Votive ship

A votive ship, sometimes called a church ship, is a ship model displayed in a church. As a rule, votive ships are constructed and given as gifts to the church by seamen and ship builders.^[1] Votive ships are relatively common in churches in the Nordic countries Denmark,^[2] Sweden, Norway^[3] and Finland, as well as on Åland^[4] and Faroe islands, but are known also to exist in Germany, the United Kingdom^[5] and Spain.^[2]

The practice of displaying model ships in churches stems from the Middle Ages and appears to have been known throughout Christian Europe, in both Catholic and Lutheran countries.^[6] The oldest known remaining votive ship is a Spanish ship model from the 15th century. A model ship originally displayed in Stockholm Cathedral but today in the Stockholm Maritime Museum dating from circa 1590 is the oldest surviving example in the Nordic countries.^[2] Votive ships are quite common in France, in coastal towns (and in some inland ones as well) either as model ships (generally made by sailors after escaping a shipwreck ) or as paintings (generally depicting some awkward situation) they are known under the Latin term of Ex-Voto (made after a vow).^{[citation needed]} The church of Sainte Anne d'Auray in Brittany has the biggest French collection of marine ex-votos, but the practice even extends to the Mediterranean French shores, including Corsica.

• Media related to Votive ships at Wikimedia Commons
• Comprehensive bibliography at The Maritime History Virtual Archives
• Votive ships in Denmark Comprehensive list (in Danish)
• Comprehensive French site about marine ex-votos with extensive photographic documentation