History History of Denmark

A Captivating Guide to Danish History
1. Auflage 2022
ISBN: 979-8-224-79017-3
Verlag: Captivating History
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 80 Seiten

For centuries, Denmark 'punched above its weight' and was a major player on the European stage. Many know about the Danish Vikings and their voyages of conquest and discovery, but Denmark is more than just those medieval raiders and traders, even though interest in their adventures is at an all-time high today. Denmark became the first Scandinavian country to convert to Christianity, though this was likely as much to protect themselves from Christian kingdoms to the south and to increase their trade with Christian nations than any love for Christian beliefs. Denmark has been at peace since WWII, but its position between the North and Baltic Seas makes it an important part of NATO, allowing it to once more 'punch above its weight.' But despite its location, Denmark has managed to not only remain at peace but is today ranked as one of the happiest nations on Earth. You will discover many astounding facts about Denmark's history in this book. Discover the answer to fascinating questions like the following: - Does Denmark really appear in the top three of the world's 'happiest' countries? - Were the Danish Vikings only interested in conquest? And what were their relations like with Europe before the Viking Age? - Who was Cnut the Great, and why was he so important in the history of countries like England, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden? - Who the current Danish royal family is descended from? (Hint: it is not a Dane!) - How and when did Denmark establish the wide-ranging social safety net it is so well-known for today? - What role did Germany play in Denmark losing its status as an offensive military power? What was life like for Danish Jews during WWII?   You'll find these answers and many more in Captivating History's History of Denmark! 

A lot of history books just contain dry facts that will eventually bore the reader. That's why Captivating History was created. Now you can enjoy history books that will mesmerize you. But be careful though, hours can fly by, and before you know it; you're up reading way past bedtime. Get your first history book for free here: http://www.captivatinghistory.com/ebook Make sure to follow us on X: @CaptivHistory, Facebook: www.facebook.com/captivatinghistory, and Youtube so you can get all of our updates!

Autoren/Hrsg.

History, Captivating

Leseproben

Illustration 3: These petroglyphs in southern Sweden depict events such as raiding and animal domestication during the Nordic Bronze Age. They date from 1700 to 300 BCE and even include a depiction of what is believed to be a blue whale.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tanumshede_2005_rock_carvings_7.jpg

The Viking Age is the most famous period of Danish history. Literature (both academic histories and fiction), television shows, movies, and songs (there is a large sub-genre of rock dedicated to songs about or written as Vikings) are full of the same images: violent barbarian raiders who appeared out of nowhere in the late 700s CE. While it may be true that individual Viking raids did seem to appear out of nowhere on the horizon of medieval Britain and France, the Vikings and their raids did not appear “suddenly.” In fact, the Viking Age was a culmination of events and developments. One of these was the Nordic Bronze Age, which took place from about 1700 until circa 500 BCE, when it was succeeded by the Iron Age or, more specifically, the Germanic Iron Age. (Iron came to northern Europe later than the rest of Europe.)

As you have read, the cultures occupying Scandinavia used walrus ivory, stone, flint, and wood for their tools and weapons. The development of bronze changed all of that. Bronze is lighter than stone and generally more durable. It’s also much more durable than wood, and ivory was also used to make jewelry and other luxury items. With the advent of bronze, more ivory could be used for these highly sought-after and more valuable items. Farming became easier and more productive. For example, farmers could fasten bronze to the end of their plows, leading to deeper and more efficient planting.

Bronze was also used for everyday items, such as cups and cooking pots. Additionally, bronze was highly prized for jewelry and other decorative items. Lastly, bronze was used for weaponry, such as spearheads, swords, axes, and arrowheads. It was lighter, longer-lasting, and easier to hone to a razor-sharp edge.

The problem for the Scandinavians was that there weren’t enough of the main elements that went into making bronze: copper and tin.

Illustration 4: Roman cups found in a Bronze Age grave in Denmark.

Leif Plith, Museum Lolland-Falster, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hoby_b%C3%A6gerne_02_(cropped).jpg

Bronze came to Germanic Europe by way of the Celtic people of central Europe, which were centered on the modern Austrian town (and tourist paradise) of Hallstatt. Known as the Hallstatt culture, the Celtic people had, among other things, a wide-ranging trade network reaching from the Atlantic coast of France to Roman territory and as far east as the Danube in Hungary. For about three hundred years, beginning in about 2000 BCE, the people of what is now northern Germany and Scandinavia traded with the Hallstatt culture for bronze. To “pay” for their bronze tools, weapons, and jewelry, the Scandinavians traded furs, ivory, and amber, which was a highly prized item that was almost impossible to find south of the North and Baltic Seas.

