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Transcriber's notes:
Text that is printed in italic style in the original is
enclosed between underscores (_italic text_)
The section of the book about Norway is not included.
Peeps at Many Lands
NORWAY
BY LIEUT.-COL. A. F. MOCKLER-FERRYMAN,
F.R.G.S., F.Z.S.
and
DENMARK
BY M. PEARSON THOMSON
With Sixteen Full-Page Illustrations
in Colour
The MacMillan Company
64 & 66 Fifth Avenue, New York
1921
DENMARK
[Illustration: SKETCH-MAP OF DENMARK.]
CONTENTS
DENMARK
_By M. Pearson Thomson_
I. MERRY COPENHAGEN--I 1
II. MERRY COPENHAGEN--II 6
III. HANS ANDERSEN--THE "FAIRY-TALE" OF HIS LIFE 12
IV. FAMOUS DANES 18
V. LEGENDARY LORE AND FOLK-DANCES 25
VI. MANNERS AND CUSTOMS 32
VII. A JAUNT THROUGH JUTLAND--I 39
VIII. A JAUNT THROUGH JUTLAND--II 45
IX. THE PEOPLE'S AMUSEMENTS 51
X. FARM LIFE--BUTTER-MAKING--"HEDESELSKABET" 54
XI. SOLDIERS AND SAILORS 59
XII. THE PEOPLE OF THE ISLES 66
XIII. FISHERMEN AT HOME AND AFLOAT 72
XIV. YOUTHFUL DANES AT WORK AND PLAY 78
XV. INGEBORG'S JOURNEY THROUGH SEELAND 83
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
DENMARK
_By F. J. Hyldahl_
FACING PAGE
FLOWER MARKET IN COPENHAGEN 9
DRAGOeR PEASANT 16
CHILDREN'S DAY 33
HARVEST-TIME 40
VAGT-PARADEN 57
SUNDAY IN THE ISLAND OF LAESOe 64
SKAGEN FISHERMAN NEAR THE TOWER OF BURIED CHURCH 73
WINTER IN THE FOREST 80
_Sketch-Map, page ii, Denmark Section._
DENMARK
CHAPTER I
MERRY COPENHAGEN--I
Copenhagen, the metropolis of Denmark, is a large and flourishing city,
with all the modern improvements of a commercial capital. It has an
atmosphere of its own, an atmosphere of friendliness and gaiety,
particularly appreciated by English people, who in "Merry Copenhagen"
always feel themselves at home.
The approach to this fine city from the North by the Cattegat is very
charming. Sailing through the Sound, you come upon this "Athens of the
North" at its most impressive point, where the narrow stretch of water
which divides Sweden and Denmark lies like a silvery blue ribbon between
the two countries, joining the Cattegat to the Baltic Sea. In summer the
sparkling, blue Sound, of which the Danes are so justly proud, is alive
with traffic of all kinds. Hundreds of steamers pass to and from the
North Sea and Baltic, carrying their passengers and freights from
Russia, Germany, Finland, and Sweden, to the whole world. In olden times
Denmark exacted toll from these passing ships, which the nations found
irksome, but the Danes most profitable. This "Sundtold" was abolished
finally at the wish of the different nations using this "King's
highway," who combined to pay a large lump sum to Denmark, in order that
their ships might sail through the Sound without this annoyance in
future.
Kronborg Castle, whose salute demanded this toll in olden days, still
rears its stately pinnacles against the blue sky, and looking towards
the old fortress of Kjaernan, on the Swedish coast, seems to say, "Our
glory is of a bygone day, and in the land of memories."
Elsinore, the ancient town which surrounds this castle, is well known to
English and American tourists as the supposed burial-place of Hamlet,
the Prince of Denmark immortalized by Shakespeare. Kronborg Castle is
interesting to us, in addition, as being the place where Anne of Denmark
was married by proxy to James I. of England. Here, also, the "Queen of
Tears," Caroline Matilda, sister of George III., spent some unhappy
months in prison, gazing sadly over the Sound, waiting for the English
ships to come and deliver her.
We pass up the Sound viewing the luxuriant cool green beech-woods of
Denmark, and the pretty fishing villages lying in the foreground. Villas
with charming gardens--their tiny rickety landing-stages, bathing sheds,
and tethered boats, adding fascination to the homely scene--seem to
welcome us to this land of fairy tales and the home of Hans Andersen.
