when denmark came to be - from viking kings to valdemars

Roskilde MuseuM / NatuRe PaRk ÅMoseN / lejRe MuseuM / laNd of legeNds / VikiNg touRs / the VikiNg foRtRess tRelleboRg / the Roskilde CathedRal MuseuM / the VikiNg shiP MuseuM / ulVsboRg / the RuiNs of st lawReNCe’s ChuRCh / soRø abbey ChuRCh / fjeNNesleV ChuRCh / aNtVoRskoV abbey RuiN / the ChaPel of kNud laVaRd / st beNdt’s ChuRCh / holbæk MuseuM / tVeje MeRløse ChuRCh / dRagsholM Castle / kaluNdboRg MuseuM / VoRdiNgboRg Castle / the MedieVal CeNtRe aNd the goldeN swaN iNN

In the beatIng heart of the world’s oldest kIngdom

Central and west Zealand played a pivotal role in the creation of the kingdom of Denmark.

dense stream of cultural monuments in the area tells of when Denmark came to be.

Archaeological excavations bearing major finds from ancient history, churches hold-

ing the world record for the number of kings buried there, and thrilling chronicles and

legends.

In short, central and west Zealand have a unique story which needs to be told. With

its four-year project, When Denmark came to be — from kings to Valdemars, Kultur-

region Midt- og Vestsjælland/Cultural Region Mid- and West Zealand really marks

the start of focus on the exciting history of the Viking Age and the Middle Ages.

Over the coming years, the project will improve local, national and international

awareness of the unique cultural history of Region Zealand – in particular Kul-

turregion Midt- og Vestsjælland/Cultural Region Mid- and West Zealand – and thus help to

make the area the leading destination for Viking and medieval experiences.

Through experiences and stories, we depict the time from when Denmark came to be – the

Viking Age and the Middle Ages – presented through the attractions of the area.

We hope this look into our shared treasure trove of fascinating history will give shape and

colour to a truly unique culture-historical period for Denmark, and that your visit to our

various attractions will bring central and west Zealand’s cultural heritage to life for you!

Learn about the heroic endeavours of Beowulf, who protects King Roar’s king’s hall by

slaying the troll Grendel, or shudder at the tales of the bloody battles for the right to the

Danish throne.

Our attractions are unparalleled storytellers. With substance, power and exciting forms of

communication, they pass on our cultural heritage to successive generations.

Come and discover the beating heart of the world’s oldest kingdom – from Viking kings

to Valdemars.

Have a great trip!

hanne Pigonska mari schmidt

Chairman of Kulturregion Project Manager,Midt- og Vestsjælland When Denmark came to be

From 2012 to 2014, the When Denmark came to be project will be holding major, spectacular Viking and medieval events and projects, so keep an eye on the project’s website. When Denmark came to be is funded by Kulturregion Midt- og Vestsjælland, the Ministry of Culture Denmark, Østdansk Turisme and Region Zealand, and is marketed in collaboration with Østdansk Turisme.

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he word Zealand comes from “sea land” and, for the Vikings, the sea was a means for exploration, cultural exchange, trade, raids and conquest. The Viking ship – a technological marvel in its day – was what made the Viking Age so legendary and created the basis

for an age when, more than ever, Denmark was a military and cultural superpower. Through expeditions across the sea, the Viking ships “Aslak” and “Havhingsten” (the Sea Stallion) still tell the 1,000-year-old story of the Vikings’ ships. See them and go for a sail Viking Tours and the Viking Ship Museum.

At Tissø and Lejre, the Vikings’ pagan past is ever present. Mystical pagan rituals can be traced back to lake Tissø, the lake of Tyr, the Norse god of war. The story about the landscape and paganism can be experienced at

Nature Park Åmosen. Odin, king of the gods in Norse mythology, still watches over Midgard, realm of the humans, from Roskilde Museum with his two all-see-ing ravens, while warrior Beowulf’s battle against the troll Grendel resonates like a poetic echo in the recreated universes of Land of Legends. The ancient king’s hall and boat-shaped burial setting at Lejre Museum recount the story of the legendary kings, while Viking Fortress Trelleborg is spectacular evidence of their greatness – and decline.

The most influential medieval families in the history of Denmark also had their power base on Zealand. Fjenneslev Church and Sorø Abbey Church stand as proud monuments, erected by Zealand’s Hvide family, a line of ecclesiastical and worldly noblemen. You can almost feel the presence of these noble fam-ilies at the fortified farm Ulvsborg, while a large number of the royal family’s burial monuments, from Harald Bluetooth to the Reformation, can be found at Roskilde Cathedral Museum and St Bendt’s Church, the latter being the burial site of the Valdemars.

The lost stories about how Denmark, came to be can be felt in the traces of the ruins. The forgotten hospital abbey of the Brothers Hospitallers of St. John of

when denmark Came to be

Legend has it that Zealand was shaped by the goddess Gefion. Gefion had four sons with a giant. She transformed these sons into giant oxen, which she used to plough the island of Zealand out of Sweden’s land.

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750 — 1250God, Antvorskov Abbey, and the lost St Lawrence’s Church today exist only in the form of fragmentary ruins, – but they still tell the story of a Denmark where saints and abbeys were factors of power.

Pilgrimage was an important religious act in the Middle Ages. A purification pro-cess for body and soul, as the mysterious “tired” pilgrim monk who made five long trips to Santiago de Compostela from Holbæk Museum can recount. Zea-land’s popular pilgrimage destination, the Chapel of Knud Lavard, tells the story of murderous deception.

