3D reconstruction of Viking Royal residence.
Trans: Hal=Hall
Bolig= Home
Kulthus =Cult House/Temple
Våbenoffer = Weapon Offerings
(Source: vimeo.com)
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In Scandinavian folklore, Huldra is a stunningly beautiful, sometimes naked forest creature with long hair; though from behind she is hollow like an old tree trunk, and has an animal’s tail. She has often been described as a typical dairyma
id, wearing the clothes of a regular farm girl, although somewhat more dazzling or prettier than most girls. The huldre are closely related to man since they are very human-like in appearance. They were often mistaken for man and there were often intermarriages. Huldra lures men into the forest in order to seduce them or sometimes to suck the life out of a man. One of her methods is to appear suddenly out of the rain and mist, friendly and enticing to the point that no man can resist her charm. She then ties her long cow’s tail under her skirt in order to hide it from men. Tales tell that if she can manage to get married in a church, her tail falls off and she becomes human. She will then turn into an ugly woman, but in return she will gain the strength of ten men if not more. In Sweden and Norway she is often called Skogsrå (Forest warden) and in Sweden sometimes Tallemaja (Pine Tree Mary). At least in Norwiegian folklore there are also male Hulders called Huldrekall.
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MACABRE FINDS IN THE BOG AT ALKEN ENGE (DENMARK)
A FRACTURED SKULL AND A THIGH BONE HACKED IN HALF — FINDS OF DAMAGED HUMAN BONES ALONG WITH AXES, SPEARS, CLUBS AND SHIELDS CONFIRM THAT THE BOG AT ALKEN ENGE WAS THE SITE OF VIOLENT CONFLICT.
‘It’s clear that this must have been a quite far-reaching and dramatic event that must have had profound effect on the society of the time,’ explains Project Manager Mads Kähler Holst, professor of archaeology at Aarhus University.
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New Research Refutes Myth Of Pure Scandinavian Race
ScienceDaily (June 9, 2008) — A team of forensic scientists at the University of Copenhagen has studied human remains found in two ancient Danish burial grounds dating back to the iron age, and discovered a man who appears to be of Arabian origin. The findings suggest that human beings were as genetically diverse 2000 years ago as they are today and indicate greater mobility among iron age populations than was previously thought. The findings also suggest that people in the Danish iron age did not live and die in small, isolated villages but, on the contrary, were in constant contact with the wider world.
Archeologists and anthropologists know today that the concept of a single scandinavian genetic type, a scandinavian race that wandered to Denmark, settled there, and otherwise lived in complete isolation from the rest of the world, is a fallacy.
Photograph by P. Ethelberg/Sydsjllands Museum, 2000
At the beginning of the Danish iron age, the roman legions were based as far north as the river Elbe (on the border of northern Germany) and it is thought that the man of arabian descent found in the burial grounds in Southern Zealand would have either been a slave or a soldier in the roman army. It is probable that he possessed skills or special knowledge, which the people in Bøgebjerggård or Skovgaard settlements could make use of, or he could have been the descendant of a female of arabian origin, who for reasons unknown, had crossed the river Elbe and settled down with the inhabitants of Zealand.
“This discovery is comparable to the findings of a colleague of mine, who found a person of siberian origin on the Kongemarke site,” continues scientist, Linea Melchior. He was buried on consecrated ground, just as the circumstances of the arab man’s burial was identical to that of the locals. The discovery of the arab man indicates that people from distant parts of the world could be and were absorbed in Danish communities.
“Another interesting feature of the approximately 50 graves assessed so far on the two sites and also from other burial sites and time periods in Danish history is that none of the individuals seem to be maternally related to one another”, explains Linea Melchior. “We couldn’t see any large families buried in the same location. This suggests that in the Danish iron age, people didn’t live and die in the villages of their birth, as we had previously imagined”.
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Hrólfr Kraki
Hrólfr Kraki, Hroðulf, Rolfo, Roluo, Rolf Krage (early 6th century) was a legendary Danish king who appears in both Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian tradition. His name would in his own language (Proto-Norse) have been *Hrōþiwulfaz (famous wolf).