The many towers and pinnacles of Copenhagen, with the golden dome of the
Marble Church, flash a welcome as we steam into the magnificent harbour
of this singularly well-favoured city. Here she stands, this "Queen of
the North," as a gracious sentinel bowing acquiescence to the passing
ships as they glide in and out of the Baltic. The broad quays are
splendidly built, lined with fine warehouses, and present a busy scene
of commercial activity. The warships lying at their moorings in the
Sound denote that this is the station of the fleet; here also we see the
country's only fortress--the formidable bulwarks which surround the
harbour.
Kjoebenhavn in Danish means "merchants' harbour," and as early as the
eleventh century it was a trading centre for foreign merchants attracted
by the rich supply of herrings found by the Danish fishermen in the
Baltic. Bishop Absalon was the founder of the city. This warrior Bishop
strongly fortified the place, in 1167, on receiving the little
settlement from King Valdemar the Great, and had plenty to do to hold
it, as it was continually harassed by pirates and the Wends. These,
however, found the Bishop more than a match for them. His outposts would
cry, "The Wends are coming!" and the Bishop would leave his preaching,
his bed, or anything else he might be doing, gather his forces together,
and fight gallantly for his little stronghold. He perhaps recognized
that this might one day be the key to the Baltic, which it has since
become.
This city, therefore, is not a new one, but bombardment and
conflagrations are responsible for its modern appearance. Fortunately,
some of the handsome edifices raised during the reign of Christian IV.
(1588-1648) still remain to adorn the city. This monarch was a great
architect, sailor, warrior, and King, and is one of the most striking
figures in Danish history. He was beloved by his people, and did much
for his kingdom. The buildings planned and erected during this monarch's
reign are worthy of our admiration. The beautiful Exchange, with its
curious tower formed by four dragons standing on their heads, and
entwining their tails into a dainty spire; Rosenborg Castle, with its
delicate pinnacles; the famous "Runde Taarn" (Round Tower), up whose
celebrated spiral causeway Peter the Great is said to have driven a
carriage and pair, are amongst the most noteworthy. The originality in
design of the spires and towers of Copenhagen is quite remarkable. Vor
Frelsers Kirke, or Church of Our Saviour, has an outside staircase,
running round the outside of its spire, which leads up to a figure of
our Saviour, and from this height you get a fine view of the city. The
tower of the fire-station, in which the fire-hose hangs at full length;
the copper-sheathed clock and bell tower--the highest in Denmark--of the
Town Hall; the Eiffel-like tower of the Zoo, are among the most
singular. In all these towers there is a beautiful blending of copper
and gold, which gives a distinctive and attractive character to the
city. Other prominent features are the pretty fish-scale tiling, and the
copper and bronze roofs of many of the buildings, with their "stepped"
gables. Charming, too, are the city's many squares and public gardens,
canals with many-masted ships making an unusual spectacle in the
streets. But, after all, it is perhaps the innate gaiety of the
Copenhagener which impresses you most. You feel, indeed, that these
kindly Danes are a little too content for national development; but
their light-hearted way of viewing life makes them very pleasant
friends, and their hospitality is one of their chief characteristics.
Every lady at the head of a Danish household is an excellent cook and
manager, as well as being an agreeable and intelligent companion. The
Copenhagener is a "flat" dweller, and the dining-room is the largest and
most important room in every home. The Dane thinks much of his dinner,
and dinner-parties are the principal form of entertainment. They joke
about their appreciation of the good things of the table, and say, "a
turkey is not a good table-bird, as it is a little too much for one
Dane, but not enough for two!" A very pleasant side of Copenhagen life
has sprung up from this appreciation, for the restaurants and cafes are
numerous, and cater well for their customers. While the Dane eats he
must have music, which, like the food, must be good; he is very
critical, and a good judge of both. This gay cafe and restaurant life is
one of the fascinations of Denmark's "too-large heart," as this pleasant
capital is called by its people.
