In this episode of the How to Live in Denmark podcast, host Kassandra Melish guides listeners through Denmark’s unique opportunities to encounter actual Viking-era human remains and related cultural sites. She explains how peat marshes preserved bodies and clothing, then highlights the Moesgaard Museum near Aarhus, home to the well‑preserved Gåbodaman – a likely criminal or sacrificial victim whose throat was cut. Melish describes the museum’s immersive exhibits, including a battle simulation, and reflects on the personal impact of viewing a 1,000‑year‑old mummy. She then moves to Copenhagen’s National Museum to discuss Huldemose Woman, whose full wardrobe and hairstyle are displayed alongside her skeleton. The host uses these examples to illustrate Denmark’s pragmatic attitude toward death, noting that cemeteries are common leisure spots and that the royal family treats mortality with practical planning; Queen Margrethe has already designed a modern sarcophagus for her future burial at Roskilde Cathedral, where many Danish monarchs rest. Nearby, the Viking Ship Museum showcases five authentic Viking ships and offers visitors the chance to sail reconstructed vessels. Throughout, Melish interweaves historical facts, personal observations, and practical travel tips, and points listeners to her website (kxmgroup.dk) and the podcast transcript archive (howtoliveindenmark.com).
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Hello and welcome to the How to Live in Denmark podcast. I'm Kassandra Melish. Many people who visit Denmark are. Fans of the Vikings, the familiar name for Scandinavians before the medieval era. Technically speaking, the Viking raiders were at their peak in the years, uh, 800 to 1100. There are plenty of opportunities, especially now during tourist season, to see contemporary Danes dressed up as Vikings, building wooden ships, cooking over open fires. and fighting with swords and shields. Exhibitions like this are very popular with visitors from overseas and sometimes with the Danes themselves. What they might not know is that you can see actual Vikings in Denmark— or what's left of their bodies. It was common in the Viking era and before to toss sacrificial items and people into peat marshes, which, it turns out, preserve bodies and clothing And hair very well. So there are several places in Denmark where you can see actual humans from the Viking Age— more than 1,000 years old— and sometimes their clothes and hairstyles. Sometimes the bodies are so well preserved that they still have fingerprints. Now, the top spot for this is near Aarhus, the Mosegaard Museum. It's a huge museum that is interactive. Interactive. Immersive. Almost overpowering. You will see hundreds of Viking objects and weapons and skeletons, plus multimedia exhibits. For example, there's a room that lets you experience what it was like to be in the middle of a Viking battle, with armed warriors running at you from every direction. It's overwhelming because the people it celebrates lived such brutal lives. Sacrificing people, sacrificing animals, killing each other with clubs and daggers and axes to the head in endless wars. It's a lot. After a while, I found myself cowering in the gift shop. But the Mosegaard Museum is most famous for Gåbodaman. Gåbodaman is the best-preserved complete mummy in Denmark. And unlike the Egyptian mummies, who were mostly kings and their family members, Gullboat Man was an ordinary guy and possibly a criminal. When he was found in 1952, he was lying face down. And when the archaeologists picked him up, they found his throat had been slashed. So he could have been a thief being executed. He could have been a human sacrifice. Hard to tell. They tell you a story at the museum of him being a victim of a love triangle. I didn't really buy that. But Quo Boleman has his own little room at the museum with benches surrounding him, and if you get there early enough on a slow day, you can have him all to yourself for a while. I did. It was thought-provoking to spend a little time with my distant cousin who is laid out on a slab of stone in a glass museum case. His red hair nicely curled. And think about the circular nature of time. Maybe someday I'll be the person in the glass museum case. Mosergård is near Aarhus, but if you're in Copenhagen and would like to see a Danish mummy, you can go to the National Museum and check out Huldemose Woman. She was preserved with an entire set of clothing. She has a wool dress with a checked skirt, a matching scarf, and a fur cape, which are displayed separately from the actual skeleton. The skeleton does display her hairstyle. Huldumr's woman had 2 blonde braids wrapped up and tucked into a cap. Now, some people might feel uncomfortable about seeing these human remains on display, but the Danes have a very practical approach to death. They are not superstitious people. They don't fear talking about death or being near it. Cemeteries, in particular in the big cities, are very popular for picnics or even sunbathing. Hey, these are green areas with lots of trees and pretty flowers. Why not enjoy them? That's the Danish attitude. The Danish Queen Margrethe also has a relaxed and practical attitude towards her own death. She is 83 years old, and she has already designed and constructed her tomb. Now, all the Danish kings and queens going back to Harald Bluetooth are either buried or have crypts in Roskilde Cathedral. You can go there and visit all the greats: Christian IV, the master builder; Christian VII— now, he was part of a big love triangle and struggled with mental illness his entire life— or Christian X. who famously rode his horse around Copenhagen during the Nazi occupation. Margrethe knows she will end up there someday as well, so she worked with a Danish artist to sculpt a very creative sarcophagus for herself. It's in place and ready to go when the time comes. Now, for the moment, it's covered by a painted wooden structure, but you can see right next to it a miniature model of the real thing. It's made of a glowing, non-transparent glass with metallic elephant heads— that's a symbol of the Danish royal family— and columns made from stone sourced from Denmark, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands, all part of the queen's kingdom. There are no fancy Viking memorials at Roskilde Cathedral, but a few minutes' walk away, you will find the Viking Ship Museum. Where you can see 5 real Viking ships they dug up from Roskilde Harbor. Now, you can't ride on those ships, but nearby the museum is building new square sail ships in the traditional Viking style. You can sail out on the water in those ships. You can book a trip. But just like the original Viking sailors, you and your family are going to be part of the crew of the ship. You're going to have to row. And that's the How to Live in Denmark podcast for this week. I've posted new video content on Danish culture in both English and Danish at kxmgroup.dk, my personal website. You can also reach that by going to kxmgroup.dk. And as always, you can find all the transcripts for our podcasts at howtoliveindenmark.com. See you next time.
