Aarhus Cathedral Votive Ship Poster

"Aarhus Cathedral Votive Ship" by Catherine Sherman. This model ship is hanging in Aarhus Cathedral (Danish: Aarhus Domkirke), a cathedral in Aarhus, Denmark. A Scandinavian custom in many churches is a ship hanging from the ceiling as a reminder of those lost at sea and which also reflects an old Nordic tradition of giving offerings for the protection of loved ones at sea. The ship models are often called votive ships. The cathedral's ship (dated 1720) is named Enigheden (English: Unity) and it might have been built in Holland: the Russian tsar Peter the Great ordered war ships from ship builders in Holland; instead of sketches, he was offered a model of the upcoming ship, which was sent by sea to Russia. A storm sank the transport by Skagen, Denmark's northernmost town, and the model made it to shore almost intact. Some fishermen from Aarhus bought the model, and subsequently offered it as a votive gift to the Aarhus Domkirke. With the model ship's length of 2.65 metres (8.7 feet) and height of 3.50 metres (11.5 feet), it is the largest church ship in any Danish church, and it is also thought of as a symbol of man's sail from cradle to grave. The Aarhus cathedral is the longest and tallest church in the country, at 93 metres (305 feet) in length and 96 metre (315 feet) in height.