Udstillingstekster

Befolkningen
The population
Samfundets opbygning
Vikingens samfund var hierarkisk opbygget med kongen
i toppen omgivet af en aristokratisk elite. En lille gruppe
mennesker, som var meget velhavende og ejede meget
jord. Det var samfundets top, der satte sig de tydeligste spor
i de kilder, som danner grundlaget for nutidens kendskab
til vikingetiden. Det er derfor også den gruppe, vi i dag ved
mest om.
De frie
De frie folk udgjorde størstedelen af samfundet. De fleste
var bønder, men denne gruppe rummede alle samfundets
lag. Fra de fattige jordløse til det rige aristokrati som ejede
enorme mængder af gods. Som fri mand nød man godt af
den beskyttelse, som kongens lov gav. Man måtte bære
våben, og man havde ret til at blive hørt på tinge.
Det bevægelige samfund
Til gruppen af frie mænd hørte også håndværkere, jægere,
professionelle krigere og købmænd. De kunne enten tage
tjeneste på de store gårde, eller de kunne rejse rundt til
markederne for at sælge deres varer og tjenesteydelser.
Denne gruppe var mere mobil end andre dele af samfundet, og kunne derfor udnytte de muligheder, som den
stadig mere avancerede samfundsstruktur kunne tilbyde.
Ved at gå i kongens tjeneste og deltage i togter udenlands
eller ved at handle med udlandet var der mange penge at
tjene for driftige og dygtige folk. Det lykkedes således for
enkelte i gruppen at skaffe sig formue og jord, og derved
rykke op på den sociale rangstige.
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The construction of society
Viking Age society was hierarchical, with the king at the
top and surrounded by an aristocratic elite. This very small
group of people was very wealthy, and owned much land.
The upper third of society has left by far the most sources,
forming the core of our knowledge of the period. Therefore,
they are also the ones that we know best.
The free
Freemen constituted by far the majority of the population.
Most were peasants, but the category contains all social
classes, from poor people who owned no land to the rich
aristocracy who owned huge areas. A freeman enjoyed
the protection of the King’s Law. He had the right to carry
weapons, and to be heard at the Thing.
The mobile society
The group of freemen also contained craftsmen, hunters,
professional warriors and merchants. They could either be
employed on the larger farmsteads, or they could travel
around the country for markets, offering their services and
goods. This group was more mobile than the rest of society,
and they could therefore exploit the possibilities offered
by an increasingly sophisticated social structure. By entering the service of the King, or by trading with foreign lands,
much wealth could be accumulated by artful and competent people. Some of them succeeded in acquiring wealth
and lands, and thus improve their social status considerably.
19-05-2009 11:09:16
Bemandingen
The garrison
Hvem var de? Såvel oldsagerne som gravpladsen afslører,
at befolkningen på borgen bestod af både krigere, håndværkere, kvinder og børn. Selvom Trelleborg er et forsvarsanlæg giver fundene også indtryk af en rimelig fredelig
hverdag med alle de dagligdags sysler, der forgik i og omkring borgen. Håndværkerne har været beskæftiget med
borgens fornødenheder, våben og andet udstyr til borgens
funktioner. Enkelte af dem har arbejdet med guld, sølv og
bronzeprodukter til fremstilling af finere genstande.
Kongens hird
Krigerne har haft et tilhørsforhold til kongen, sikkert som
en del af hans ’lið’/ ’hird’. Hirden var en flok dygtige krigere
eller skjalde som konge og stormænd omgav sig med. Deres
funktion var først og fremmest at beskytte deres herre.
Men hirden fungerede også som kongens forlængede arm
i administrative sager som foged. De var kongemagtens
repræsentanter i lokalsamfundene, og lokalsamfundenes
talsmænd ved hoffet. Indbyrdes har hirdmændene, og
måske også herren, opfattet sig som ’brødre’, og forseelser
mod en ’broder’ blev straffet hårdt.
En hirdmands løn bestod af kost, logi og æren ved at tjene
en fornem mand. Desuden spillede gaver en stor rolle i
forholdet mellem hirdmand og herre. Det kunne være bytte
fra krigstogter eller guld- og sølvsmykker, som ikke bare var
til pynt, men også hård valuta.
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Who were they? Artefacts and burial ground alike reveal
the inhabitants of Trelleborg to have been a mix of warriors,
craftsmen, women and children. Even if Trelleborg was a
fortified military installation, the finds reflect a reasonable
peaceful daily life with normal activities taking place in and
outside the fortress. Craftsmen were probably employed
in maintaining such military necessities as weaponry and
other equipment for use by the garrison. A small handful of
people, however, were employed in processing gold, silver
and bronze for more delicate objects.
The King’s guard
The warriors were bound to the king, most likely as members of his ‘lid’ - his personal army or guard. The guard consisted of very skilled warriors and bards connected to the
kings or magnates. The main duty of the warrior was to
protect his lord, if necessary with his own life. But the guard
also acted as their lord’s extended arm in matters of administration, such as a bailiff. They were the king’s representative in the local society and the local society’s representative at the Court. The warriors – and possible also the lord
– saw themselves as a band of brothers, and crimes against
a ‘brother’ were severely punished.
The wages of such a man consisted of food, lodgings, and
the honour of serving a noble man. Furthermore, gifts
played an important role in the relationship between a
warrior and his lord; it could for instance be spoils of war,
e.g. gold or silver jewellery, which served not only as ornaments but also as hard cash.
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Dateringsmetoder
Dating methods
Når man vil datere arkæologiske genstande eller anlæg kan
man bruge flere forskellige metoder bl.a. typologi, stratigrafi, kulstof 14 analyse og årringe-datering.
When dating archaeological sites, several methods can be
used - e.g. typology, stratigraphy, Radiocarbon dating and
dendrochronology.
Typologi
Oldtiden er opdelt i tre forskellige perioder efter det fortrukne materiale til fremstilling af redskaber, sten, bronze
og jern (stenalder, bronzealder og jernalder). Indenfor de
enkelte perioder vil der være en vis udvikling over tid i redskaber, smykker og husgeråds funktion og dekoration. På
baggrund af disse ændringer etableres en typologi for de
enkelte genstande. Ved typologisering kan genstandes indbyrdes alder således vurderes.