The fortified medieval castle Dragsholm Castle stands today as evidence of the need for protection in the dangerous and rebellious times that were the Mid-dle Ages.

Danish noblemen were involved in the papal religious war against the pagans, through the crusade led by the Danish King Valdemar Sejr in estonia. Kalundborg Museum tells the story of the crusades through the Church of Our Lady, archi-tecturally constructed in the shape of the Greek cross.

The seeds of democracy were sown in Zealand soil at Vordingborg Castle, where the wording of the Danish kingdom’s great law – the Jutlandic Law – was adopted.

Meet medieval halberdsmen, housewives, traders and hustlers in the recon-structed town at the Medieval Centre, where both hangings and exquisite medi-eval fare are part of everyday life.

Welcome to the story from Viking kings to Valdemars – experience the story of when denmark Came to be

lars holten kirsten henriksenChairman of the steering committee, Member of MuseumsrådetWhen Denmark came to be the Museum Council Director, Land of Legends Kulturregion Midt- og Vestsjælland Manager Historiens Hus – Ringsted, Museum and Archive

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roskIlde mUseUmNo. 1 / page 8

nature Park ÅmosenNo. 2 / page 10

leJre mUseUmNo. 3 / page 12

land of legends No. 4 / page 14

Viking toursNo. 5 / page 20

Viking fortress trelleborgNo. 6 / page 22

roskilde Cathedral museumNo. 7 / page 24

the Viking ship museumNo. 8 / page 26

UlvsborgNo. 9 / page 32

the rUIns of st lawrenCe’s ChUrChNo. 10 / page 34

sorØ abbeY ChUrChNo. 11 / page 36

fjenneslev ChurchNo. 12 / page 38

antvorskov abbey ruinNo. 13 / page 44

the Chapel of knud lavardNo. 14 / page 46

st bendt’s ChurchNo. 15 / page 48

holbæk museumNo. 16 / page 52

tveje merløse Church No. 17 / page 53

dragsholm CastleNo. 18 / page 56

kalundborg museumNo. 19 / page 58

Vordingborg CastleNo. 20 / page 60

the medIeVal Centre and the golden swan innNo. 21 / page 62

Contents mUseUm

gUIded toUrs

aUdIo gUIde

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restaUrant serVIng hIs-torIC food

Café

dIsabled faCIlItIes

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4 / WHeN DeNMARK CAMe TO Be / CONTeNTS

Copenhagen

Roskilde

Holbæk

Lejre

Kalundborg

Slagelse

Sorø

Nykøbing Falster

Vordingborg

Ringsted

Næstved

Køge

NykøbingSjælland

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Roskilde Museum tells the story of when Roskilde was one of the most important cities in Denmark. The museum’s antiquities exhibition includes rich finds from the Stone Age to the Viking Age, including a world-famous figure of Odin. In the Middle Ages, Roskilde was the capital of the kingdom and home to kings and bishops. The museum’s medieval exhibition tells of the town’s church life, crafts, traces of pilgrimages and early printing.

8 / WHeN DeNMARK CAMe TO Be / ROSKILDe MUSeUM

Sankt Ols Gade 18DK-4000 Roskilde

www.roskildemuseum.dkTel. +45 / 4631 6529

roskIlde mUseUm

750

… And there is a great dwelling called Valaskjalf, which belongs to Odin. The gods made it and thatched it with sheer silver. In this hall is the high-seat, which is called Hlidskjalf, and when Alfather sits in this seat, he sees over all the world ... There are two ravens on his shoulders, and everything they see or hear, they say into his ear. They are called Huginn and Muninn. Odin sends them out at dawn, and the birds fly all over the world before returning at breakfast time. As a result, Odin is kept informed of many events, and that is why people call him raven god … Snorre Sturlason (1179–1241) from the saga Gylfaginning

ccording to the legend, Odin, the greatest of all gods in the gods’ world Asgard, saw that the country lacked a king.

He therefore sent the royal infant Scyld, the forefather of the kings of the Danes, to the country in a fantastic ship.

According to Norse mythology, Odin is omniscient and all-seeing.

PAGAN MYTHOLOGY

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natUre Park Åmosen

10 / WHeN DeNMARK CAMe TO Be / VISITOR CeNTRe fUGLeDeGÅRD

Bakkendrupvej 28 DK-4480 St. fuglede

www.naturparkaamosen.dkTel. + 45 / 3056 6685Tissø Viking Marketwww.vikingemarked.dk

At Visitor Centre Fugledegård at Tissø, you can feel the forces of nature and the pagan religion in a forgotten and mysterious interaction. The offering of weapons in Tissø lake and many finds of pagan figures sug-gest that this was where rituals took place in a religious pact with the surroundings and nature, though nothing more is known. Visitor Centre Fugledegård shows the remains of a fortified farm which was one of the largest Viking settlements.

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… There is yet an asa, whose name is Tyr. He is very daring and stout-hearted. He sways victory in war ... when the asas induced the wolf Fenrer to let himself be bound with the chain Gleipner, he would not believe that they would loose him again until Tyr put his hand in his mouth as a pledge. But when the asas would not loose the wolf Fen-rer, he bit Tyr’s hand off at the place of the wolf’s joint. From that time Tyr is one-handed …Snorre Sturlason (1179–1241) from the saga Gylfaginning

round and about on Zealand are relics of the ancient customs and the Norse pagan beliefs. By the big lake Tissø was a pagan

cult centre. This was where our ances-tors worshiped the Viking gods – the

Aesir. Tissø is named after the god of war – Tyr in Norse mythology.

