For more than 1000 years there have been churches on the spot where the cathedral now stands. The first church on the site was built by Harold Bluetooth who died around 985 and, according to the historian Adam of Bremen, is “buried in the town of Roskilde, in the church he himself built to the honour of the Holy Trinity”. Harold Bluetooth is considered as the first of the Danish viking kings to truly convert to Christianity. Harolds church was made of wood and was probably located on the same spot as the present day cathedral.The present brick church was started in the 1170s under bishop Absalon (biskop 1158-1201). The art of brick making had just been introduced into Denmark at the time. The cathedral is built along the lines of French cathedrals in a transitional style between Romanesque and Gothic, but the building has a domestic character through the choice of materials and is deeply influenced by local traditions in the design of the individual building details. The construction of the cathedral lasted for more than 100 years and considerable changes were made underway, the greatest during the first 30 years, shortly before and after 1200.