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Saint Canute's Cathedral ( Danish: Odense Domkirke or Sct. Knuds Kirke) is named after the Danish king Canute the Saint (Danish: Knud den Hellige). Although King Canute the Saint was, historically, anything but a saint, there is an unusual reason for this nickname. Fleeing a rebellious force (he was anything but popular), he took shelter in the Church of St. Alban's , a wooden church in Odense.The rebels, however, were not about to let him flee, and killed him in the church. The story tells that he died kneeling in front of the altar, praying.
Saint Canute's Cathedral was built in memory of this, although not in the same place as the original church stood. The oldest parts of the cathedral are from the early 1300s.
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