WORSHIP

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At Lejre Museum, you can learn about the special significance of the area in the history of Denmark, focusing on the legends of the Scyldings and Beowulf. The exhibition presents finds and models from antiquity to the present day. Archaeological finds confirm that Lejre was an important place during the Iron Age and Viking Age – historically as well as mytho-logically. The discovery of large settlements with great halls shows that Lejre was home to the historic Viking kings.

Today, the floor plan of one of the two halls is marked out on the ground. East of the museum are the remains of two ship-shaped stone burial settings which served as burial sites during the Viking Age.

12 / WHeN DeNMARK CAMe TO Be / LeJRe MUSeUM

Orehøjvej 4 BDK-4320 Lejre

www.roskildemuseum.dkTel. + 45 / 4648 1468

leJre mUseUm

750ing scyld’s descendants, the Scyldings were based in

Lejre. Here, according to legend, they built Hjort, the vast and lavish king’s hall. Just as King Scyld came to the kingdom in a

ship, his final journey to the grave was also connected with ships, as was the custom in the Viking Age.

… Forth he fared at the fated moment, sturdy Scyld to the shelter of God. Then they bore him over to ocean’s billow, loving clansmen, as late he charged them, while wielded words the winsome Scyld, the leader beloved who long had ruled..... In the roadstead rocked a ring-dight vessel, ice-flecked, outbound, atheling’s barge ... No less these loaded the lordly gifts, thanes’ huge treas-ure, than those had done who in former time forth had sent him sole on the seas, a suckling child …The tale of Beowulf from c. 700

THe VIKING KING’S HALLS AND BURIAL CUSTOMS

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14 / WHeN DeNMARK CAMe TO Be / LAND Of LeGeNDS

Slangealléen 2DK-4320 Lejre

www.sagnlandet.dkTel. + 45 / 4648 0878

A great wealth of archaeological finds near Lejre confirms that the site was a cultural powerhouse in the Iron Age and Viking Age – historically as well as mythologically. In the magnificent lansdcape of LAND OF LEGENDS, with its giant ship-shaped burial setting, longhouses and the sacrificial bog, it is easy to imagine the power, the monuments and the stories that once prevailed there. At Land of Legends, you can meet the Vikings face to face and experience snippets of everyday life such as cooking, crafts and other day-to-day activities, and also battles, play and worship.

he swedish hero beowulf was summoned by the Danish Scylding king, King Roar, who, accord-ing to legend, founded Roskilde. Beowulf was to help Roar with a terrible plague in the kingdom of the Danes. The kingdom was haunted by the troll Grendel, whom neither Roar nor his best men in the king’s hall Hjort could defeat.

land oflegends leJre

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LeGeNDARY KINGS AND HeROeS

… Beowulf closely held him he who of men in might was strongest in that same day of this our life ... The outlaw dire took mortal hurt; a mighty wound showed on his shoulder, and sinews cracked, and the bone-frame burst. To Beowulf now the glory was given, and Grendel thence death-sick his den in the dark moor sought, noisome abode: he knew too well that here was the last of life, an end of his days on earth. To all the Danes by that bloody battle the boon had come … The tale of Beowulf from c. 700

the danIsh VIkIngs In england were desCrIbed as lUxUrIoUs, shaVen and


Did you know that…


not UnhYgIenIC and hIrsUte

5 VIkIng toUrs

20 / WHeN DeNMARK CAMe TO Be / VIKING TOURS

Take part in a Viking cruise with Viking tours

Check cruise dates at: www.vikingtours.dk

Groups of 10 or more can also book their own Viking cruise

Tel. + 45 / 4091 0336

With Viking Tours, you can come out on a boat and experience a cruise as if through the eyes of a true Viking. We set sail from Roskilde Fjord and Isefjord, just as they did 1,000 years ago, and learn about historical events and the sagas. We sail to creeks, forests, ancient trading places and settlements once ruled over by the Viking kings. Viking Tours offers many different types of cruises on board Viking ships in the fjord systems of Zealand. The ships were built by hand without drawings and are some of the largest that sail with passengers. The two largest Viking ships are the swift-sailing Nidhug at 16 metres and the longship Aslak at 24 metres.

illaging, chaos and booty. Danish Vikings went on raids to england, where rich unpro-tected monasteries were easy targets. The english monks saw the Vikings’ violent attacks as God’s punishment – punishment from across the sea. The booty was immense

– silver, gold, slaves and hostages.

793 THe RAIDS BeGIN

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… 793. This year came dreadful fore-warnings ... immense sheets of light rushing through the air, and whirl-winds, and fiery dragons flying across the firmament ... the harrowing inroads of heathen men made lamentable havoc in the church of God in Holy-island, by rapine and slaughter … The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle 793

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6 Trelleborg Alle 4, Hejninge, DK-4200 Slagelse

www.vikingeborg.dkwww.vestmuseum.dkTel. + 45 / 5854 9506

the VIkIng fortresstrelleborg

22 / WHeN DeNMARK CAMe TO Be / TReLLeBORG

The Viking fortress Trelleborg was built in 980–981. Here you can see some of the many excavation finds, sense the shadows of the past in the large longhouse and even try your hand at being an everyday Viking, a warrior or a craftsman – for example, with archery, spear throwing, cooking over an open fire or warrior training. Viking fortress Trelleborg is also home to Denmark’s only surviving Viking shield.

he danish kingdom was united by the Viking king Harald Blue-tooth. During his reign, Trelleborg was part of the Viking Age’s military power system. Harald Bluetooth was a good diplomat, and he understood the importance of alliances outside Denmark, including the west Slavic communities in Poland. But, after many years in power from 980–990, Blue-tooth’s position was challenged by none other than his own son, Svend forkbeard, who brutally seized power from him.