Both traditions describe him as a Danish Scylding, the nephew of Hroðgar and the grandson of Healfdene. The consensus view is that Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian traditions describe the same people.[3] Whereas the Anglo-Saxon Beowulf and Widsith do not go further than treating his relationship with Hroðgar and their animosity with Froda and Ingeld, the Scandinavian sources expand on his life as the king at Lejre and on his relationship with Halga, Hroðgar’s brother. In Beowulf and Widsith, it is never explained how Hroðgar and Hroðulf are uncle and nephew, but in the Scandinavian tradition, Halga conceived Hroðulf by rapingYrsa, not knowing that she was his own daughter.
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Hamlet (The Legend)
Hamlet is a figure in Scandinavian romance and the hero of Shakespeare’s tragedy, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.
The chief authority for the legend of Hamlet is Saxo Grammaticus, who devotes to it parts of the third and fourth books of his Gesta Danorum, completed at the beginning of the 13th century. There are no means of determining whether Saxo derived his information in this case from oral or written sources.
17th-century manuscript illustration showing Amblett, on whom Shakespeare’s Hamlet is based
According to Saxo, Hamlet’s history is briefly as follows. Gervendill, governor of Jutland, was succeeded by his sons Horvendill and Feng. Horvendill, on his return from a Viking expedition in which he had slain Koll, king of Norway, married Gerutha, daughter of Rørik Slyngebond, king of Denmark; she bore him a son, Amleth. But Feng, out of jealousy, murdered Horvendill, and persuaded Gerutha to become his wife, on the plea that he had committed the crime for no other reason than to avenge her of a husband by whom she had been hated. Amleth, afraid of sharing his father’s fate, pretended to be an imbecile.
Hjörvarðr
The even earlier source Chronicon Lethrense (and the included Annales Lundenses) tells that the Danish king Rorik Slengeborre put Orwendel and Feng as his rulers in Jutland, and gave his daughter to Orwendel as a reward for his good services. Orwendel and the daughter had the son Amblothe. The jealous Feng killed Orwendel and took his wife. Amblothe understood that his life was in danger and tried to survive by playing insane. Feng sent Amblothe to the king of Britain with two servants carrying a message that the British king should kill Amblothe. While the servants slept, Amblothe carved off the (probably runic) message and wrote that the servants should be killed and himself married to the king’s daughter. The British king did what the message said. Exactly one year later, Feng drank to Amblothe’s memory, but Amblothe appeared and killed him. He then burnt Feng’s men to death in a tent and became the ruler of Jutland. Then he went back to Britain to kill the British king who wanted to avenge Feng’s death, and married the queen of Scotland. Amblothe went back to Jutland and was killed in battle upon arrival.
In the Skáldskaparmál section of the Prose Edda, Snorri Sturluson quotes a poem by the skald Snæbjörn, which could be considerably older than the version found in Gesta Danorumand Chronicon lethrense. The mysterious lines are quoted in Skáldskaparmál as an example of Amlóði’s churn as a kenning for the sea:
Prose translation:
It is said, sang Snæbjörn, that far out, off yonder headland, the Nine Maids of the Island Mill violently stir the host-cruel skerry-quern — they who in ages past ground Amlóði’s meal. The good chieftain furrows the hull’s lair with his ship’s beaked prow. Here the sea is called Amloði’s Mill.
The other Scandinavian versions of the tale are: the Hrólfs saga kraka, where the brothers Helgi (known as Halga in Beowulf) and Hroar (Hroðgar) take the place of the hero; the tale of Harald and Halfdan, as related in the 7th book of Saxo Grammaticus; the modern Icelandic Ambale’s Saga, a romantic tale the earliest manuscript of which dates from the 17th century; and the folk-tale of Brjam which was put in writing in 1707. Helgi and Hroar, like Harald and Halfdan, avenge their father’s death on their uncle by burning him in his palace. Harald and Halfdan escape after their father’s death by being brought up, with dogs’ names, in a hollow oak, and subsequently by feigned madness; and in the case of the other brothers there are traces of a similar motive, since the boys are called by dogs’ names. The methods of Hamlet’s madness, as related by Saxo, seem to point to cynanthropy. In the Ambale’s Saga, which perhaps is collateral to, rather than derived from, Saxo’s version, there are, besides romantic additions, some traits which point to an earlier version of the tale.
Hrólfr Kraki fighting alongside Bödvar Bjarki, who is in his bear fetch, in their last stand
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It is weird!
Being a Heathen one still has feelings to certain celebrations that (at least today) has a clearly Christian motif and miss them if you dont get them.