Typology
Prehistoric time is divided traditionally into three periods,
named after the materials used in tool manufacture –
stone, bronze and iron (the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages).
Within the different periods, a certain degree of development will often take place in the design and use of tools
and jewellery. On the bases of these changes it is possible
to establish a ‘typology’ of the individual objects and their
relative age. By using typology, a reasonably certain date
for each item can thus be established.
Stratigrafi
Ved stratigrafiske iagttagelser kan man vurdere den indbyrdes alder mellem f.eks. to vikingetidsgrave, der er anlagt over hinanden. Her vil den øverste grav være den
yngste grav, og denne grav er nedgravet i den ældre underliggende grav.
Kulstof 14 analyse
Alle levende organismer optager den radioaktive isotop
C14, så længe de lever. Når de dør stopper optagelsen.
Derefter bliver der gradvis mindre af det radioaktive C14.
Ved at måle mængden af C14 i organiske rester, bliver det
derfor muligt at regne ud, hvor mange år, der er gået siden
organismens død.
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Stratigraphy
Stratigraphy is an archaeological method whereby the age
between e.g. two Viking Age graves established on top of
each other can be determined. Here the grave situated at
the top is the youngest grave – and this grave will have
been dug into the older underlying grave.
Radiocarbon dating
All living organisms accumulate the radioactive isotope 14C
as long as they live. When they die, the accumulation stops.
As 14C is radioactive, the amount present in the organism
diminishes in time. By measuring the content of 14C in the
organic remains, the amount of time passed since the death
of the organism can be calculated.
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Forsvarsværkerne
The defences
Trelleborg er placeret på et smalt næs med adgang fra fastlandet til næsset fra øst og sydøst. Borgen er på de andre
sider omkranset af Tude og Vårby Å, og den har således
været næsten umulig at indtage.
Voldene
Voldene udgør den mest imponerende konstruktion på
borgen. På begge sider havde de kraftige egetræspalisader
forbundet med tværgående tømmer. Palisadens forside
har været op imod 8 m høj. Udfyldt med græstørv, sten
og ler har de overlevet i mere end tusind år. Vil man ind i
selve borgen, passerer man først forborgen med en foranliggende smal voldgrav. Den eneste overgang over den
ydre voldgrav findes mod syd. Indenfor forborgen findes 15
langhuse, der er placeret langs indersiden af den yderste
vold. Broen over til den indre borg, der har en smal afsats,
er placeret i sydøst. Den indre voldgrav er betydelig dybere,
stejlere og bredere end den ydre grav – 17 m bred og op
mod 4 m dyb – og den har været vanskelig at forcere. Den
imponerende store ringvold har været 5 m høj, 17 m bred
og bygget af 25.000 kubikmeter jord, sten og tømmer.
Portene
De fire porte har været forsvarets svage led. De har ligget
parvis overfor hinanden i hvert sit verdenshjørne og har formentlig været overdækkede tunneler, der yderst har været
lukket med to portfløje. I alle fire portrum er der fundet
forkullede planker, der viser, at de har været brændt.
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Trelleborg is situated on a promontory flanked by the Tude
and Vårby rivers; the fortress was almost impregnable.
The construction of the ramparts
The ramparts are the most impressive feature of the fortress. On both sides it had heavy oak palisades connected
by horizontal beams. The front of the palisade was about
8 m in height and in-filled with turf, stone and clay – they
have survived a millennium. To reach the inner part of the
fortress, it is necessary to pass the outer ward with a narrow
moat in front. The only crossing point over the outer moat
is located near its southern end. Inside the outer ward, 15
long houses are situated along the inner part of the outer
rampart. The bridge leading to the inner part of the fortress, which has a narrow ledge, is in the south-east. The
inner moat is considerable deeper, steeper and wider than
the outer moat – being 17 m wide and almost 4 m deep, it
would have been difficult to take by storm. The impressive
and large ring-fortress was 5 m high, 17 m wide and built
of 25,000 square metres of soil, stones and timber.
The gates
The four gates were the weakest point in the defences. They
were situated at the four points of the compass. Probably
they have been covered tunnels which towards the outer
side of the rampart have been closed off with two gates. In
all four gateways, charred planks were found, suggesting
that they were destroyed by fire.
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Gaderne
Gaderne, hvoraf to går vinkelret på hinanden som forbindelsesveje mellem portene, har været dækket af tværlagte
planker. Deres omhyggelige konstruktion viser, at der har
været mange mennesker og dermed tæt trafik på Trelleborg.
The streets
The streets, of which two are at right angles to each other
as connecting routes between the gates, were surfaced
with crosswise planks. The careful construction of the
streets suggests that they were well used and that Trelleborg was very busy!
Husene
Bebyggelsen består af 15 huse mellem forborgen og selve
borgen og fire ens karreer med hver fire langhuse indenfor
ringborgen. Trelleborg-husene er ligesom borgen præget
af ensartethed og symmetri. Husene er ca. 30 m lange med
to mindre gavlrum og et stort 18 m langt rum i midten.
Der har været indgang i hver langvæg og i gavlene samt
en langild i midten. De buede vægge har været bygget af
kraftige, lodretstående egeplanker, og udenfor væggene
har der været skrå støttestolper, der har været med til at
bære det tunge tag.
The houses
The settlement consisted of 15 houses between the outer
ward and the inner fortress, with four identical blocks each
consisting of four long houses inside the fortress. Like the
fortress, the Trelleborg houses were characterized by uniformity and symmetry. The houses are ca. 30 m long, with
two smaller gable rooms and a large room of 18 m in length
in the middle. Doors led from each of the long walls and
from the gables, and there was a long hearth in the middle
of the house. The curved walls were built of sturdy vertically-placed oak planks, and outside the walls there was a row
of slanting support-posts which helped bear the weight of
the heavy roof.
År 980
I vinterhalvåret 980 – 981 blev den indre voldgrav forsynet
med en spærring. Der blev sat stolper af unge træer med to
til tre meters mellemrum. Disse stolper kan have været op
til syv meter høje, og måske var deres funktion at danne en
skærm for volden.
