Lessons from Viking Ships, a Cathedral, a Castle & a Palace

Our second day in Denmark, my husband and I took a day-trip with a young, former member of the Danish Parliament to see four historic sights: The Viking Ship Museum, Roskilde Cathedral, Kronborg Castle, and Frederiksborg Palace.

Looking at the amazing feats of human ingenuity, I wondered what inspired the men? Why did they risk their lives to cross the ocean? What motivated them to plan, finance, and build castles? And why construct lavish cathedrals? Were they driven by pride or envy?  Was worship a driving force? As I tried to decipher motives, I also wondered what the lives of Scandinavian ancestors could teach me?

The Viking Ship Museum
The oldest historic ruins on the tour were five Viking ships. Between 800 and 1066 AD, Danes, Swedes, and Norwegians sailed all over Europe and the North Atlantic to plunder and trade.

The ships were not large, especially in comparison to our ocean liners, but they were seaworthy. In fact, the ships carried the warriors as far north as Iceland and as far south as Sicily. The proof is found in their building materials from many different countries.

By the end of the Viking era, the Danes themselves came under attack. To protect their capital they intentionally sank the five ships to block the fjord and deter advancing enemies. Over 900 years later in 1962, the ruins of the ships were raised from the sea and came to rest in this museum.

The ships' remains hint at their owners' motivation. It seems that the Vikings risked their lives to gain goods and land. However, the ships' skeletons also revealed what was of ultimate importance to them. When their homeland was in danger, the sailors sank their source of livelihood to protect their homes and families.

A replica of the Viking ships sits dockside for visitors to examine.

As we left the parking lot, I processed what I had seen and concluded that the museum is a living testament to being thankful for what you have, rather than striving for more.

Roskilde Cathedral
The second sight my husband and I visited was the Roskilde Cathedral, resting place of 39 Danish monarchs.

After King Harald Bluetooth converted Denmark to Christianity, he built the Roskilde Cathedral in his capital. Little did he know that this edifice would become the cemetery for generations of royalty. Already, reigning Queen Margrethe II is having an alcove constructed to house her crypt when it is needed.

On seeing all the tombs, my husband asked our guide, "Today, do Danes believe in the resurrection?"

"No," he replied.

Such skepticism contradicts the message of the cathedral which King Harald built as testament to his rejection of Nordic superstition and conversion to Christianity. The king who had his family memorial inscribed “that Harald who .... turned the Danes to Christianity”; he also had the family memorial stone illustrated with an imprint of the crucified Christ.

Putting the two opposing realities together, I wondered: Is the resurrection of King Harald's Christ as superstitious to Danes today, as Nordic deities were to the king? If there is no resurrection, where does that leave the monarchs? But, if what King Harald believed is true and there is a resurrection after death because of Christ's sacrifice, what difference would it make to the Danes? And, if there is a resurrection, how should I live?

Kronborg Castle

Photo: Thomas Rahbek

Our politican-guide also took us to Kronborg castle, the landmark made famous by William Shakespeare's Viking-revenge-tale, Hamlet. In the play, Kronborg is called Elsinore, and the Danish King Frederik who built Kronborg is Hamlet. The macabre atmosphere of the actual castle is reinforced in the basement, where  Hoger the Dane, the legendary hero, sits ready to retaliate if Denmark is attacked.

Kronborg Castle is located at the narrowest point between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. The geography allowed the Danish king to collect taxes from all the trading ships passing through the straight. In fact, a third of all Denmark's expenses for several centuries were financed by that "cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching".

Elsinore is actually Kronborg Castle. Photo from Head in the Sand blog.

King Frederik II's motivation for erecting the fortress is obvious; he wanted to protect his domain. The castle's name "Crown Castle" also speaks to his aim: Danish dominance of the region and his rule over Denmark.

Hm, why did we build the home we built?

As imposing as this edifice looks it would not be invincible today; I wonder what defenses we build today will seem futile in another century? 