Today (Dec 13) is the celebration of St:Lucia, celebrated with a singing procession. This ritual goes back to the fact that Sweden was Catholic once (it is Lutheran now) and secular or simply non Christian people often appriciate it too.
There are Heathen remnants in that as with much else here, for instance there are often a couple of “tomtar” in the procession (land vaettir) and pastry referred to as “Lucy cats” (Freya?) are eaten.
In traditional celebrations, Saint Lucy comes as a young woman with lights and sweets. It is one of the few saint days observed in Scandinavia. In some forms, a procession is headed by one girl wearing a crown of candles (or lights), while others in the procession hold only a single candle each.
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![Another fortress from the vicinity of my hometown (we, the Danes and the Norweigians loved kicking eachothers asses for hundreds of years).
Once, as i was walking one of the castles walls dressed in a kilt, the wind made me do a “Marilyn”.
They host a medieval market there annually and locals often call it “Kungälvs Fästning” rather than “Bohus Fästning”.
Bohus Fortress (also Baahus or Båhus, originally: Bagahus) lies along the old Norwegian - Swedish border in Kungälv,Bohuslän, Sweden, north east from Hisingen where the Göta river splits into two branches (20 kilometres north of Gothenburg). It commands its surroundings from a cliff 40 metres high, with the river forming a natural moat around it.
Bohus Fortress
Bohus Fortress (Norwegian: Båhus festning, Swedish: Bohus fästning) construction began in 1308 under King Haakon V Magnuson, king of Norway from 1299 until 1319. Håkon V also initiated construction of Norwegian fortresses at Akershus andVardøhus as part of a broader defensive policy. At the time Bohuslän (Båhuslen) was Norwegian territory and it served as a main Norwegian defence against Sweden along the coast as well as the strong point for the Bohuslän region from 1308 until 1658.
Medieval castle
According to architect Guthorm Kavli, “by 1310 records show it was constructed, as normal for that period, out of granite and brick, perhaps under the guidance of Count Jacob of Halland. By 1450 it included a continuous surrounding wall, 3 metres thick at the base, with a height which varied from 8.5 to 13.5 metres, varying with the terrain. It was approximately rectangular, with four rectangular corner towers. At the eastern end there was a brick tower, and in the centre of the west side a gate house and drawbridge. Along the inside of the surrounding wall buildings were located which among other things included the “Kings hall,” the castle commander’s residence, the chapel, the guardroom, the barracks and the kitchen. The fortress had secure vaulted positions, partly cut into the mountain, and beyond that strong outer-works. At the time Båhus was Norway’s strongest fortress. The approaches were very difficult and the area to be defended was small, only 250 x 150 metres, so it did not require a large defensive force.
Picture of model of Bohus Fortress, as it was before it was ceded to the Swedes
The fortress was invested numerous times, but was never captured. During theNorthern Seven Years’ War (1563-1570) it was seriously damaged. This occurred in 1566, when 250 Swedish soldiers successfully stormed the northeastern-most tower. The Norwegian commander sent a volunteer to blow up the ammunition stores underneath the tower, killing the Swedes and repelling the attack. As a reward the family of the volunteer got a piece of land which is still in property of the descendants of this volunteer.
Loss to Sweden
Under the terms of the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658, Denmark–Norway ceded the Danish provinces of Scania, Blekinge and Halland (the latter was agreed to be Swedish for a period of 30 years after the Peace of Brömsebro, but was in the treaty of Roskilde given to Sweden permanently) and the Norwegian provinces Trondhjem and Bohuslän (including Bohus Fortress).
After Denmark–Norway ceded the territory which included Bohus Fortress, Fredriksten Fortress was constructed in Fredrikshald on the newly established Norwegian-Swedish border.
Since Bohus Fortress no longer lay on the border, it was of minimal future use to Sweden, which relied on the existing Älvsborg Fortress at Gothenburg and a new Carlsten Fortresserected at Marstrand.
]As prison
Instead the fortress was used as a prison. The most famous prisoner was the radical pietist Thomas Leopold, who during his life spent 42 years behind bars, 32 years at Bohus, for his alleged heresies. His stone cell can be visited at the castle today.
