Saint Canute's Cathedral (in danish: Sankt Knuds Kathedral) is named after the Danish king, Knud den Hellige (i.e. Canute the Holy). Although he - historically - was anything but holy, this nickname has a reason: Fleeing a rebellious force (as previously described, he was anything but popular), he took shelter in 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...
St Canute's cathedral was build in memory of this, although not in the same place as the original church stood.