Frederiksborg Palace
Not to be outdone by his father, Frederik II, Christian IV of Denmark set out to build a palace better suited for a King than the Kronborg Castle. Construction began for Frederiksborg Palace in 1599 and lasted for 22 years. Seeing the architecture and the interior treasures, it is amazing it could be completed in such a short time.

The exterior Renaissance architecture,

the intricate brickwork detail,

the carved marble entranceways,

and sculpted bronze statuary contribute to an extravagant whole.

Yet, Christian IV was not content with an architectural masterpiece, he also commissioned extravagant gardens. 

As phenomenal as the landscape and palace are the most elaborate part of Frederiksborg Palace is the chapel. It is downright opulent. 

King Christian IV must have been strongly motivated to finance and oversee his over-the-top 22 year building project. What kept him going? Was his strongest motivation--self or God glorification? Is there anything I feel passionate enough to spend 22 years seeing it to completion?

Hopefully, this mini-tour of Denmark caused you to self-reflect. It sure made me think!

(My next post will be on the interiors of this castle and Frederiksborg Palace. They are inspiring!)

Birthplace of Fairy Tales

Odense is a quaint, small city in Denmark. Home of Hans Christian Anderson, its cobblestone streets, colorful houses, lush fields and meandering river were the setting of many of his fairy tales. The town still gives scope to the imagination.

Couldn't you picture a young couple from the past sneaking into this church on a Saturday at noon during the weekly organ concert?

The swelling chords coming from the silver pipes would muffle their clandestine conversation. 

Bright windows and white walls would fail to cheer the young lovers who would soon part.  An observer would understand the sorrow, when they watched the young sailor point to the ship model and the heroine cross her heart promising to pray for his safe return. 

Today, this 1000 year old city is as colorful and quaint as in by-gone days. 

Fairy tales are performed in the summer months on a grassy knoll in front of Anderson's birthplace.  An actor playing the author introduces his make-believe characters to the audience who have made the pilgrimage in his honor.

Today, as in yesteryear, citizens of Odense bike along the lovely stream which meanders along one side of the town. Visitors, as well, can rent bikes and follow the trail to the zoo and The Funen Village, where half-timbered houses from all over Denmark have been reconstructed. 

Windmills and farm buildings from the 1800s also have been carefully taken down and reconstructed in this outdoor village to preserve life as it would have been lived in Anderson's Denmark.

Just around the corner from The Funen Village visitors can stop for a feast at a five star restaurant, Sortebro Kro.

Patrons can eat inside in quaint dining rooms

or enjoy the summer breeze on the patio.

On our visit, Bill and I chose the alfresco dining. White linen tablecloths and live miniature violets in hand-thrown, white pottery vases hinted at the five-star service and food to follow.

Our young waitress was in a three-year technical training program to become a server extraordinaire. She waited on us attentively without being overly solicitous. Before the meal, we were each served two complimentary preliminary appetizers (amuse-bouches) hinting at the culinary extravaganza to follow. 

The first course was a combination of tiny potatoes, cherry tomatoes, leaks, carrots, shrimp, and eggs topped with a delicate, edible wild flower. In the citron sauce the flavors exploded. 

Afterward a young baker brought out an assortment of freshly baked breads, some hearty, some light and crispy--all delicious.

My second course was scallops and gooseberries in a melted herb butter. The presentation was pure whimsey.

The third course was a turbot in lettuce spring roll with french peas and mushrooms in clarified butter. 

Then to cleanse the palate before the main course, we were served a buttermilk cucumber sorbet.

As an entree, I enjoyed duckling while Bill had turbot.

My dessert was buttermilk sorbet with wild strawberries and lemon cookie crumbs.

Some of Bill's dessert strawberries were sliced; others were quartered, but all were smothered in a cream-strawberry puree and topped with raspberry sorbet and crushed lemon cookies. Never have strawberries been so sweet and flavorful.

Finally, as we left, our waitress handed us a miniature basket with four hand-dipped chocolates. Unforgettable!

If you are going to Denmark, put Odense on your itinerary and don't miss Sortebro Kro. The world-class cuisine and the city's charm are sure to capture your imagination.