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AD 980
In the winter of AD 980 – 981, the inner moat was reinforced by yet another obstruction, when smaller beams at
intervals of 2-3 m were erected. These may have been up to
7 m in height, and perhaps their aim was to shade the rampart.
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Gravpladsen
The burial ground
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Trelleborgs gravplads rummer mindst 135 grave med 157
døde. De fleste skeletter er dårligt bevarede og gravene er
sparsomt udstyrede eller helt uden gravgods. I den ældre
del af gravpladsen har nogle af de døde dog fået gravgods med. Det er f.eks. jernknive og små hvæssesten, men
også enkelte økseblade, perler og andre smykker er fundet
i gravene. En af mandsgravene var særligt fornemt udstyret med bl.a. dele af en lille skål i bronzeblik og en stor
økse med sølvindlægning. En rig kvindegrav indeholdt bl.a.
bronzespænde, perler, træskrin og spillebrikker. De yngste
grave er helt tomme. De er anlagt, da man var gået over til
kristendommen, og gravgods ikke længere blev brugt.
The graveyard of Trelleborg contains at least 135 graves and
157 dead. Most skeletons are badly preserved, and most
graves have very little in the way of grave goods and often
none. In the older section, some of the graves contain gifts e.g. knives and hones, but also a few axes, beads and some
jewellery. One of the male graves contained very impressive
equipment - a small bowl made from bronze sheet and a
magnificent battle axe inlaid with silver. A rich female grave
contained a bronze brooch, beads, a wooden shrine and
gaming pieces. The younger graves have no grave goods at
all. They were established when Christianisation had taken
over and grave goods were no longer used.
Massegrave
Der er fundet tre massegrave med i alt 20 lig. De døde har
tilsyneladende været mænd mellem 20 og 35 år. En af
gravene indeholdt ligene af 10 personer, hvoraf den ene
person havde fået det ene ben hugget af over knæet. Måske
var de krigere, der var faldet i kamp? Selvom der er overvægt af yngre mænd i gravene, er også midaldrende mænd
samt kvinde og børn begravet på gravpladsen.
Mass graves
Three mass graves contained 20 bodies. All the dead seem
to have been men aged between 20 and 35 years. One of
the graves contained 10 people of which one had had his
leg cut above the knee. Perhaps these were warriors who
had fallen in battle. Even if most of the graves contained
the bodies of younger men, middle aged men as well as
women and children have been buried at the burial ground.
Menneskeofringer
I nogle af brøndene på borgpladsen blev der fundet menneskerester. To af disse indeholdt hver to børn: Den ene
brønd, som er udstillet her, indeholdt en fire årig og en syv
årig samt bl.a. mange husdyrknogler. Den anden to børn
på fire år, en hel ko og en hund, samt resterne af fire heste,
fem svin og to får.
Human sacrifices
Human remains were found in some of the wells inside the
rampart. Two of the wells contained two children each: one,
which is on display at the museum, contained a four year
old child and one of seven years and many bones from domestic animals. In the other well, two four- year old children was found together with the bones of a cow, a dog
and parts of four horses, five pigs and two sheep.
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Kilder til vikingetiden
Sources of the Viking Age
Hvor ved vi det fra?
Vores viden om den skandinaviske vikingetid bygger på en
lang række forskellige kilder. Arkæologer, historikere, biologer, sprogforskere, geologer og andre har igennem egen
og fælles forskning bidraget til den viden, vi har om vikingernes verden.
Age How do we know?
Our knowledge of the Scandinavian Viking Age stems from
many and varied sources. Archaeologists, historians, biologists, geologists and many other scientists have contributed
to our present understanding of the period through their
combined efforts.
Arkæologi
Der bliver ofte fundet nye arkæologiske spor efter vikingerne rundt omkring i Europa. Det er f.eks. spor efter vikingernes byer, boliger eller grave. Ofte er det helt almindelige hverdagsgenstande, men sammen med de øvrige
fund fra arkæologiske udgravninger hjælper de forskerne
til at tegne et stadig mere nuanceret billede af vikingernes
samfund.
Archaeology
All over Europe new finds of Viking activity are frequently
discovered, such as traces of settlements and the graves of
the people. Very often the finds consist of everyday tools
and artefacts, but together with the rest of the finds from
archaeological excavations they add little pieces to the
huge jigsaw of our knowledge of Viking Age society.
Igennem de sidste tredive år har den eksperimenterende
arkæologi vundet frem. Ved at bruge vikingernes byggeteknikker og rekonstruktioner af deres værktøj, har arkæologerne fået bedre indsigt i vikingernes levevilkår, og hvordan
bl.a. vikingernes skibe og huse fungerede.
Vikingernes skriftsprog
Runerne var vikingernes skriftsprog og i vikingetiden anvendte man den såkaldte 16-tegns futhark. De fleste indskrifter er korte meddelelser, der er indridset på genstande
af f.eks. træ og ben eller på store sten. Teksten på runestenene beskriver ofte hvilke besiddelser og gerninger, den
afdøde ejede eller udførte. Runestenene bliver derved en
kilde til forståelse af sociale bånd, besiddelser og begivenheder.
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During the past three decades, experimental archaeology
has advance greatly. By using authentic building techniques
and replicas of Viking Age tools, archaeologists have gained
a better insight into the conditions of life and the function
and use of, for instance, the ships and houses of the Vikings.
The writing of the Vikings
Viking Age writing was based on a runic alphabet consisting of 16 signs or “letters”. Most runes are short messages,
which have been carved into the surface of wood and bone
or on large stones. The texts on the rune stones often state
the lands owned by and deeds performed by deceased people. In this way, the runic stone is a source of understanding
of social ties, land ownership, and events.
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Samtidige kilder
I Skandinavien var der ikke nogen boglig tradition. Det var
der derimod i det kristne Vesteuropa syd for den danske
grænse. Blandt de vigtigste kilder vi har til forståelse af
vikingernes liv og samfund, er således udenlandske historikere, missionærer og andre gejstlige, der beskriver deres
møde med folkeslagene i Norden. Vigtige er især Ansgars
og Adam af Bremens beretninger.