CHAPTER II
MERRY COPENHAGEN--II
The climate of Copenhagen is delightful in summer, but quite the reverse
in winter. Andersen says "the north-east wind and the sunbeams fought
over the 'infant Copenhagen,' consequently the wind and the 'mud-king'
reign in winter, the sunbeams in summer, and the latter bring
forgetfulness of winter's hardships." Certainly, when the summer comes,
the sunshine reigns supreme, and makes Copenhagen bright and pleasant
for its citizens. Then the many water-ways and canals, running up from
the sea as they do into the heart of the city, make it delightfully
refreshing on a hot day. Nyhavn, for instance, which opens out of the
Kongen's Nytorv--the fashionable centre of the town--is one of the
quaintest of water-streets. The cobbled way on either side of the water,
the curious little shops with sailors' and ships' wares, old gabled
houses, fishing and cargo boats with their forests of masts, the little
puffing motor-boats plying to and fro--all serve to make a distinctive
picture. On another canal-side the fish-market is held every morning. A
Danish fish-market is not a bit like other fish-markets, for the Dane
must buy his fish alive, and the canal makes this possible. The
fishing-smacks line up the whole side of the quay; these have perforated
wooden boat-shaped tanks dragging behind them containing the lively
fish. The market-women sit on the quay, surrounded by wooden tubs, which
are half-filled with water, containing the unfortunate fish. A
trestle-table, on which the fish are killed and cleaned, completes the
equipment of the fish-wives. The customers scrutinize the contents of
the tub, choose a fish as best they can from the leaping, gasping
multitude, and its fate is sealed. When the market-women require more
fish, the perforated tank is raised from the canal, and the fish
extracted with a landing-net and deposited in their tubs. Small fish
only can be kept alive in tanks and tubs; the larger kinds, such as cod,
are killed and sold in the ordinary way. This market is not at all a
pleasant sight, so it is better to turn our backs on it, and pass on to
the fragrant flower-market.
Here the famous Amager women expose their merchandise. This market
square is a gay spectacle, for the Dane is fond of flowers, and the
Amager wife knows how to display her bright blooms to advantage. These
vendors are notable characters. They are the descendants of the Dutch
gardeners brought over by Christian II. to grow fruit and vegetables for
Copenhagen, and settled on the fertile island of Amager which abuts on
the city. Every morning these Amager peasants may be seen driving their
laden carts across the bridge which joins their island to the mainland.
These genial, stout, but sometimes testy Amager wives have it all their
own way in the market-place, and are clever in attracting and befooling
a customer. So it has become a saying, if you look sceptical about what
you are told, the "story-teller" will say, "Ask Amager mother!" which
means, "Believe as much as you like." These women still wear their
quaint costume: bulky petticoats, clean checked apron, shoulder-shawl,
and poke-bonnets with white kerchief over them; and the merry twinkle of
satisfaction in the old face when a good bargain has been completed
against the customer's inclination is quite amusing. These interesting
old characters are easily irritated, and this the little Copenhageners
know full well. When stalls are being packed for departure, a naughty
band of urchins will appear round the corner and call out:
"Amager mother, Amager mo'er,
Give us carrots from your store;
You are so stout and roundabout,
Please tell us if you find the door
Too small to let you through!"
The Amager wife's wrath is soon roused, and she is often foolish enough
to try and move her bulky proportions somewhat quicker than usual in
order to catch the boys. This of course she never manages to do, for
they dart away in all directions. By this means the Amager woman gets a
little much-needed exercise, the boys a great deal of amusement.
[Illustration: THE FLOWER MARKET, COPENHAGEN.]
Sunday is a fete-day in Copenhagen, and the Dane feels no obligation to
attend a Church service before starting out on his Sunday expedition. A
day of leisure means a day of pleasure to the Copenhagener. The State
helps and encourages him by having cheap fares, and good but inexpensive
performances at the theatre and places of entertainment on Sunday. Even
the poorest people manage to spare money for this periodical outing,
mother and children taking their full share in the simple pleasures of
the day. The Copenhagener looks forward to this weekly entertainment,
and longs for the fresh air. This is not surprising, for many homes are
stuffy, ventilation and open windows not seeming a necessity. A fine
summer Sunday morning sees a leisurely stream of people--the Danes never
hurry themselves--making for tram, train, or motor-boat, which will
carry them off to the beautiful woods and shores lying beyond the city.
Basking in the sunshine, or enjoying a stroll through the woods,
feasting on the contents of their picnic baskets, with a cup of coffee
or glass of pilsener at a cafe where music is always going on, they
spend a thoroughly happy day. In the evening the tired but still joyous
throng return home, all the better for the simple and pleasant outing.
No country uses the bicycle more than Denmark, and Sunday is the day
when it is used most. For the people who prefer to take their dinner at
home on Sunday there is the pleasant stroll along the celebrated
Langelinie. This famous promenade, made upon the old ramparts,
overlooks the Sound with its innumerable yachts skimming over the blue
water, and is a delightful place for pedestrians. A walk round the moat
of the Citadel, on the waters of which the children sail their little
boats, is also enjoyable. This Citadel, now used as barracks, was built
by Frederik III. in 1663, and formerly served as a political prison.
