Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Prehistoric Danes were fascinated by bogs. To make iron, you need
ore—and Denmark's many bogs provided that critical material in abundance,
leading people to believe that the gods dwelled there. These Danes appeased
the gods by sacrificing valuable items (and even people) into bogs. For-
tunately for modern archaeologists, bogs happen to be an ideal environment
for preserving fragile objects. One bog alone—the Nydam bog—has yielded
thousands of items, including three whole ships.
No longer bogged down in prehistory, the people of Scandinavia came into
contact with Roman civilization. At about this time, the Viking culture rose;
you'll see the remains of an old warship. The Vikings, so feared in most of
Europe, are still thought of fondly here in their homeland. You'll notice the
descriptions straining to defend them: Sure, they'd pillage, rape, and plunder.
But they also founded thriving, wealthy, and cultured trade towns. Love the
Vikings or hate them, it's impossible to deny their massive reach—Norse Vik-
ings even carved runes into the walls of the Hagia Sophia church (in today's
Istanbul).