Contemporary sources Viking Age
Scandinavia had no written literary tradition, unlike Christian Western Europe south of the border. Among the most
important sources for understanding the life and society of
the Vikings are foreign chroniclers, missionaries and clerks,
describing their meetings with the people of the north. Especially important are the written papers by Ansgar and
Adam of Bremen.
Saxo og Sagaer
De islandske sagaer er næsten alle nedskrevet i 1200-tallet.
Sagaerne omhandler perioden fra Islands kolonisering og
frem til efter kristningen omkring år 1000. De udgør en stor
og meget vigtig kildegruppe til forståelse af vikingernes
dagligliv, juridiske system, samfundsidealer osv. Et andet kendt skrift er forfattet af Snorre Sturlasson. I sit værk
Heimskringla beskriver Sturlasson bl.a. koloniseringen af
Island.
Saxo and the Sagas
The Icelandic Sagas were almost exclusively written down
during the 13th century. The Sagas deal with the period from the colonization of Iceland to its Christianization around AD 1000. This is a vast and important group of
sources for the understanding of daily life, legal thought
and ideals. Another well known document is one by the
poet Snorre Sturlasson. In his work Heimskringla, Sturlasson speaks, for example, about the colonization of Iceland.
I Danmark skrev Saxo danernes historie omkring år 1200.
Hans berømte krønike var bestilt af ærkebiskop Absalon,
og værket bærer kraftigt præg af hans politiske stillingtagen. Fælles for både sagaerne og Saxos krønike er, at de er
skrevet godt to hundrede år efter de begivenheder, som de
beskriver. Dette giver naturligvis problemer for deres værdi
som kilder til vikingetiden.
In Denmark, Saxo Grammaticus wrote the History of the
Danes around AD 1200. His famous chronicle was written
on the order of the Archbishop Absalon, and the work is
highly coloured by his political views. Common to both the
Sagas and Saxo´s chronicles is that they were written two
centuries after the events they describe. This, of course, diminishes their value as historical sources of the Viking Age.
19-05-2009 11:09:50
Kong Harald Blåtand
King Harold Bluetooth
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Harald Blåtand (ca. 930 – 987), der var søn af Gorm den
Gamle, var konge, da Trelleborg blev opført. Harald var
konge over det nuværende Danmark, Nordtyskland, det
sydlige Sverige og en del af Norge. Han havde politiske alliancer med en del af de slaviske samfund syd for Østersøen
og den normanniske hertug i Nordfrankrig.
Harold Bluetooth (ca. AD 930 – 987), son of Gorm, was king
when Trelleborg was built. Harold was king of the presentday Denmark, northern Germany, southern Sweden and
parts of Norway. He had political alliances with many of the
Slavic societies south of the Baltic Sea and with the Norman
duke of northern France.
Danmark var et valgkongedømme, hvor alle frie mænd i
princippet udpegede kongen. Det gjaldt om at få samlet
opbakning af tilstrækkeligt mange våbenføre mænd og
herigennem vinde kongemagten. Som valgt konge sad
Harald aldrig helt trygt på tronen. I de islandske sagaer er
det beskrevet, hvordan nordmændene gjorde oprør mod
ham, og hvor hans broders søn gjorde krav på tronen.
Denmark was an elective kingdom, where in principle all
free men elected the king. It was essential to gather the
support of enough armed men to win the Crown. As elected king, Harold was never completely safe on his throne.
The Icelandic Sagas describe how some Norwegians rebelled against him and the throne was claimed by his
brother’s son.
Harald blev efterfulgt af sin søn, Svend Tveskæg
(ca. 960 – 1014). Svend nåede tillige at erobre England kort
før sin død i 1014.
Harold was succeeded by his son Swein Forkbeard
(ca. 960 – 1014). Swein managed to conquer England
shortly before his death in 1014.
Knud den Store (995 – 1035) var søn af Svend Tveskæg og
nåede at blive den største danske konge inden han døde
ca. 40 år gammel. Han startede med at underlægge sig
England i 1016, og i 1019 blev han konge i Danmark, hvor
han efterfulgte sin broder Harald den Anden.
Knut the Great (995 – 1035) was son of Swein Forkbeard
and he became the greatest Danish king before he died
at the age of ca. 40. He started by conquering England in
1016, and in 1019 he became king of Denmark where he
succeeded his brother Harold the Second.
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Konstruktion og mål
The construction and measurements
Konstruktion
Trelleborg er anlagt ud fra geometriske og symmetriske
principper. Planen viser, at bygmesteren har udstukket
verdenshjørnerne med stor nøjagtighed i det cirkelrunde
anlæg. Vejanlægget mødes i et vinkelret kryds i borgens
midte og forbinder anlæggets porte. Indenfor cirklen er fire
karreer med hver fire ens langhuse blevet opført i hver sin
kvadrant.
The construction
The design of Trelleborg is based on geometry and symmetry. The layout shows that the builder had the ‘four corners
of the world’ marked out in the circular fortress great accuracy. The inner street system meets in a right-angled cross
and connects the four gates. Within the circle, four identical
blocks consisting of four houses forming a square are situated in each quadrant.
I byggeriets anden fase er broen og de 15 huse i forborgen
blevet anlagt ud fra voldfronten. Hele anlægget dækker
seks hektar, det svarer til 12 fodboldbaner.
In the second phase of the building, the bridge and 15
houses on the bailey are added from outside of the rampart. The whole installation covers an area of six hectares
which is equivalent to 12 football pitches.
Mål
Anlæggets præcision viser, at der er anvendt en fast
målestok i byggeriet. Den såkaldte ’Trelleborg alen’, der er
49, 3 cm, er fremkommet gennem en analyse og edb-behandling af tegningerne fra udgravningerne af Trelleborg.
Tidligere antog udgraverne, at der var anvendt en ’Romersk
alen’ i en forkortet udgave. Forholdet mellem de to måleenheder er 12 til 10 således at 12 ’Trelleborg alen’ svarer til
10 ’Romerske alen’.