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… With an army of Danes and slaves his father attacked him again ... after having fought all day, he had neither victory nor the need to flee. So they determined that, as the armies were tired of fighting, they would talk the next day to make peace. When, in confidence, Harald ... walked around as if there was peace and no danger ... he was wounded by the arrow of Toke, and was returned to Julin by his men, where he soon after gave up the ghost …Saxo in History of the Danes c. 1208-1223

TReLLeBORG IS BUILT

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24 / WHeN DeNMARK CAMe TO Be / ROSKILDe CATHeDRAL MUSeUM

Roskilde MuseumRoskilde Cathedral MuseumDomkirkepladsenDK-4000 Roskilde

www.roskildemuseum.dkTel. +45 / 4631 6500

roskIlde Cathedral mUseUm

uring his reign, harald bluetooth not only uni-fied the Danish kingdom, but also Christianised the

Danes. He is said to have built the first church in Roskilde – where Roskilde Cathedral stands today.

… Harald’s body was sent to Roskilde and solemnly buried in the church he had himself recently built …Saxo in History of the Danes c. 1208-1223

Roskilde Cathedral Museum tells the story of the cathedral’s 1,000-year history. From the first wooden church on the site to the magnificent UNESCO-protected medieval cathedral you encounter there today, where centuries of Danish monarchs are buried. Authentic objects and models, drawings and photographs allow you to follow the development of the church through its Catholic and Protestant eras. Experience the medieval wooden figures, a reconstruction of Queen Margrete I’s exquisite golden dress, fragments of stained glass from the cathedral windows, the first printed edition of Saxo Grammaticus’ History of the Danes, coffin plates and digging equipment from noble burials and a boatswain’s chair used for work on the church spire.

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THe CHURCH IN ROSKILDe GAINS CATHeDRAL STATUS

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26 / WHeN DeNMARK CAMe TO Be / THe VIKING SHIP MUSeUM

Vindeboder 12DK-4000 Roskilde

www.vikingeskibsmuseet.dk+45 / 46 300 200

the VIkIng shIP mUseUm

callforinfo

1040 THe SKULDeLeV SHIPS

… some felling trees, some shaping them, some ham-mering nails, some carrying timber. All the material was of the choicest, and the ship was both long and broad, built with great beams, and the bulwarks thereof were high ... A dragon-ship was she wrought after the same fashion as the ‘Serpent’ ...called he her the ‘Long Serpent,’ ... Dight were her head and the crook all over with gold, and the bulwarks thereof were as high as on sea-faring ships … The saga of Olaf Tryggvason by Snorre Sturlason (1179-1241)

The Viking Ship Museum is a meeting of the shipbuilding and the maritime technology that created Denmark. See the five original Skuldelev ships and experience Viking craftsmanship at the boatyard. The impressive ship collection is situated at the museum harbour, and from 1 May to 30 Sep-tember, you can participate in daily boat trips on Roskilde Fjord.

he ships were the epitome of high technology in Viking times, with the design and shape carefully adapted to the ship’s function. The five Skuldelev Ships reveal stories about war and raids, about trade and travel to far distant places, and about life at and by the sea at the time when Denmark came to be. The ship was the prerequisite for the major changes that characterise the Viking Age: the emergence of towns and cities in Scandinavia, the kingdom’s accumulation and conquest of new lands. The world of the Vikings was global. from the exploration of North America’s coasts to trade in Istanbul.

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laPIs laZUlIblUe was the VIkIngs’ faVoUrIte ColoUr for theIr ClothIng. fantastIC oCean blUe, mIddle eastern gems of thIs tYPe



were CrUshed and Used as a baCkgroUnd ColoUr In

Chalk fresCoes In ChUrChes


dkUk/d

9 UlVsborg Toftholmvej 66DK-4550 Asnæs

Tel. + 45 / 2177 3323www.ulvsborg.dk

32 / WHeN DeNMARK CAMe TO Be / ULVSBORG

At Ulvsborg – a reconstructed nobleman’s farm – the nobleman lives with his farm labourers in Salshuset, built in the latest European style on stone foundations, with an extension and with a loft that holds a maiden’s bower and master’s chamber.

Meet the nobleman and his people going about their daily chores on the farm, in the woods or down by Storsøen lake, where the boat Søpoppel is moored. Experience sieges and slavery – there’s always time for contem-plation and a chat with the farm workers.

Every year, Ulvsborg holds a major medieval music festival – Ars Amandi. Find out more at www.middelaldermusikfestival.dk.

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A TIMe Of CHANGe – fROM VIKINGS TO NOBLeMeN

he power centres of the Middle Ages were often the fortified farms of noblemen. entire mini communities with their own hierarchy, noble-man, peasants, knights, soldiers, and slaves.