So, you can see that the Nordic Bronze Age marked a point in history for the Scandinavians, as they came into close contact with much of the rest of Europe. They knew of the parts that they did not trade directly with from trading with people who did. It seems as if almost every day for the last few years archaeologists have been finding new and wonderful Roman artifacts in Denmark and the rest of Scandinavia. They were brought there during the Bronze Age, as well as the time that followed (the Vendel period, named after one of the peoples in the area) and into the Viking Age.

Aside from establishing trading connections with other parts of Europe, the people of Scandinavia made the transition from semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers to settled people. Their lives were based on agriculture and the raising of animals, both for food and labor.

So, when did the people who were living in today’s Denmark and southern Sweden become “Danes”? The first time that we know of the word “Dane” being used to describe the people in Denmark was in a Roman history of the Gothic peoples of the north. (The Goths were one of the people who originated and dominated the area of Sweden, along with the Svear, whose name lent itself to the name Sweden, in the year 551 CE.) Still, most historians and archaeologists used the term “Germanic” to describe the people of Scandinavia. It was not until about 700 CE that subtle but distinct differences in the people emerged, becoming Danes, Norwegians, and Swedes.

There is one mystery of the Nordic Bronze Age that has yet to be solved to everyone’s satisfaction: the mystery of the Jutes. You may remember them from high school or college history courses when studying British history. You were probably told that Britain was invaded by the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes. We know that the Angles and Saxons migrated from areas of today’s Germany into coastal Europe, then crossed the English Channel around 400 to 450 CE, around the time Roman rule in Britain was crumbling. At the same time, another Germanic tribe, the Jutes, also made the crossing.

For many years, historians have debated the origin of the Jute tribe. The widely accepted version is that the Jutes hailed from the Jutland Peninsula that makes up most of Denmark; it is believed that the name “Jutland” derives from the tribe’s territory. The theory goes that the Jutes were forced out of their territory in approximately 200 CE by another Germanic tribe from southern Sweden: the Danes. They relocated to the Frisian coast (the coast of the present-day Netherlands and northwestern Germany), where they likely came into conflict with the Frisian people, a fierce people group that was frequently in conflict with or joined raids with the Vikings. The Jutes then voyaged to Britain. The Jutes seemed to have settled mainly in the southeastern area of East Anglia and joined with the Angles and the Saxons in their war against the native Britons.

Other historians believe that it’s possible the Jutes were actually from Frisia and were pushed out by more dominant tribes. A newer theory holds that the Jutes were from the mountains on the border between Norway and Sweden, northeast of today’s Oslo. They moved to greener pastures in Denmark (Jutland) and from there went to Britain. If you can recall your history classes, you might remember that after the Britons had been either killed or pushed into present-day Wales, the Jutes disappeared. They were most likely absorbed through marriage and cultural assimilation by the dominant Angles and Saxons, who merged to become what we know today as the Anglo-Saxons.

Though we don’t see the use of the word “Dane” until 550 CE in a Roman work, it is likely that the Danes became a separate people group between 200 and 250 CE, when they separated from the other Germanic tribes living in Sweden and moved to what is now Denmark.

The culture that developed in Denmark, like those in Sweden and Norway, was based on the tribe and the clan. Danish society was divided into three main classes, though some suggest there were more. These were the tribal chieftain and his family, free people, and slaves. Slaves were sometimes traded for or seized from surrounding areas. The Danes “raided” before the Viking Age, though this was done mostly overland.

By the time the Danes became a separate people group, they had developed into fierce warriors whose religious beliefs had already evolved to include the notion that dying a brave death would lead to everlasting life. We have seen how the earlier Battle Axe culture had made a weapon (or a smaller replica of one) into one of the most important symbols of their people; it was so important that people were buried with one in preparation for the next combat-ridden world.

As you may know, the Germanic people that the Romans came into contact with south of Denmark along the Rhine fought differently than they did. The Romans fought in highly disciplined formations and were commanded by non-commissioned officers and commissioned officers. Germanic tribes generally fought en masse, not in disciplined individual formations. They may have been told where to go by their chieftains, but when the battle began, the Germans fought as individuals. While Roman soldiers, of course, recognized an individual’s bravery, for the most part, awards or mentions went to the unit, not a man. Germans fought for honor and prestige, both in this world and after. Prowess as a warrior could make a commoner a ruler, as word of his prowess on the battlefield could spread far and wide.

The myths that would develop over time and become today’s Norse mythology exalted war, combat prowess, cunning, and bloodshed. The gods watched men as they fought. It is safe to assume that even the most average Germanic warrior was a force to be reckoned with.

Of course, the Danes and other Germanic tribes of the time did not always fight “foreigners” or members of other tribes. Sometimes, disputes between individuals or groups took place. When they did, they were often settled by violence, a certain amount of which was sanctioned by the tribe. However, when this inter-tribal violence threatened to spread, chiefs called for a thing. The thing was a meeting of all the freemen of the area or tribe;...