Permanet udstilling 2009 TB.indd 10
Measurements
The degree of precision in the structure is so great that
there can be no doubt that a fixed unit of measurement was
used. The so-called ‘Trelleborg ell’, which is 49.3 cm, has
been uncovered on the basis of an analysis and computerprocessing of the excavation drawings from Trelleborg. Before this, the excavators presumed that a shortened version
of the ‘Roman ell’ was used. The relationship between the
two units of measurement is 12 to 10, so that the 12 ‘Trelleborg ells’ equals 10 ‘Roman ells’.
19-05-2009 11:10:04
Rundt om borgen
Around the fortress
Landskabet var dengang som nu præget af agerdyrkning.
Selv om der forud for borgbyggeriet sikkert har været en del
kratbevoksning og småskove i enge og moseområder, er de
helt sikkert blevet ryddet for at indgå i byggeriet. Åerne har
haft samme forløb og størrelse omkring borgen som i dag,
men ude ved kysten var landskabet meget anderledes end
nu.
Borgen lå ikke ensomt hen men midt imellem de omkringliggende landsbyer, som sandsynligvis har leveret mad,
råvarer og andre fornødenheder til borgens indbyggere.
Føden bestod mest af kogt og stegt kød men også en del
brød og grøntsager. Hvis der har boet ca. 500 mennesker
på borgen, skulle de årligt have: 125 tons kød, 180 tons
korn og 55 tons grøntsager. Derudover har der været leveret
klæder, jern, brænde, skind, reb m.m., som borgen har haft
behov for.
Permanet udstilling 2009 TB.indd 11
The landscape was then, as now, strongly characterized by
agriculture, although there was probably extensive shruband woodland in meadows and bogs which were removed
for use in the building process. The waterways followed the
same routes as now, but closer to the coast the landscape
was much different from that of today.
The fortress, however, was not alone in the area. It was situated between villages. These probably provided food and
other necessities for the garrison. The food consisted mostly
of cooked and fried meat but also of bread and vegetables.
If some 500 people lived at the fortress, their annual consumption of food would have been about 125 tons of meat,
180 tons of grain and 55 tons of vegetables. Furthermore
clothing, iron, firewood, hides, rope and many other provisions would have been required.
19-05-2009 11:10:10
Trelleborgene
The ring fortresses
I Danmark og Skåne findes der ialt fem ringborge - forsvarsværker - fra vikingetiden: Trelleborg i Skåne, Trelleborg på
Sjælland, Nonnebakken på Fyn samt Fyrkat og Aggersborg i
Jylland.
There are five ring-fortresses in Denmark and Skåne from
the Viking Age – Trelleborg in Skåne, Trelleborg in Zealand,
Nonnebakken in Funen and Fyrkat as well as Aggersborg in
Jutland.
Bygning af trelleborgene må have krævet meget store ressourcer, og de opfattes derfor som kongelige bygningsværker opført af Kong Harald Blåtand. Tiden var præget af
uro, og kongen havde derfor brug for militære baser, hvorfra besiddelserne kunne kontrolleres. Muligvis har borgene
også fungeret som centre for administration og handel.
Ringborgene er alle bygget inden for en kort årrække omkring år 980. Ringborgene er ikke de eneste storbyggerier,
der er blevet knyttet til kongemagten. Også større broer
og vejanlæg, der har sikret transporten på land, kendes fra
vikingetiden.
The building of the ring-castles must have required such
immense resources as to be thought of as royal building
works erected by King Harold Bluetooth. The period was
characterized by turbulence and the king needed military
bases from which he could control his possessions. Possibly
the fortresses also served as centres for administration and
trade. The ring-fortresses were all built within a limited period of time around AD 980. The fortresses are not the only
large installations which have been connected with royal
power. Both bridges and roads – essential for transport on
land – are known from the Viking Age.
De danske ringborge er på en række punkter forskellige,
men er bygget efter bestemte måleenheder og efter den
samme geometriske grundidé med en cirkelrund vold omkring en karrélignende bebyggelse. De symmetrisk placerede karréer er adskilt af snorlige vejforløb.
The Danish ring-fortresses differ from one another in a
number of ways, but they are all constructed using the
same measurements and geometric layout, with a circular
rampart surrounding a block-like settlement. The symmetric place blocks are separated by ruler-straight streets.
Trelleborgene var kun i brug i en begrænset periode inden
de blev opgivet. Efter Harald Blåtands død havde Svend
Tveskæg måske mere styr på den indenrigspolitiske situation i landet – og således var trelleborgene ikke længere
nødvendige som forsvarsværker.
The ring-castles were only used for a limited time before
they were abandoned. It seems likely that after the death
of Harold Bluetooth, Swein Forkbeard probably had a better grip on the internal political situation in the country – in
that way the ring-fortresses were no longer needed as defensive installations.
1
2
3
Planer af tre militærlejre fra vikingetiden:
1. Trelleborg, 2 Aggersborg, 3 Fyrkat.
Permanet udstilling 2009 TB.indd 12
19-05-2009 11:10:12
Trællene
The thralls
De ufrie
Slaveri eller trældom virker frastødende på moderne mennesker. Tanken om, at en mand kan eje et andet menneske,
strider fundamentalt mod vores humanistiske forståelse af,
hvordan man kan behandle andre. I vikingernes verden var
slaveri formentlig ikke en ond gerning, men et livsvilkår. For
vikingerne havde mennesket kun værdi gennem den slægt
eller gruppe, som man tilhørte.
Køb og salg
Trællene var ufrie mennesker, som ikke havde ret til at bestemme over deres eget liv. De blev enten købt eller hjemført fra togter rundt om i Europa. Formålet med mange af
vikingernes togter var, at skaffe trælle til eget forbrug og
til videresalg. Samtidige kilder beskriver trællemarkeder i
Danmark. Ansgar beskrev i midten af 800-tallet, hvorledes
der blev handlet med trælle i Hedeby. Store husstande var
delvist selvforsynende med trælle - når to trælle fik børn,
fik barnet automatisk forældrenes status. Vi ved ikke, hvor
mange trælle der har været i Danmark, men der har været
trælle på de gårde, som havde råd til at anskaffe sig denne
arbejdskraft. Det var ofte det tunge, og i sagens natur trælsomme arbejde trællene udførte.