A World-Class Read

It is true: "The world is a book, and he who stays at home reads only one page." We just returned from two weeks in Scandinavia which let us read chapters on Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. We concluded with a day-long survey of St. Petersburg, Russia. I give God's magnum opus five stars!

The trip gave me material for many blog posts illustrating and describing our very interesting world, but let me begin with a teaser, highlighting gracious interiors and exteriors found in each of these countries. 

Denmark

Denmark was the home of Hans Christian Anderson, the beloved children's storyteller whom they call  their most famous citizen.

 The bachelor author of "The Emperor's New Clothes" and "The Little Mermaid" just to mention two, never owned his own home, but lived with various families who befriended him. Here is a glimpse into the sitting room he inhabited near the end of his life. (And, we thought our gallery walls were the latest in design!)

Also in Odense, Anderson's home town, we visited The Funen Village--a reconstruction of 25 buildings which date to the 18th and 19th century. Again I smiled when glimpsing a kitchen from that era. The open shelving and skirted base cabinets reminded me that there is  "nothing new under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 1:9). This looks like Brooke Giannetti has been here, right?

Look, too, at the chevron pattern on this door from 1631.

Hm, and we think we are so avant-garde. :)

Leaving Denmark, we flew to Bergen, Norway where we began our tour of the gorgeous fjords by bus, boat, and train.

Norway

These islands of the midnight sun provided me with plenty of inspiration, inside and out...

from the famous Scandinavian interior design in restaurants (Don't you love the tile backsplash, hanging pots, and shiny heating pendants?)

to public garden design. (The pleasing combination of purple and green must be universal; I saw it in window boxes, sidewalk planters, and gardens all over Scandinavia.) 

 

From Norway we went by a bus to Sweden where we visited life-long friends. (Believe it or not, this motor coach trip was nearly the most pleasant transportation of our entire trip.)

Sweden

In Gothenburg (Goteborg on the map), our friend's home gave us a glimpse into private Scandinavian design. (I will blog on our special weekend in Gothenburg in a later post, including photos of a Swedish wedding!)

Leaving Gothenburg, we spent several days in Stockholm. Besides the palace and the Nobel Prize museum, a highlight for me was seeing the fantastic design store, Svenski Tenn, the collaboration of a designer/art teacher (Estrid Ericson) and a well-known architect, urban planner and designer (Josef Frank). 

Providentially, the beautiful store displaying their exuberant design work was only steps from our hotel! Saving the best for last, Bill let me leisurely enjoy the store's every vignette on our last morning in Sweden's capital. (A whole blog on the design center to come!)

From there we took an overnight cruise east to Helsinki, Finland.

Finland

The most memorable interior in Helsinki had to be the Temple Square Church, often called Rock Church. Begun in 1930 and completed in 1969, the cavernous sanctuary was hewn out of bedrock, with slender windows circling the space.

 The light leads the eye upward to the copper wire ceiling.

The combination of rough stone walls and copper dome produce unbelievable acoustics; consequently, conservatory students perform here each day at noon. 

After touring, shopping, and drinking tea in Helsinki, we took another cruise ship to our final destination, Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Russia

We went Saint-Petersburg primarily to see a single painting, Rembrandt van Rijn's "The Return of the Prodigal Son". The canvas is housed in The Hermitage, which is the museum/palace of Peter the Great and Catherine. The opulence of these buildings literally drops your jaw. I do believe Versailles pales in comparison. However, my interior was humbled by the message of the painting. Rembrandt visualized for us the Father's warm, forgiving embrace of his filthy, tattered prodigal son who had come home from wallowing in a distant country's party-scene. 

Thus, our journey opened fresh pages of the world's book to us, but let me conclude this first travelog by suggesting you open the pages of The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen. The short, profound book by the Dutch-born Catholic priest, who gave up his teaching post at Harvard to be a care-giver for the profoundly handicapped, tells the meaning of Christ's parable as revealed through the details in Rembrandt's painting. Nouwen saw himself in both the prodigal son and the elder brother, but  was moved to accept the Father's loving forgiveness. He invites us to do the same, and then to extend the same heart to others.