Danish History: The Early Years

Obviously Danish history is too long and complex to cover in detail on this blog so I am taking the time line approach. I'm also breaking it up into a couple posts to prevent developing mega-post paralysis. I'll cover some of the stuff in more detail later if you're lucky. Also, most European literature uses C.E. (Common Era) instead of A.D. (Anno Domini), and B.C.E. (Before Common Era) instead of B.C. (Before Christ), so in order to prepare myself for heathen Europe I will confirm to these standards.

Around 100,000 B.C.E. - First signs of inhabitation in Denmark show up over 100,000 years ago. At some point, people probably had to abandon Denmark due to the ice cap covering the area because let's face it, ice caps are kind of a deal breaker.

12,000 B.C.E. - Denmark has been continually inhabited since this time.

4004 B.C.E. - The Earth was created.

3,000 B.C.E. - Agriculture, yadda yadda.

1,800 B.C.E. - Roughly the beginning of the Nordic Bronze Age. There are a large number of burial mounds that date back to this period, as well as religious artifacts, musical instruments, and evidence of the world's first rave party.

500 B.C.E. - Denmark starts to enter the Iron Age and begin to extract iron ore from peat bogs. There is evidence of a strong Celtic influence in the area, as well as trade routes with the Roman Empire. People also discover that peat bogs are great places to dump bodies if you want to leave them well preserved for archaeologists several millennium later.

800 C.E. - Beowulf is written around this time, give or take a century. Although in Old English, it describes events in Denmark during the 5th and 6th century, albeit in mythical terms.

800 C.E. - The Viking Age starts around this time. Danish assaults on the British Isles are followed by Danish settlers, and the Danelaw is established in 878 C.E. by Danish chieftain Guthrum and Alfred, the King of Wessex, under the terms of the Treaty of Alfred and Guthrum. Seriously, that's what they called it.

980 B.C. - Harold Bluetooth creates a unified Danish kingdom. Seriously, when did we stop giving people awesome names like that? Anyway, soon after he converted to Christianity. In many ways marks the beginning of Denmark as we know it today. Harold's father King Gorm the Old raised the first Jelling stone, and Harold raised the second.