission to the north" -- backed up by killer crusades in the Baltic area, also known as the Baltic Crusades; or the Northern Crusades, re-employing unemployed crusader knight groups back from the fiascos in the Holy Land. See Malbork Castle, Teutonic Knights, in Poland, attacking the Prussian tribes.
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St. Mary's Cathedral, Ribe Denmark

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Nothing happened until 948, and that is not surprising since Christianity had not been particularly attractive to people of the North.
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Charlemagne had slaughtered 4,500 Saxon prisoners who had refused conversion not long before - say 780-82 AD.  See Sachsenhain. The Saxon lands were just to the south of the Danish Jutes of Jutland, Saxons had fought Charlemagne for 30 years; with help and hiding the leader Widukind among the Jutes.  The two groups, although clearly identifiable, had variously intermarried, or assisted each other in warfare as needed against Charlemagne, or the Wends, or other. Yet, despite the nice request to be invited, the clear threat was there:  refuse, and enter the Holy Roman Empire with force.
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So St. Mary's Cathedral was built in due time.
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A disastrous fire in 1580 burned most of the town.  I believe the square brick tower would be newer than the gray stone, but have to check.  The brick is in the style of 'brick gothic", a later period than the romanesque gray broad arch motif. Is that so?

Romanesque arch, St. Mary's Cathedral, Ribe, DK

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Excellent door, St. Mary's. The reinforced iron would be needed for defense in early days when the church was also a place of refuge.
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Iron door, St. Mary's Cathedral, Ribe, Denmark

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Scandinavian Adams and Eveses look unisex. It is as though which is which gender does not matter at all. Identifying characteristics barely noticeable.  Here, she has longer hair, and barely a size A.  He has barely a muscle. This makes sense if the original Adm or "human" was androgynous, and merely was separated out into two.  There is textual support for that, although culturally suppressed.

Adam and Eve, St Mary's Cathedral, Ribe, DK

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Little motifs of death are found in unexpected places.  Here, a tiny skull and bones, and a tiny hour glass above.  I enlarged this to find the date, 1639; and cannot translate the words.  Peder something?
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Memorial plaque, death imagery, burial,  St. Mary's Cathedral, Ribe, DK

This also looks 1600's, judging from the costume - Reformation era?  Two men and a woman, I think. Menage a trois.  Denmark and Sweden often show more women in the decorative surroundings than we saw in Germany. Even with the enlargement, we cannot make out the words at the bottom of this painting and sculpture.

Three benefactors, or is this a burial?  St. Mary's Cathedral, Ribe, Denmark

Here, Adam and Eve are still the same size, same bodies , really. But did someone add that beard to Adam?  Or is it an original beard?  It looks affixed, not growing. Perhaps it was disturbing to someone that no-one could tell which gender was which. Also, the snake did not become a snake (that is, something without legs) until after the pair were found out, and here, Adam is just about to enjoy his portion.

Adam and Eve, still androgynous in many ways? St. Mary's Cathedral, Ribe, Denmark