... When the tables had been taken away after the meal and the feast merriment rose, and the cups were handed round ... Then a German singer began to sing about Svend’s flight and exile, tauting and mocking him ...Saxo in History of the Danes c. 1208-1223

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34 / WHeN DeNMARK CAMe TO Be / THe RUINS Of ST LAWReNCe’S CHURCH

the rUIns of st lawrenCe’s ChUrCh

At the beginning of the 12th century, St Lawrence’s Church was built in Roskilde near the cathedral and the city’s main street. After the Reforma-tion in 1536, the church was demolished and only the tower was allowed to remain. The church ruins are preserved at a depth of almost two metres below street level. Delve into the murky darkness and discover the myste-rious ancient tombs, archaeological finds and the church’s famous mosaic brick floor – quite spectacular by Scandinavian standards. The church’s patron saint, Saint Lawrence, was very popular in Scandinavia, as you can see from the prevalence of male names such as Lars and Lasse.

ith the arrival of Christianity in Denmark came the Chris-tian saints. Churches were built in the names of saints,

including St. Lawrence’s Church. According to legend, Lawrence was a treasurer and the bishop’s assistant in Rome. It is said

that he distributed the church’s taxes to the poor. However, the Roman emperor found out about Lawrence’s generosity and organ-

ised a terrible execution, whereby Lawrence was slowly roasted.

Visits by appointment:The Tourist OfficeStændertorvet 1DK-4000 RoskildeTel. + 45 / 4631 6500

www. roskildemuseum.dk

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ST LAWReNCe’S CHURCH IS BUILT

… I thank you, Lord Jesus Christ, that I have been found worthy to enter the gates of heaven ... I am ready, be so good …Wording from a 15th century chalk fresco in Tuse Church

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… His clerk Saxo gave him the 2½ mark silver, which he had given him. Saxo is obliged to return to Sorø Abbey the two books the archbishop had given him … Absalon’s will from 1208

36 / WHeN DeNMARK CAMe TO Be / SORØ ABBeY CHURCH

Akademigrunden 4 DK-4180 SorøsorØ

abbeY ChUrCh

dk/book on tel. + 45 / 5782 1012

Sorø Abbey Church is one of the largest medieval churches in Denmark. Built in the late 12th century, it is one of the first brick buildings in Den-mark. Bishop Absalon is buried in Sorø Abbey Church, and at the church’s museum you can see Absalon’s wonderful ring, crosier and costume. Ancestor of the Hvide family, Skjalm Hvide is also buried here. Take a look at the church’s coats of arms frieze – here you can see the Hvide family’s many coats of arms.

1128 fOUNDeR Of THe ABBeY, ABSALON IS BORN

orø abbey Church is the burial church of the powerful Hvide family. The Hvide family produced some of the great per-sonalities of Danish history – Bishop Absalon and esbern Snare. The Hvide family’s ancestor was Skjalm Hvide, the most powerful man on Zealand in his day.

The abbey also plays a pivotal role in written Dan-ish history. Absalon hired the writer Saxo, who wrote the History of the Danes – our main source of refer-ence on the early Middle Ages in Denmark. Absalon reminded Saxo, with what was perhaps the world’s first library recall notice, that the books he had bor-rowed in Sorø were to be returned – even after Absa-lon’s own death.

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12 LangtoftevejDK-4173 fjenneslev

www.fjenneslev-kirke.dkTel. + 45 / 57 80 86 05

fJenne sleV ChUrCh

38 / WHeN DeNMARK CAMe TO Be / fJeNNeSLeV CHURCH

The church was built in the 12th century by Skjalm Hvide’s son Asser Riig, who is pictured in the church’s colourful chalk frescoes from the 13th century. It is one of the country’s most famous churches due to the legend of the two towers, which are said to have been built for the twins Absalon and Esbern Snare. There is also a rune stone at the church.

n the mid-12th century, there was a bloody battle for the Danish throne. Valdemar (later King Valdemar the Great) was one of the pre-tenders to the throne and had grown up on the Hvide family’s forti-fied farm at fjenneslev. Valdemar flees wounded, after an attempt on his life, to the Hvide family’s fortified farm in fjenneslev where the power of the family puts him in safety.

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THe CHALK fReSCOeS IN fJeNNeSLeV CHURCH

... However, Valdemar, who only had two of his entourage with him, was intent on leaving with his life intact, though he could hardly walk for the wound he had in his thigh, but he pressed on, however much the wound hindered him; ... He came to the same farm where Absalon had been ahead of him and told of what had befallen him. When he was told by the farmer that Absalon had recently gone to his mother, he got together some people who were familiar with the area, to show him the way and hastened after him; thus the imminent hardship and danger which tends to make the weak hardy, helped him to bear his pain. His wounds were tended to, and after having his thigh dressed, he spent the rest of the night there ...

Saxo in History of the Danes c. 1208-1223

CInnabarleProsY was treated wIth merCUrY at the monasterIes. monks Used the amaZIng red merCUrY mIneral



CInnabaras ColoUr In handwrItten

books and doCUments


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Today, only the ruins remain of the abbey of the Order of St John, Antvor-skov. But the abbey ruins still conceal many little hidden rooms and nooks and crannies where you almost expect to find a monk around the next corner.

By KongevejenDK-4200 SlagelseantVor skoV

abbeYrUIn

44 / WHeN DeNMARK CAMe TO Be / ANTVORSKOV ABBeY RUIN

1164aldemar the great founded Antvorskov

Abbey as an abbey of the Order of St. John. Pilgrimage was a dangerous journey

through many cultures and countries, but the Order of St. John, also called the Cross

Brothers, was an order founded to protect pilgrims on pilgrimage.

This order also developed into a Crusader order, which took part in the crusades on the orders of

the Pope. In the Middle Ages, the abbeys of the Order of St. John were known to be good hospitals,

where the monks treated the sick and dying.

