Carolingian Empire and later the German realm. Denmark’s location in southern Scan-
dinavia meant that many European influences reached the region first, seen for example
in the unification of the country and the introduction of Christianity.
But when did Denmark come into being? (The question is discussed in, among other
works, Christensen 1969 : 25 – 32 ; Skovgaard-Petersen 1977 : 23 – 44 , 88 – 96 ; Albrectsen
1994 ; Näsman 1999 ; Olsen 1999 : 23 – 37 ; cf. Sawyer 1988 : 11 – 48 ; Lund 1991 ). The
matter can be illuminated from written sources, but today archaeology also provides us
with considerable information, not least because of the precise dendrochronological
dating of the great military and politically loaded engineering projects that can help us
understand these developments (Roesdahl 1994 ).
The oldest mention of Denmark (Denameark) as the name of a geographic area comes
from around 890 and can be found in two accounts given to Alfred the Great, king of
the southern English realm of Wessex. Among other things, the north Norwegian
chieftain Ohthere provided him with a short description of his sailing route from
Kaupang in southern Norway to Hedeby at the southern Danish border. Jutland and
possibly also Sjælland are mentioned. The merchant Wulfstan, who sailed from Hedeby
to the eastern Baltic region, mentions the southern Danish islands of Langeland, Lolland
and Falster, together with Skåne, as part of Denmark.
The terms ‘Danes’ and ‘king of the Danes’ (rex danorum) are in fact known from as far
back as the sixth century, and at that time the Danes must have been a leading tribe
Figure 48. 2 Aerial photo of the ‘Main Wall’ of the Danevirke, which marked the Danish border with
Germany. Seen from the west where it meets the ‘Crooked Wall’. In the foreground is a fortification from
1864. In the far background Schleswig town. (Photo: Thorkild Balslev.)
–– Else Roesdahl––