Struensee, the notorious Prime Minister, was imprisoned here and
beheaded for treason. A few narrow, picturesque streets surrounding this
fort are all that remain of old Copenhagen.
The art treasures contained in the museums of Copenhagen being renowned,
I must tell you a little about them. Two or three of the palaces not now
required by the Royal Family are used to store some of these treasures.
Rosenborg Castle, built by Christian IV., and in which he died, contains
a collection of family treasures belonging to the Oldenburg dynasty.
This historical collection of these art-loving Kings is always open to
the public. Besides Thorvaldsen's Museum, which contains the greater
portion of his works, there is the Carlsberg Glyptotek, which contains
the most beautiful sculpture of the French School outside France. The
Danish Folk-Museum is another interesting collection. This illustrates
the life and customs of citizens and peasants from the seventeenth
century to the present day, partly by single objects, and partly by
representations of their dwellings. The "Kunstmusaeet" contains a superb
collection of pictures, sculpture, engravings, and national relics.
Here a table may be seen which formerly stood in Christian II.'s prison.
History tells how the unhappy King was wont to pace round this table for
hours taking his daily exercise, leaning upon his hand, which in time
ploughed a groove in its hard surface. The Amalienborg, a fine
tessellated square, contains four Royal palaces, in one of which our
Queen Alexandra spent her girlhood. From the windows of these palaces
the daily spectacle of changing the guard is witnessed by the King and
young Princes.
Copenhagen is celebrated for its palaces, its parks, porcelain,
statuary, art-treasures, and last, but not least, its gaiety.
CHAPTER III
HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN, THE "FAIRY TALE" OF HIS LIFE
I suppose the Dane best known to English boys and girls is Hans
Christian Andersen, whose charming fairy-tales are well known and loved
by them all. Most of you, however, know little about his life, but are
interested enough in him, I dare say, to wish to learn more, especially
as the knowledge will give you keener delight--if that is possible--in
reading the works of this "Prince of Story-tellers."
Andersen himself said: "My life has been so wonderful and so like a
fairy-tale, that I think I had a fairy godmother who granted my every
wish, for if I had chosen my own life's way, I could not have chosen
better."
Hans C. Andersen was the son of a poor shoemaker, an only child, born in
Odense, the capital of the Island of Funen. His parents were devoted to
him, and his father, who was of a studious turn of mind, delighted in
teaching his little son and interesting him in Nature. Very early in
life Hans was taken for long Sunday rambles, his father pointing out to
him the beauties of woods and meadows, or enchanting him with stories
from the "Arabian Nights."
At home the evenings were spent in dressing puppets for his favourite
show, or else, sitting on his father's knee, he listened while the
latter read aloud to his mother scenes from Holberg's plays. All day
Hans played with his puppet theatre, and soon began to imagine plays and
characters for the dolls, writing out programmes for them as soon as he
was able. Occasionally his grandmother would come and take the child to
play in the garden of the big house where she lived in the gardener's
lodge. These were red-letter days for little Hans, as he loved his
granny and enjoyed most thoroughly the pleasant garden and pretty
flowers.
The boy's first great trouble came when his father caught a fever and
died, leaving his mother without any means of support. To keep the
little home together his mother went out washing for her neighbours,
leaving little Hans to take care of himself. Being left to his own
devices, Hans developed his theatrical tendencies by constructing
costumes for his puppets, and making them perform his plays on the stage
of his toy theatre. Soon he varied this employment by reading plays and
also writing some himself. His mother, though secretly rejoicing in her
son's talent, soon saw the necessity for his doing something more
practical with his time and assisting her to keep the home together. So
at twelve years of age Hans was sent to a cloth-weaving factory, where
he earned a small weekly wage. The weavers soon discovered that Hans
could sing, and the men frequently made him amuse them, while the other
boys were made to do his work. One day the weavers played a coarse
practical joke on poor sensitive Hans, which sent him flying home in
such deep distress that his mother said he should not again return to
the factory.
Hans was now sent to the parish school for a few hours daily, and his
spare time was taken up with his "peep-show" and in fashioning smart
clothes for his puppets. His mother intended to apprentice her son to
the tailoring, but Hans had fully made up his mind to become an actor
and seek his fortune in Copenhagen. After his Confirmation--on which
great occasion he wore his father's coat and his first new boots--his
mother insisted on his being apprenticed without further delay. With
difficulty he finally succeeded in persuading her to let him start for
the capital with his few savings. His mother had married again, so could
not accompany him; therefore, with reluctance and with many injunctions
to return at once if all did not turn out well, she let him go.