VALDeMAR THe GReAT fOUNDS ANTVORSKOV ABBeY

ANTVORSKOV ABBeY RUIN / WHeN DeNMARK CAMe TO Be / 45

… If anyone seizes or robs monks, or clergymen, or nuns, or their servants, or pilgrims, or merchants, let him be anathema. Let robbers and incendiaries and all their accomplices be expelled from the church and anthematized ... All who die by the way, whether by land or by sea, or in battle against the pagans, shall have immediate remission of sins …Pope Urban II’s speech in 1095

14 the ChaPel of knUd laVard

46 / WHeN DeNMARK CAMe TO Be / THe CHAPeL Of KNUD LAVARD

s pretender to the Danish throne, Valdemar feared for his life. His own father Duke Knud Lavard had also

been a candidate for the throne. But Knud was not as fortunate, and was violently cut down in

a treacherous ambush.

Knud Lavardsvej 35 HaraldstedDK-4100 Ringsted

One of the most popular pilgrimage destinations on Zealand in the Middle Ages was the Danish saint Knud Lavard’s chapel near Ringsted. The chapel was built on the spot where Knud Lavard was killed. After Knud Lavard was canonised by the Pope, pilgrims flocked to the site to gain salvation, pray for miracles and do penance for their sins. The stone foundation is all that remains of the chapel. But the area invites you on a short pilgrimage into the woods and along the roads in this beautiful landscape.

1169THe CHAPeL Of KNUD LAVARD / WHeN DeNMARK CAMe TO Be / 47

KNUD LAVARD eLeVATeD TO SAINT

… Knud had only just entered the woods when he came across Magnus sitting on the trunk of a fallen tree, who now received him with hypocritical smiles and a fake kiss. When Knud gave him a firm embrace, and noticed he wore chain mail, he demanded to know what the dress was for ... Knud grabbed for his sword and tried to get it out of the scabbard, but he had only pulled it out halfway when Magnus split his head and killed him ... where his blood seeped into the ground, a healing spring sprung to the eternal joy of mortals …Saxo in History of the Danes c. 1208-1223

15dk/Uk

Sct. Bendtsgade 3DK-4100 Ringsted

www.ringstedmiddelalderfestival.dk

st bendt’s ChUrCh

48 / WHeN DeNMARK CAMe TO Be / ST BeNDT’S CHURCH

for guided tours historiens hus: tel. +45 57 62 69 00www.historienshus.ringsted.dk

fter the murder of knud lavard, his body was taken to Ringsted and buried in the old abbey. In

1170, the construction of the new St. Bendt’s Church had come so far that his remains could be

placed there in a beautiful golden reliquary. In 1182, Valdemar the Great died in Vordingborg, but was taken to Ringsted, where he was the

first king to be buried at St. Bendt’s Church.

Valdemar the Great built St. Bendt’s Church in honour of his father, Knud Lavard, and as a monument to the good cooperation between the church and the Crown. Five kings are buried in the church, which also houses a love triangle. King Valdemar Sejr’s two queens – Dagmar and Bengerd – both rest here, one on each side of their royal master. Every other year, on the third weekend in August, Ringsted Medieval Festival brings the Valdemars back to life. In 2012, the 800th anniversary of Queen Dagmar’s death will be celebrated. 2014 will be awash with flapping flags when Valdemar Sejr brings home the Danish flag “Dannebrog” from the Battle of Lyndanisse.

1182ST BeNDT’S KIRKe / WHeN DeNMARK CAMe TO Be / 49

VALDeMAR THe GReAT IS BURIeD AT ST BeNDT’S CHURCH

… and his body was then laid on a stretcher and taken to Ringsted for burial there, as this was a prestigious town, not only because of its age, but also because his father was buried there ... Absa-lon’s tears, which flowed down over the altar as he prayed, were testimony to how much he loved his king, and I also believe that the incense that was soaked by them would have smelled sweet to God … Saxo in History of the Danes c. 1208-1223

CannabIsmedIeVal monks and the VIkIngs knew aboUt and Used manY dIfferent herbs — e.g. the PsYChedelIC



CannabIsand hallUCInatorY henbane


16

52 / WHeN DeNMARK CAMe TO Be / HOLBÆK MUSeUM

Klosterstræde 18DK-4300 Holbæk

Tel. + 45 / 59 43 23 53www.holbmus.dk

holbæk mUseUm

dkUk: book on tel. + 45 / 5943 2353

Holbæk Museum gives you a little taster of medieval Christianity, where you can try to achieve purification through Purgatory! You can also learn about the strong faith that prevailed at that time from the chancel arch crucifix and the stone-walled dating back to the years 1250–1300. Learn about the region’s chalk frescoes and get under the skin of the universe of medieval man. See the skeleton of a pilgrim with the richest find of “Ibskaller” (scallop shells worn by pilgrims) in Scandinavia. He is buried with no fewer than five of the scallop shells, which could indicate that he made five pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

n the middle ages, pilgrimages were a way to do penance for one’s sins. This was something the Danish king erik ejegod, father of Knud Lavard, found to his cost when, in a fit of rage, he killed four of his men. To do penance for his crime, he went off on pilgrimage.

