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196 Saga-Book of the Viking Society
It was natural that the new monastery should become
influential. The only other monasteries in Denmark in
109S were All Saints, Lund, and St Michael's, Slesvig.
King Valdemar, in a diploma of II80, declared that the
priory of Odense was especially dear to him since it contained
the relics of a royal saint who was a member of
his family. 32 In the early twelfth century the priory
must have preserved the best traditions of English Benedictinism,
and as such it influenced the foundation of
other houses. King Valdemar stated, in the diploma
quoted above, that many monks and nuns had made
their profession there. There seems to have been a link
between Odense and the monasteries of Sore and Ringsted.
Sore was a small house for Black monks, founded
about II42-S, whose first prior had previously been prior
of Odense.:" In Ringsted, Benedictines were intro­
3 4
duced in II3S. In II44-S the prior of Odense had
previously been prior of Ringsted. 35 Probably from
IIS7 there was a Benedictine nunnery in Odense directed
by the monks.:" In II93 the nuns recognised that the
monks had founded their house.:" At some unknown
date, probably during the reign of Knud VI, the nuns
3 8
moved out of the city to Dalum.
So important a house as that at Odense naturally
attracted the attention of the great. Already in II39,
Archbishop Eskil confirmed the property and rights of
the priory, particularly mentioning the right of the monks
to form the cathedral chapter and elect their bishop.:"
In II44-S a synod assembled at the priory attended by
King Erik Lam, Cardinal Hubald and papal legate, Arch-
32 G. ]. Thorkelin, Diplomatariuni Arna-Mognaeanuni (abbreviated Dip/.
AM hereafter) I, 26r.
33 Liber Donationum Monasterii Sorensis, in S.R.D. IV, 466.
34 DD 1, 2, No. 65.
35 ibid. No. 86.
36]. Hansen og K. Mortensen, Datum Sogns Historie (1959) I, I, 43-4.
37 Dipl. AM I, 285.
38 Dalum Sogns Historic, 44.
39 DD I, 2, No. 77.