De frigivne trælle
Det var muligt for trælle at blive frigivet eller frikøbt. De islandske sagaer beskriver flere steder, at en husherre sætter
en træl fri, hvis vedkommende har gjort sig fortjent hertil.
Permanet udstilling 2009 TB.indd 13
The unfree
Slavery and serfdom seem objectionable today. The
thought of one man owning another offends our concept of
morality. But in the world of the Vikings, slavery was probably not “evil” - it was a condition of life. A human being had
value only as a part of a group or family.
Purchase and sale
Thralls were unfree. They were owned by another man, and
therefore had no right to their own life. They were either
bought, or obtained in raids around Europe. The main goal
of many Viking raids was the acquisition of thralls for their
own use, or for selling. Contemporary sources tell of slave
markets in Denmark. Ansgar wrote in the mid 9th century
how thralls were traded in Haithabu (Hedeby). Large farmsteads were partly self-sufficient in thralls, as the child of
two thralls automatically became a thrall. We do not know
the number of thralls in Viking Age Denmark, but they must
have been present in most farmsteads which could afford
them. The work of thralls could vary greatly, but it must primarily have involved hard physical labour.
The thralls given freedom
It was possible for a thrall to be given their freedom, or to
buy it themselves. The Icelandic sagas describe in several
places how a master would free a thrall if he or she had deserved it in some way.
19-05-2009 11:10:18
Veje og landtransport
Roads and land-based transport
Det stigende behov for transport
På grund af den stigende samhandel og den mere
avancerede samfundsstruktur steg behovet for færdsel over
land stærkt igennem vikingetiden. Transporten til hest og
i vogn over land var langt mere langsommelig og besværlig, end hvis man sejlede. I perioder med hård frost kunne
transporten også foregå på ski og skøjter eller med slæder.
Igennem vikingetiden blev behovet for broer og veje større.
Increased need for transport
Due to the increase in trade and the more complex structure of society, the demand for land transport grew stronger during the Viking Age. Transport by horse and in wagons
over land was much slower and more troublesome than
sailing. During harsh winters, land-based transport could
include skiing, skating or sleighing. This increased the need
for bridges and roads.
Jyllands hovedvej
Jyllands langsgående hovedvej, der senere er blevet
kendt som Hærvejen eller Oksevejen, løb langs den jyske
højderyg. Således kunne man undgå de fleste åer og
vandløb. Fra Hærvejen udgik der mindre sideveje til de
jyske byer, der ikke som nu var direkte forbundet.
The Jutland highway
The Jutland highway, which was later named Hærvejen
(“the Army Road”) or Oksevejen (“Cattle Road”), cut its way
along the Jutland Ridge, making it possible to avoid most
streams and rivers. From the Hærvejen, smaller roads connected to the cities of Jutland, which were not then internally connected.
Haralds broer
De vigtigste vidnesbyrd om vikingernes vejnet ses ved
opførelsen af broer og dæmninger, der lettede landtransporten og knyttede landet tættere sammen. Det mest
imponerende af disse byggerier er broen over Vejle ådal
i Ravning Enge nær Jelling. Den er godt 700 meter lang,
5,5 meter bred og det samlede egetræsforbrug har været
kolossalt. Dendrokronologiske undersøgelser har vist, at
broen er opført omkring 980 dvs. samtidig med Trelleborg.
Broen er formentlig blevet opført af Kong Harald Blåtand
og har givetvist indgået i den samme generelle militære
oprustning og kongelige magtdemonstration, som Trelleborg også var en del af. Broen ved Ravning Enge har ligesom Trelleborg kun fungeret i en begrænset periode.
Udsnit fra vej i Wollin ca. år 950
A piece of road from Wollin, approximately year 950
Permanet udstilling 2009 TB.indd 14
Harold’s bridges
The most important testimony to the infrastructure of the
Vikings is found in the construction of bridges and dams,
which made land-based transportation easier and helped
tie the nation together. Most impressive was the bridge
across the valley of the Vejle Stream in Ravning Enge near
Jelling. It was well over 700 metres long, 5.5 metres wide,
and used colossal amounts of oak timber. It has been dendrochronologically-dated to around AD 980 like Trelleborg.
The bridge was probably built by King Harold Bluetooth and
must have been part of the same general military rearmament and display of Royal power as Trelleborg. Like Trelleborg, the bridge was only in use for a limited time.
Udsnit af Oseberg tapetet
A bit from the Oseberg tapestry
19-05-2009 11:10:25
Vikingernes byer
The Viking cities
De første handelsbyer
Før vikingetiden boede man på spredte enkeltgårde eller i
små landsbyer. Med vikingetiden, hvor byerne blev grundlagt, boede man nu også i byerne. Flere af byerne opstod,
hvor der tidligere havde været kult- og tingsteder. Den
tidligste by i Danmark er Ribe, der blev grundlagt omkring
år 710 og voksede op omkring en markedsplads. Markedet
lå ned til Ribe Å, hvorfra man kunne sejle varer ud til Vesterhavet.
The earliest trading cities
Earlier, habitation had been scattered across single farms
or small villages. During the Viking Age, when the towns
were founded, the Vikings also lived in cities. Several cities
were founded where earlier cult- and thing-sites had been
established. The earliest Danish city is Ribe which was established around AD 710 and developed around a market
place. The market was situated by the Ribe Stream, from
which goods could be sailed into the North Sea and beyond.
Hedeby ved Slesvig fjord var et andet handelscentrum i
Danmark. Hedeby blev hurtigt en stor by, der husede mere
end tusind faste indbyggere. Der blev opført en forsvarsvold uden om byen, der skulle beskytte byens handlende
mod overfald. Alligevel blev Hedeby udsat for adskillige
plyndringer og afbrændinger. Den lidt yngre by Århus var,
ligesom Hedeby, omgivet af en vold. Både Ribe, Hedeby og
Århus fik i løbet af 900 årene bispesæder, og byerne havde
en fremtrædende position allerede før årtusindskiftet.