… He tore the door open, grabbed a sword and killed four of his courtiers who ran over to restrain him. Finally, the courtiers overwhelmed by having bodyguards from all sides throw blankets over him and, at great danger to themselves, they at long last restrained him. When he had composed himself, he first paid a fine because he had sinned against his courtiers, but to do even more rigorous penance and atone for his sins, he decided to make a pilgrimage and go to the Holy Land … Saxo in History of the Danes c. 1208-1223

1199

17

HOLBÆK MUSeUM / WHeN DeNMARK CAMe TO Be / 53

tVeJe merlØse ChUrCh Close to Holbæk is the beautiful, unique two-towered church Tveje Merløse Church. The church was probably built by the Hvide fam-ily, and in 1199, Absalon donated it to Sorø Abbey Church. The church is a unique exam-ple of the charming Romanesque architecture of the Middle Ages, with a nobleman’s gallery, wooden ceiling and chalk frescoes.

HOLBÆK IS MeNTIONeD fOR THe fIRST TIMe

18

dk/Uk/d

56 / WHeN DeNMARK CAMe TO Be / DRAGSHOLM CASTLe

Dragsholm AlléDK-4534 Hørve

Tel. + 45 / 5965 3300www.dragsholm-slot.dk

dragsholm Castle

Dragsholm Castle is one of the oldest secular buildings in Denmark still in use. When Dragsholm was built, Odsherred was only connected to the rest of Zealand by a narrow isthmus called “Draughet”. Here, boats could be pulled (dragged) across the land instead of sailing all the way around Odsherred. Hence the name Dragsholm. The restaurants at Dragsholm Castle are based on the castle’s history and have strong roots in Danish and Nordic cuisine. Restaurant Slotskøkkenet uses local produce and has one of Northern Europe’s largest kitchen gardens.

1215 DRAGSHOLM IS BUILT

DRAGSHOLM CASTLe / WHeN DeNMARK CAMe TO Be / 57

n unusual window at Dragsholm Castle has the same shape as a window at Roskilde Cathedral – evidence that the cas-

tle is one of the very oldest buildings in Denmark. A wide moat and two and a half-metre wide walls show that Drag-

sholm is built to withstand tough times. A fine medieval example of the need for a safe haven in times of war.

… If the enemy approaches the wall, boiling water, liquid lead and all manner of foul-smelling dung will be thrown onto his head …Peder Månsson in the early 16th century

19

dk/Ukd/s/n

58 / WHeN DeNMARK CAMe TO Be / CHURCH Of OUR LADY & KALUNDBORG MUSeUM

n 1147, Pope eugene III gave his permission for a crusade against the Wendish tribes in the Baltic region. Over the next 100 years, esbern Snare, King Valdemar the Great and their descendants headed numerous crusades against the Wends. from Kalundborg, they sent fleets on crusade in the fight for the Holy cause – the search for new lands and salvation in the heavenly Jerusalem.

Learn about Danish crusade history, starting at the Church of Our Lady by the museum. A Crusader church, there is none other like it in the world. The cruciform ground plan and five towers are a direct representation of the Crusaders’ conception of the heavenly Jerusalem, and an indication of the endeavours of Esbern Snare and his family in the fight for Christianity. Legend has it that a red flag with a white cross fell from the sky in Estonia and, where it fell, the Danes were victorious. In medieval times, Dannebrog, as the national flag was called, was kept in Kalundborg, until it was stolen by Erik of Pomerania. Kalundborg Museum tells the tale of the Crusades to the Baltic States.

Adelgade 23DK-4400 Kalundborg

Tel. + 45 / 5951 2141www.kalmus.dk

kalUnd -borg mUseUm

1219CHURCH Of OUR LADY & KALUNDBORG MUSeUM / WHeN DeNMARK CAMe TO Be / 59

… But ye are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusa-lem, and to innumerable host of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect … Hebrews 12:22

CRUSADe IN eSTONIA

20

dk/Uk dkUk/d

60 / WHeN DeNMARK CAMe TO Be / VORDINGBORG CASTLe

Slotsruinen 1 DK-4760 Vordingborg

Tel. + 45 / 5537 2554www.danmarksborgcenter.dk

VordIng- borg Castle

… With law the country shall be built, but would everyone be content with his own and let others enjoy the same right, no law would be needed. But no law is as good to follow as the truth, but where you are in doubt about what is the truth, the law shall show the truth. Were there no law in the country, then he who had the most could seize the most …The Jutlandic Law 1241

Vordingborg, which is home to the ruins of Denmark’s largest royal castle with its landmark Goose Tower, was, in the Middle Ages, the site of some of the greatest dramas and most important national events, including the signing of the Jutlandic Law.

The Danish Castle Centre is opening a new visitor’s centre at Vordingborg Castle. This will take place on Valdemar’s Day on 15 June 2013.

nternally in denmark, the institutions were shaping and strength-ening themselves. During the reign of Valdemar Sejr, thoughts on equal rights for all – the first steps towards a democratic society – were written down at Vordingborg Castle in the form of the Jutlandic Law. A law with surprisingly modern terms, which applied in Denmark throughout the Middle Ages.

1241VORDINGBORG CASTLe / WHeN DeNMARK CAMe TO Be / 61

THe JUTLANDIC LAW

dk/Ukd/s/n

21 the medIeVal Centre and the golden swan Inn

62 / WHeN DeNMARK CAMe TO Be / THe MeDIeVAL CeNTRe AND THe GOLDeN SWAN INN

… How to make the masters’ sauce, and how long it is good for. Take cloves and nutmeg, cardamom, pepper, cinnamon and ginger, all in the same amount, but with as much cinnamon as all the other spices, and add twice as much fried bread as everything else and mix it together, and grind it with strong vinegar and place it in a wooden canister. This is the masters’ sauce, and it is good for six months …Recipe from a Danish cookbook c. 1250-1300

By Hamborgskoven 2-4 Sundby LDK-4800 Nykøbing falster

Tel. + 45 / 5486 1934www.middelaldercentret.dk

1250THe MeDIeVAL CeNTRe AND THe GOLDeN SWAN INN / WHeN DeNMARK CAMe TO Be / 63

MeRCHANTS, WAR AND SPICeS

t the end of the early Middle Ages, Zealand and the whole of Denmark were still open to

foreign cultures and goods, and trade flour-ished. An early example of Danish interest

in foreign exotic goods to sweeten every-day life is seen in one of the oldest cook-

books.

