Jelling

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Burial mound in Jelling churchyard

Northern burial mound and church in Jelling churchyard

Jelling is a village situated in Vejle municipality, Denmark on the Jutland peninsula. Previously a Viking royal locality, today Jelling is a small town.

Jelling is the site of two great Tumulus mounds erected in the late 900-s. One of the mounds is presumeably a burial mound, perhaps of King Gorm of Denmark. This mound contained a wooden chamber, but no remains of a burial. The other mound had no chamber. The site is shrouded in mystery, as it has always been connected to King Gorm and Queen Thyra, the parents of King Harold I of Denmark (Harold Bluetooth, Danish: Harald Blåtand), who also erected a large runic stone and a Christian church on the spot. At a central place under the church floor a grave containing the remains of a man has been excavated. This is interpreted as the remains of the (re)burial of Gorm. The remains of Thyra has never been found.^[1]

Harold erected the massive monolithic rune inscribed Jelling Stones (Hogan) bearing the words:

"King Haraldr ordered this monument made in memory of Gormr, his father, and in memory of Thyrvé, his mother; that Haraldr who won for himself all of Denmark and Norway and made the Danes Christian."

This declaration is known as "the Baptism of Denmark". The Jelling Stones are considered the most well known runic stone inscriptions in Denmark. (Britannica).

Roskilde Domkirke (Cathedral) then took over the function as royal burial site.

[edit] Citations

[1] Encyclopædia Britannica
[2]C. Michael Hogan, "Jelling Stones", Megalithic Portal, editor Andy Burnham
Rundata, Joint Nordic database for runic inscriptions.
Jacobsen, Lis; Erik Moltke (1941-42). Danmarks runeindskrifter. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaards Forlag.

[edit] References

^ Steen Hvass [2000]De kongelige monumenter i Jelling : deres historie, forvaltning og formidling / Udgave 1. Fonden Kongernes Jelling (Phønix-Trykkeriet, Århus, Rex),