June 5, 2010

Constitution Day – Denmark

On this day in 1849, Denmark became a constitutional monarchy. Unlike many other countries, Denmark's “revolution” – the transition from having an absolute monarch (a king, in this case, who has all the power) to being a democracy – was peaceful. A whole lot of people marched to Christiansborg to demand that Frederick VII give up much of his power to an elected parliament, and he accepted the proposal.

Perhaps the lack of drama and violence in the past makes the celebrations today a bit more mellow than are some of the national days of other countries. For Denmark's Constitution Day, the shops are closed, and some people attend political meetings or just enjoy getting together for food and drinks.


Perhaps the holiday's importance is dissipated by the fact that this day is Father's Day in Denmark, as well.

A Famous Teller of Tales

One of the most famous people to ever live in Denmark wrote stories. His name, and the titles of three stories, appear below in the same code. Can you decode the names and discover this literary great Dane?

NAME:

16 – 6 – 14 – 24

1 – 16 – 25 – 21 – 24 – 8 – 21 – 6 – 14

6 – 14 – 18 – 23 – 25 – 24 – 23 – 14

STORIES:
Note: There is a diagonal line ( / ) between words of the story titles.

8 – 16 – 23 / 26 – 21 – 8 – 8 – 26 – 23 /

10 – 23 – 25 – 10 – 6 – 21 – 18

8 – 16 – 23 / 9 – 5 – 26 – 17 /

18 – 9 – 1 – 2 – 26 – 21 – 14 – 5

8 – 16 – 23 / 23 – 10 – 4 – 23 – 25 – 12 – 25 ' 24 /
14 – 23 – 13 / 1 – 26 – 12 – 8 – 16 – 23 – 24

ANSWERS:


Hans Christian Andersen, The Little Mermaid, The Ugly Duckling, The Emperor's New Clothes

The Viking Age

One of the most famous parts of Danish history is the period of time from the 8th to the 11th Centuries. At that time, Scandinavian or Norse people (ancestors of the Danes, Swedes, and Norse) explored Europe by boat and ship, either trading or attacking other peoples and settling uninhabited lands.

The Vikings reached Iceland, Greenland, and what they called “Vinland” (probably Newfoundland in Canada or possibly further south, in what is now the United States). The Vikings also sailed to Anatolia (today called Turkey).

• Here's some info on the Vikings' lives – homes and family lives, beliefs and stories, trading and raids, and much more!

• Here's some info on the Vikings' explorations.

• And here's the NOVA Viking site. There are videos and a lesson on the Vikings' futhark (or runic alphabet). Don't miss building a tree-ring timeline.