Come and say hello to the blacksmith, the citizens and the rich merchant, and have a chat with the knights about their weapons and equipment. It all happens at the Medieval Centre, where you can also see some of Europe’s finest reconstructions of medieval war machines and experi-ence a jousting tournament with colourful horses and splintering lances. If you get hungry while you’re there, you can pop into the Golden Swan inn, where the menu remains true to the original recipes from the Middle Ages.

64 / WHeN DeNMARK CAMe TO Be/

Print run

7,000 (Danish) 3,000 (English)

editorial team

Mari Schmidt, Project Manager, When Denmark came to be (Editor-in-chief)

Thure Dan Petersen, Project Manager, When Denmark came to be

Tobias Mortensen, Project Worker, When Denmark came to be

Lene Overgård Pedersen, Projekt Worker, When Denmark came to be

Contributors

Lars Holten, Kirsten Henriksen, Hanne Pigonska, Nanna Schacht, Rune Hjarnø Rasmussen, Mari Schmidt, Lene Overgård Pedersen, Tobias Mortensen, Roskilde Museum, Nature Park Åmosen, Lejre Museum, Land of Legends, Viking Tours (Maritime Event Centre), The Viking Fortress Trelleborg, The Roskilde Cathedral Museum, The Viking Ship Museum, Ulvsborg, Sorø Abbey Church, Fjen-neslev Church, Historiens Hus – Ringsted Museum and Archive, Hol-bæk Museum, Dragsholm Castle, Kalundborg Museum, The Danish Cas-tle Centre, The Medieval Centre and The Golden Swan inn.

special thanks to the steering committee

Lars Holten, Chairman and Director, Land of Legends

Karin Melbye Holm, Vice Chairman and Director, Østdansk Turisme (visiteastdenmark.com)

Thure Dan Petersen, Project Manager and Culture Manager, Lejre Munic-ipality

Susanne Docherty,Culture Manager, Slagelse Municipality

Allan Hansen, Restaurateur and Sales Manager, The Medieval Centre

Anette Månsson, Deputy Manager, Historiens Hus – Ringsted Museum and Archive

Tinna Damgård-Sørensen, Director, The Viking Ship Museum

Poul Vestergaard, Manager, Skole-tjenesten (the School Service)

Visual identity & layout

P19, Mette Louise Andersen

Printing

Clausen Grafisk

Photographic material

Anders Graver (cover, pages 6/7, 12/13, 16/17, 22/23, 37, 38/39, 42/43, 44, 46/47, 53, 54/55, 58/59 and 64)

Roskilde Museum (pages 8/9),

© Visitor Centre Fugledegård (pages 10/11)

Land of Legends (page 15)

Maritime Event Centre (pages 20–21)

The Roskilde Cathedral Museum (Roskilde Museum) pages 24/25),

© The Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde, Photos: Werner Karrasch (pages 26/27)

Tobias Mortensen (pages 28/29 and 32/33)

The Ruins of St Lawrence’s Church (Roskilde Museum) (page 34)

Sorø Abbey Church (page 37 small photo)

Steen Olsson (www.produktzion.dk) (page 49)

Dragsholm Castle (page 56/57)

Polfoto (page 61)

The Medieval Centre (pages 62/63)

Quotes translated from historic sources

Absalon’s will

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (from Old English)

The Bible

Beowulf (from Old English)

Gylfaginning (from Old Icelandic)

The Jutlandic Law (from Latin)

Chalk frescoes in Tuse Church (from Latin)

Libellus de arte coquinaria (from Latin)

The Saga of Olaf Tryggvason (from Old Icelandic)

Pope Urban II’s speech in Clermont 1095 (from Latin)

Saxo’s History of the Danes (from Latin)

bibliography

Sangen om Bjovulf (The Song of Beowulf). Andreas Haarder, 2001, 2nd edition, 1st printing, Høst & Søn

Borge i Danmark (Castles in Den-mark). Rikke Agnete Olsen, 1996, 2nd edition, 1st printing, Fremad A/S Copenhagen

Kulturregion Midt- og Vestsjælland

In collaboration with Østdansk Turisme, the project will raise local, national and international awareness of the unique cultural history of Region Zealand – in particular Kulturregion Midt- og Vestsjælland/Cultural Region Mid- and West Zealand – and thus help to make the area the leading destination for Viking and medieval experiences.

The project’s secretariat is based in Lejre Municipality.

When Denmark came to be is funded by

When Denmark came to be — from Viking kings to Valdemars is a four-year cultural project (2011–2014) focusing on the Viking Age and the Middle Ages, under the auspices of Kulturregion Midt- og Vestsjælland/Cultural Region Mid- and West Zealand.

when denmark came to be - from viking kings to valdemars

Documents

viking kings

viking age

kingdom of denmark

spectacular viking

viking ship museum ulvsborg

ministry of culture

viking fortress trelleborg

roskilde cathedral museum