Haithabu, by the Schleswig Fiord, was a trading centre
too. Haithabu quickly became a large city with more than
a thousand inhabitants. A huge rampart was constructed around the city to protect it from raids and plunder. It
did not, however, serve its purpose well, as Haithabu was
sacked and burned several times. Like Haithabu the younger city of Århus was surrounded by a rampart. Ribe, Haithabu and Aarhus all acquired bishop’s seats during the 10th
Century, which testifies to the status attained by the three
cities towards the turn of the millennium.
De kongelige byer
Omkring årtusindskiftet fremskyndte Kong Svend Tveskæg
og senere Kong Knud den Store anlæggelsen af nye byer.
Byerne stod under kongens beskyttelse og måtte til
gengæld for denne beskyttelse, betale skat af byens handel, og to gange årligt en leje til kongen. Byerne Ringsted
og Slagelse er gode eksempler herpå. Slagelse har været en
kongelig by i den sidste del af vikingetiden. Knud den Store
slog mønt i byen i 1020. Skt. Mikkels kirke dateres også til
denne periode
Permanet udstilling 2009 TB.indd 15
The royal cities
Around that time, Kings Sweyn Forkbeard and later King
Knuth the Great, encouraged the founding of new cities.
These cities were under the protection of the king, and
in return the inhabitants had to pay a tax on trade, paying rent to the king twice a year. Ringsted and Slagelse are
good examples of this. The status of Slagelse as a royal city
in late Viking Age is known from Knuth the Great´s minting
of coins there in AD 1020. The main church, St. Michael’s,
also dates from this period.
19-05-2009 11:10:31
Vikingernes skibe
The ships of the Vikings
Ikke uden grund er vikingernes skibe blevet symbol på vikingetiden. Skibene gjorde det muligt at rejse overalt i
den kendte verden - fra den nordamerikanske kyst i vest til
Bagdad i øst – enten for at føre krig, plyndre, handle eller
bosætte sig.
Konstruktionen
Vikingeskibene var klinkbyggede med overlappende bord
(planker), der var samlet med jernnagler. Tømmeret blev
fremstillet ved at kløve de store egestammer og derefter
bearbejde dem med økser. Herved bibeholdt man træets
fleksibilitet, og skibene blev smidige og kunne vride sig i
bølgerne. Riggen bestod af et stort rektangulært sejl – et
såkaldt råsejl. Under gunstige forhold kunne skibene sejle
op i mod 10 knob, ca. 18 km. i timen. Råsejlet fungerede
bedst, når vinden kommer ind fra siden eller agten fra. Hvis
man skulle sejle mod vinden, måtte man krydse sig frem.
To typer skibe
Vikingeskibene kan inddeles i to hovedtyper: Krigsskibe og
handelsskibe. Krigsskibene var lange og smalle, og kunne
drives frem både med sejl og årer. De egnede sig godt til
at blive roet, og kunne manøvreres frit i en kampsituation. Riggen kunne lægges ned, og med den flade bund
kunne skibene komme hurtigt og forholdsvis uset ind på de
fjendtlige strande.
Handelsskibene var kortere og bredere, og blev drevet frem
med sejl. De var ikke lige så hurtige som krigsskibene, men
kunne til gengæld rumme en større last. De mindre handelsskibe blev brugt i de indre danske farvande, mens de
store havgående fragtskibe uden problemer kunne sejle under de barske forhold i f.eks. Nordatlanten.
Handelsskib
Cargo ship
Permanet udstilling 2009 TB.indd 16
The ships of the Vikings have become a symbol of the Viking
Age. In these, the Vikings were able to sail everywhere in
the known world - from North America in the West to Baghdad in the East - for war, to plunder, to trade or to settle.
Construction
Viking ships were clinker-built - they had a hull of overlapping planks, fastened by iron rivets. The planks were made
by cleaving tree trunks and working them by axe. This
method of construction resulted in a very strong ship which
could interact with the waves and remain flexible. The rigging consisted of a large rectangular sail. With a good wind,
they could travel up to 10 knots - about 18 km/hour. The
square sail was most efficient in a sideways or following
wind. When sailing against the wind, tacking was necessary.
Two types
Viking ships are divided into two main types: warships and
trading vessels. The warships were long and slender, and
could be powered by sail and oar. They were very suitable
for rowing which was important for manoeuvring in a battle situation. The rig could be taken down and the shallow
draft made it possible to land the ships quickly and unnoticed on hostile beaches.
Trading vessels were shorter and wider. They were not as
fast as the warships, but they could hold a larger cargo. The
smaller ships were used in coastal waters, whereas oceangoing traders were able to sail the rough seas of the North
Atlantic.
Krigsskib
War ship
19-05-2009 11:10:37
Vikingetiden
The Viking Age
Introduktion
Vikingetiden er en periode i Skandinaviens historie, som
for eftertiden står i et helt specielt lys. Det var tiden, hvor
de skandinaviske lande udfordrede de største magter i
Europa. I løbet af vikingetiden skete der store forandringer.
De første byer blev grundlagt, og der skete en samling af de
nordiske riger, hvilket vidner om opbyggelsen af en effektiv
og magtfuld centralmagt.
Permanet udstilling 2009 TB.indd 17
Introduction
The Viking Age is a period of Scandinavian history which
holds a very special place in our minds. It was a time when
the people of Scandinavia challenged the powers of Europe.
Great changes took place: the first real cities were founded
and the Scandinavian kingdoms took shape, testifying to
the creation of an efficient and strong central power.
Perioden
Vikingetiden strakte sig over ca. tre hundrede år fra slutningen af 700-tallet til slutningen af 1000-tallet. Den første
skriftlige kilde om vikingernes togter er fra 793, hvor munken Alkuin beskriver det brutale angreb på klostret ved Lindisfarne ud for Nordenglands østkyst. Slaget ved Hastings i
1066 markerer afslutningen på vikingetiden.
