The Rune Stones at Jelling are in for a renewed scrutiny by Donald Duck and his bright nephews, when the search goes on for a unique Viking necklace.
Once upon a time, the magazines of Donald Duck was a Friday staple in homes with little children; and grandparents are still nostalgic. Now Scandinavian publisher, Egmont, and the National Museum in Copenhagen have teamed up to produce what is sure to become a collector’s item with Huey, Dewey and Louie visiting Jelling.
– At the Royal Jelling Centre, we aspire to meet guests at the eye level. Our aim is to change the perception of what a museum is. With Donald Duck, we believe to have found an excellent way of engaging new guests, says communication manager at Royal Jelling, Morten Teilmann-Jørgensen, who has developed the project together with Egmont, responsible for publishing the Donald Duck magazines in Scandinavia.
The special issue will be published with a circulation of only a few thousand copies, and the only way to lay your hand on a copy will be to let the inner artist of your children or grandchildren loose at Jelling. It is not for sale! The magazine is released on March 25, when the Danish Disney artist, Flemming Andersen, visits Jelling and holds a workshop for children and adults.
The special issue tells two stories, one of which is legendary. One story is recent, from 2010. Here Donald Duck and his nephews, Huey, Dewey and Louie, goes hunting for a special necklace, which had disappeared in Jelling. The necklace is significant evidence of how the Vikings discovered America before Columbus. But the quest also brings the ducks to Copenhagen where they meet up with both the Prime Minister and the Queen.
The other story will probably be especially appreciated. A reprint of one of the absolute classics of Donald Duck lore, Donald Duck and The Golden Helmet, it was created by the most famous Disney artist of them all, Carl Barks, in 1951. This story tells of how the hunt is on for a helmet, whose owner is sure to get full control of America. It is the only “foreign” work, which became listed in the National Danish Culture Canon in 2006 (the list itemises what students are expected to be familiar with when leaving the 9th grade).
The Royal Jelling Centre in Jutland tells the story of the unique royal monument of the Danish Viking kings, Gorm the Elder, his Queen Thyra and Harold Bluetooth. With the gigantic palisade, the largest ship-setting ever discovered, the two mounds and the famous runic stones, the site has been visible in the landscape for more than a 1000 years. Gorm the Elder’s rune-stone links the royal couple Gorm and Thyra to a kingdom called Denmark. The story continues on Harold Bluetooth’s large rune stone, which describes a central event in the history of Denmark: the King’s acceptance of Christianity on behalf of his people. Between the two mounds is a medieval church with a cemetery around, which is still in use. Nowhere is it possible to get a better sense of the continuous history of Denmark than at Jelling. A couple of years ago, a new experience centre opened its doors telling the story in imaginative ways using state-of-the-art museum technologies.
The site was declared UNESCO World heritage in 1994 and is worth more than a detour. ☆☆☆☆☆
VISIT:
Kongernes Jelling
Gormsgade 23
7300 Jelling