Viking ring fortress

• Aggersborg the Limfjord, Denmark.
• Fyrkat near Hobro, Denmark.
• Nonnebakken in Odense, Denmark.
• Trelleborg near Slagelse, Denmark.

Similar castles, but which are not expected to Trelleborg type, are:

Borgeby and Trelleborg in Skåne are not considered by science as real ring castles. Borgeby is not even mentioned in the Lexicon of Germanic archeology. The Trelleborg in Skåne lacks any internal construction, the wall was easy and the trench was not V-shaped, but trough-shaped (Ref.: Roesdahl ). The castles Borgeby, Trelleborg Trelleborg in Skåne and on Sjælland have been built in several phases, on the other hand Aggersborg and Nonnebakken were built immediately in its final form pursuant to any basic concept. Who built the forerunner of castles built in several phases ring systems is uncertain.

Etymology

About the name " Trelleborg " there are two different interpretations:

Comparison of single ring castles

Direct models for these ring forts have not been found in Europe. On the North Sea coast of northern France via Belgium to the south of the Netherlands has similar but different systems have been found. So far, it is believed this " ring hill forts " in France in Saint Omer, Brokburg, Bergues (Sint - Winoksbergen ), detected in Belgium in Furnes, Oudenburg, Bruges and in the Dutch province of Zeeland Oostburg, Oost- Souburg, Middelburg, Domburg and Burgh to can.

If the system of Oost- Souburg on the island (now peninsula ) Walcheren on the Scheldt estuary has a similar size, but different on the inside, not so regularly applied mainly. It has been partially reconstructed today and can be visited.

There is general agreement about the fact that the plants have been built by the King. This oldest known royal castles was granted only a short time. From the 11th century, neither royal nor noble castles are known in Denmark. The strict geometric figure was brought under the influence of Jómsvikinga Saga from the period around 1200 with military discipline in conjunction. The the conflicting multi-layered and also civilian use of the houses may well come a time when the military purpose had already been abandoned. The plants may have been prestigious buildings also next to a military function. This is close to the extent that in the same period, many prestigious buildings were erected, the walls around Hedeby, Ribe and Aarhus, the monuments of Jelling, the expansion of Danevirke were. During this period, Christianity was introduced and in political relations with Norway, the German Empire and the Slavic peoples began to move.

Interpretation

Over time, four directions of interpretation were developed with scientific claims that have been represented in variants.