The time
The Viking Age covers approximately three centuries from
the end of the 8th century to the end of the 11th century
AD. The first written account of a Viking raid is from AD 793,
when the monk Alcuin described the brutal plunder of the
monastery of Lindisfarne on the northeastern coast of England. The Battle of Hastings which took place in southern
England in 1066 marks the ending of the Viking Age.
Vikingetiden er overgangstiden mellem oldtiden og middelalderen. I denne periode skete der en markant teknologisk, samfundsmæssig og religiøs udvikling i Skandinavien.
Samfundet havde udviklet sig fra at være baseret hovedsagelig på landbrug og fiskeri til nu at have en mere blandet økonomi. Byerne var centrum for specialiserede håndværk og handel med et veludviklet distributionssystem og
med en velorganiseret administration.
The period is one of transition from prehistoric times to the
Middle Ages. It was witness to a massive development of
technology and of social and governmental structure, as
well as to religious changes in Scandinavia. Society had developed from one based mainly on farming and fishing to
one based on a more mixed economy. The towns were centres of specialised crafts and trade, with well developed distribution systems and a well organised administration.
Fra at være et område der bestod af flere små kongedømmer, udviklede Danmark sig i løbet af vikingetiden til et
samlet kristent rige i tæt samspil med den europæiske udvikling.
From being an area consisting of several petty kingdoms,
the state of Denmark evolved during the Viking Age into a
firmly established Christian country, closely related to the
rest of Europe.
19-05-2009 11:10:41
Trelleborg i tal
Trelleborg in numbers
Vældige mængder
Til opbygningen af borgen blev der brugt enorme mænger
af materialer alt sammen fremskaffet og indsamlet med
simple redskaber. Vi ved ikke, hvor mange folk der deltog i
byggearbejdet, men på den tid hvor det eneste graveredskab var en træspade, og alt jord skulle slæbes på kærrer eller
slæder, må der have været flere tusinde mand i gang.
Til opfyldning af det sydvestlige terræn forud for borgbyggeriet blev der brugt ca. 8000 m3 lerjord.
I volden blev der opstablet græstørv skrællet af 650.000 m2
engareal. Det svarer til hele Tude Ådal fra Trelleborg til kysten eller 130 fodboldbaner.
Til stenpakningerne ved portene og langs voldfoden blev
der indsamlet ca. 3000 m3 marksten.
Fra voldgaven blev ca.12.500 m3 lerjord opgravet og brugt
til voldfyld, sammen med yderligere ca. 5.500 m3 andet-
steds fra.
Til vidjeflet i den underste del af voldfoden blev ca.1800
unge asketræer fældet.
Til bygning af palisader, huse og veje m.v. er der brugt omkring 8000 store egetræer. De fleste er ca. 200 år gamle
med et tværmål på 120 – 130 cm og en længde på 8 til 10
meter.
Permanet udstilling 2009 TB.indd 18
Huge amounts
The building of the fortress required enormous quantities of
building materials, all gathered by simple means. It is not
known how many people took part in the work, but in an
age when the only tool for digging was a simple wooden
spade and masses of earth had to be moved on carts or
sledges, then several thousand people must have been involved.
8,000 cubic metres of clay-filled earth was used for raising
and levelling the south-western area of the fortress prior to
building.
Inside the rampart, a turf core was laid, made from the turf
of 650,000 square metres of meadowland – equal to 130
football pitches.
For the stone packing of the gates and along the foot of the
rampart, approximately 3,000 cubic metres of stone was required.
For the moat, about 12,500 cubic metres of clay-filled earth
was dug out and used in the rampart along with some
5,500 cubic metres of material from other places.
Around 1,800 young ash trees were used for wickerwork at
the foot of the rampart.
For the construction of palisades, houses and streets and so
on, some 8,000 fully grown oak trees were used, the majority of which were about 200 years old, with a diameter of
120-130 cm and 8 to 10 metres in length.
19-05-2009 11:10:41
Årringe-datering
Dendrochronology
Årringe-datering eller dendrokronologi er en naturvidenskabelig dateringsmetode, som bliver brugt til at bestemme
alderen på et stykke træ.
Træer vokser mest i sommerhalvåret, og der dannes karakteristiske cirkler i stammens tværsnit - de såkaldte årringe. På endefladen af et fældet træ kan man derfor tælle
sig frem til træets alder. Hvert år dannes en ny årring, hvis
bredde varierer fra område til område afhængig af vækstbetingelserne og vejrforholdene. Træer, der har vokset indenfor samme geografiske område, vil have de samme variationer i årringe-bredden over tid.
Hvis et træ er 120 år gammelt, og man sammenligner det
med et stykke træ fra en bygning, der er 80 år gammel, vil
40 af de to træstykkers årringe være ens. Man kan komme
længere og længere tilbage i historien, ved gradvist at
stykke de overlappende trædele sammen til en lang samlet
kurve.
Her ses en prøve fra en af brostolperne i den ydre voldgrav
på Trelleborg. Der er 52 årringe i prøven. Den yderste ring
er den sidste vækstring, og den er færdigdannet. Træet må
derfor være blevet fældet efter august i det år, ringen blev
dannet og inden maj i det efterfølgende år.
Permanet udstilling 2009 TB.indd 19
Dendrochronology is a scientific method used for calculating the precise age of wooden artefacts using tree-rings.
Trees grow mainly during the summer, thereby creating a
characteristic pattern of circular tree-rings - each leaving
its ‘mark’ in the wood. On the cut surface of a tree, you may
count the amount of circles, and thereby the numbers of
years represented by that piece of wood. Each year a new
growth ring is created and the width varies from area to
area depending especially upon the effect of climatic circumstances. Trees which have been growing within the
same geographical area will normally have the same variations in the width of the growth rings over time.
If the tree is for example 120 years old, and it is compared
to a building which is e.g. 80 years old, 80 of the two patterns of circles will be identical. By comparing overlapping
material, a complete master profile can be established, and
one may reach very far back into history.
Here you can see a sample of one of the carrying beams
from the bridge across the outer moat of Trelleborg, containing 52 annular rings. The outermost ring is the youngest, and it is complete. The tree must therefore have been
cut down after August of that year, and before May of the
following year.
19-05-2009 11:10:45