]Modern times
At the end of the 18th century it was decided that the now unused fortress should be demolished. Demolition crews worked at the fortress for two months, at which time the money allocated for the task had run out. Residents of the surrounding town of Kungälv used the dressed stone of the fortress for building houses. Still, much of the fortress is still intact, including the large northern tower, “Fars hatt”. The fortress is now a museum and open to tours in the summer.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lvmsa114sZ1qer9b0o1_500.jpg)
Another fortress from the vicinity of my hometown (we, the Danes and the Norweigians loved kicking eachothers asses for hundreds of years).
Once, as i was walking one of the castles walls dressed in a kilt, the wind made me do a “Marilyn”.
They host a medieval market there annually and locals often call it “Kungälvs Fästning” rather than “Bohus Fästning”.
Bohus Fortress (also Baahus or Båhus, originally: Bagahus) lies along the old Norwegian - Swedish border in Kungälv,Bohuslän, Sweden, north east from Hisingen where the Göta river splits into two branches (20 kilometres north of Gothenburg). It commands its surroundings from a cliff 40 metres high, with the river forming a natural moat around it.
Bohus Fortress
Bohus Fortress (Norwegian: Båhus festning, Swedish: Bohus fästning) construction began in 1308 under King Haakon V Magnuson, king of Norway from 1299 until 1319. Håkon V also initiated construction of Norwegian fortresses at Akershus andVardøhus as part of a broader defensive policy. At the time Bohuslän (Båhuslen) was Norwegian territory and it served as a main Norwegian defence against Sweden along the coast as well as the strong point for the Bohuslän region from 1308 until 1658.
Medieval castle
According to architect Guthorm Kavli, “by 1310 records show it was constructed, as normal for that period, out of granite and brick, perhaps under the guidance of Count Jacob of Halland. By 1450 it included a continuous surrounding wall, 3 metres thick at the base, with a height which varied from 8.5 to 13.5 metres, varying with the terrain. It was approximately rectangular, with four rectangular corner towers. At the eastern end there was a brick tower, and in the centre of the west side a gate house and drawbridge. Along the inside of the surrounding wall buildings were located which among other things included the “Kings hall,” the castle commander’s residence, the chapel, the guardroom, the barracks and the kitchen. The fortress had secure vaulted positions, partly cut into the mountain, and beyond that strong outer-works. At the time Båhus was Norway’s strongest fortress. The approaches were very difficult and the area to be defended was small, only 250 x 150 metres, so it did not require a large defensive force.
Picture of model of Bohus Fortress, as it was before it was ceded to the Swedes
The fortress was invested numerous times, but was never captured. During theNorthern Seven Years’ War (1563-1570) it was seriously damaged. This occurred in 1566, when 250 Swedish soldiers successfully stormed the northeastern-most tower. The Norwegian commander sent a volunteer to blow up the ammunition stores underneath the tower, killing the Swedes and repelling the attack. As a reward the family of the volunteer got a piece of land which is still in property of the descendants of this volunteer.
Loss to Sweden
Under the terms of the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658, Denmark–Norway ceded the Danish provinces of Scania, Blekinge and Halland (the latter was agreed to be Swedish for a period of 30 years after the Peace of Brömsebro, but was in the treaty of Roskilde given to Sweden permanently) and the Norwegian provinces Trondhjem and Bohuslän (including Bohus Fortress).
After Denmark–Norway ceded the territory which included Bohus Fortress, Fredriksten Fortress was constructed in Fredrikshald on the newly established Norwegian-Swedish border.
Since Bohus Fortress no longer lay on the border, it was of minimal future use to Sweden, which relied on the existing Älvsborg Fortress at Gothenburg and a new Carlsten Fortresserected at Marstrand.
]As prison
Instead the fortress was used as a prison. The most famous prisoner was the radical pietist Thomas Leopold, who during his life spent 42 years behind bars, 32 years at Bohus, for his alleged heresies. His stone cell can be visited at the castle today.
]Modern times
At the end of the 18th century it was decided that the now unused fortress should be demolished. Demolition crews worked at the fortress for two months, at which time the money allocated for the task had run out. Residents of the surrounding town of Kungälv used the dressed stone of the fortress for building houses. Still, much of the fortress is still intact, including the large northern tower, “Fars hatt”. The fortress is now a museum and open to tours in the summer.
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New Viking boat at the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde, Denmark (April 1991). Photo by Harri Blomberg.
Open Source
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Nordic Bronze Age ritualistic lurs (lurs of Brudevælte) Danmark
