Thyra

Thyra Danebod (* about 870 in Wessex, England; † around 935 in Jelling, Denmark) was an Anglo-Saxon princess and by marriage Queen of Denmark ( Jutland ) and ancestress of the Jelling Dynasty to 1378th

Life

Thyra was the youngest daughter of the Anglo-Saxon King Ethelred of Wessex ( 837-871 ) and Wulfthryth and a niece of King Alfred the Great.

Thyra was hostage to Denmark and later married the Danish chief and later King Gorm the Old († 958 ). From their marriage five children were born:

• Gonnor ( 899-940 ) ∞ Ranulf de Crépon
• Gunnhild ( 900 - 970 ) ∞ king Erik Bloodaxe I. Norway and Northumbria ( 885-954 )
• Harald Bluetooth ( 910-987 )

• Knut Danaast († 940 killed ), Duke of Holstein
• Torke († 985, please )

Danewerk

At the village Dannewerk southwest of Schleswig are still extensive fortifications to visit, remains a fixture, which once ranged from the port Hedeby on the Schlei over thirty miles to Hollingstedt at the treene. After excavation of the origin of the Danevirke goes back to the 7th century. Secured History is the expansion of the wall by the Danish Queen Thyra Danebod in the 10th century. The Danewerk formed a border defense against the Frankish Empire and the Holy Roman Empire. At the same time it protected the trade routes that led through the Jutland peninsula in both north-south and east-west direction. The mostly swampy terrain adjusted, the Danewerk consisted mostly of earth walls with palisades fronts and Vorgräben. The Danewerk is considered the largest archaeological monument in northern Europe and at the same time as the Danish national monument. That Thyra is associated with the construction of Danevirke, is certainly due to the distinctive procedures which were carried to her and Harald Bluetooth's time. Noteworthy are the operations on the main wall in the Wall Profile 6 ( gem.H.Hellmuth Andersen Til hele rigets værn ). The moat was filled up. The head of the stone wall was removed and piled up a ramp from the south. Thus rider from the south could reach the Wall, which was provided on the north side with an additional approximately 2 m high wall. The front now pointed north. This procedure explains why the later Kograben was built as an alternative to modified Danewerk.

Jelling

Jelling, near Vejle on the east coast of Jutland to find the most significant archaeological evidence of the Danish Early Middle Ages. They show not only the close relationship Gorm the Old and Harald Bluetooth of this city ( founded by Gorm dynasty is therefore also called Jellinge ), but also the Christianization of Denmark. Oldest documents are the fragments of a stone monument in the form of a stone ship and the so-called Little Jelling, the Gorm was put in memory of his wife and their runic inscription reads: "King Gorm made ​​this monument after Thyra, his wife, Denmark's improvement " Of the two major truncated cone-shaped hills grave contains the northern one, built of wood large grave chamber, which was built according to dendrochronological studies 958/959 and was probably intended to contain Gorm bones. The southern hill, without grave laying is likely to have been piled up in the 1070er years. Between the hills, a stone church was built in 1100, under which the remains of a wooden predecessors with the skeletal remains of a middle-aged man have been observed rises - possibly the Gorm, who was brought here for a reburial. On the south side of the church Harald Bluetooth had set a memorial for his father and his mother. This so-called Great Jelling, " Denmark's stone baptismal certificate ", is decorated with a picture of Christ and bears the inscription: " Harald made this monument for King Gorm, his father, and his mother Thyra, that Harald who won the whole of Denmark and Norway and the Danes made to Christians. "

The Jelling rune stones of the world cultural heritage.