Accompanying him to the town gate, they passed a gipsy on the way, who,
on being asked what fortune she could prophesy for the poor lad, said he
would return a great man, and his native place would be illuminated and
decorated in his honour!
Hans arrived in Copenhagen on September 5, a date which he considered
lucky for ever after. A few days in the city soon saw an end to his
money. He applied and got work at a carpenter's shop, but was driven
away by the coarseness of his fellow-workers. Hans made a friend of the
porter at the stage-door of the theatre, and begged for some employment
in the theatre; so occasionally he was allowed to walk across the stage
in a crowd, but obtained scanty remuneration, and the lad was often
hungry. Starving and destitute, the happy idea occurred to our hero to
try and earn something by his voice. He applied to Siboni, the Director
of the Music School, and was admitted to his presence whilst the latter
was at dinner. Fortunately for Hans, Baggersen the poet and Weyse the
celebrated composer were of the party, so for their amusement the boy
was asked to sing and recite. Weyse was so struck by the quality of his
voice and Baggersen with his poetic feeling, that they made a collection
among them there and then for him, and Siboni undertook to train his
voice. Unfortunately, in six months' time his voice gave way, and Siboni
counselled him to learn a trade. Hans returned to the theatre in the
hope of employment, and his persistence finally gained him a place in a
market scene. Making a friend of the son of the librarian, he obtained
permission to read at the library, and he wrote tragedies and plays,
some of which he took to the director of the theatre. This man became
Andersen's friend for life, for the grains of gold which he saw in his
work, marred though it was by want of education, roused his interest.
The director brought Andersen to the notice of the King, and he was sent
to the Latin school, where he took his place--although now a grown
man--among the boys in the lowest class but one. The master's tongue was
sharp, and the sensitive youth was dismayed by his own ignorance. The
kindness and sympathetic encouragement of the director was the only
brightness of this period of Hans' life. University life followed that
of school, and Andersen took a good degree. He now wrote a play, which
was accepted and produced at the theatre with such success that he wept
for joy. Soon his poems were published, and happiness and prosperity
followed. Later the King granted him a travelling stipend, of forty-five
pounds a year, and travelling became his greatest pleasure. Andersen
visited England two or three times, and reckoned Charles Dickens among
his friends. He was the honoured guest of Kings and Princes, and the
Royal Family of Denmark treated him as a personal friend.
Though his "Fairy Tales" are the best known of his writings, he wrote
successful novels, dramas and poems. Andersen's tastes were simple, and
his child-like, affectionate nature made him much beloved by all. His
native town, which he left as a poor boy, was illuminated and decorated
to welcome his return. Thus the gipsy's prophecy came true. He died
after the public celebration of his seventieth birthday, leaving all his
fortune to the family of his beloved benefactor, the director of the
theatre. A beautiful bronze monument is erected to his memory in the
children's garden of the King's Park, Copenhagen. Here the little Danes
have ever a gentle reminder of their great friend, Hans C. Andersen, who
felt--to use his own words--"like a poor boy who had had a King's mantle
thrown over him."
[Illustration: DRAGOeR PEASANT.]
CHAPTER IV
FAMOUS DANES
Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770-1844), the famous Danish sculptor, was born in
Copenhagen. His father was an Icelander, his mother a Dane, and both
very poor. Bertel's ambition when a little boy was to work his mother's
spinning-wheel, which, of course, he was never permitted to do. One
bright, moonlight night his parents were awakened by a soft, whirring
sound, and found their little son enjoying his realized ambition. In the
moonlit room he had successfully started the wheel and begun to spin,
much to his parents' astonishment. This was the beginning of his
creative genius, but many years went over his youthful head before he
created the works which made him famous. His father carved wooden
figure-heads for ships, and intended his son to follow the same calling.
Bertel, however, soon showed talent and inclination for something
better, and was sent to the Free School of the Art Academy, there making
great progress. He received very little education beyond what the Art
School gave him, and his youthful days were hard and poverty-stricken.
When his hours at the Academy were over he went from house to house
trying to sell his models, and in this way eked out a scanty living. In
spite of his poverty he was wholly satisfied, for his wants were few.
His dog and his pipe, both necessities for happiness, accompanied him in
all his wanderings.