The Vikings’ “Royal Arena” – The King’s Hall

Here, you can experience Viking daily life and the very beginnings of the Kingdom of Denmark firsthand.

According to the legends, it was here in Lejre that Denmark’s first kings ruled – the Viking kings known as the Skjoldungar. It is impossible not to feel impressed and overwhelmed when standing inside the enormous royal hall, imagining the king with his warriors gathered around the open hearth at the centre of the hall. Or imagining how the legendary hero Beowulf fought the monster Grendel to protect King Roar’s royal hall.

From this high seat, the earliest kings could receive guests from near and far. Note that it is a two-person seat, offering room for both the master of the house and his lady.

The remains of the original royal hall and four smaller halls were excavated approximately three kilometres from Lejre Land of Legends, in the village of Old Lejre. These findings provide clear evidence that this was the seat of the earliest Danish kings. In Old Lejre, you can also visit the Lejre Museum, which tells the story of the beginnings of the Kingdom of Denmark through some of the best-preserved Viking-Age artefacts in the country. The area is also home to the remains of one of Denmark’s largest ship settings.

The royal hall stands more than 10 metres tall and measures 60 metres from gable to gable. It is built from over 1,000 tonnes of oak timber and beautifully decorated with figures from Norse mythology: Odin and Thor, Odin’s ravens and wolves, twisting serpents, and proud eagles.

The hall is a remarkable example of Nordic architecture and an impressive feat of craftsmanship – both in the past and today.

In the film below, you can see how the door to the main chamber of the hall is raised.

The reconstructed royal hall is part of a full Viking environment at Lejre Land of Legends. With the hall at its centre, the area is filled with exciting activities and experiences for the whole family: you can see people dressed as in the Viking Age, taste Viking food, watch their crafts, and even try fighting like a Viking yourself. Here, the Viking Age comes vividly to life.

Lejre Land of Legends is an atmospheric and exciting destination for both adults and children. Here, you can experience Danish history from the Stone Age, Iron Age and Viking Age to the rural society of the 1800s. You can visit the working workshops and see old livestock breeds, grind grain, paddle a Stone Age canoe, and much more – all set within 43 hectares of outstanding nature with hills, forests, lakes, and meadows.

The Beowulf Poem and its Historical Roots

Beowulf is the main character of the Beowulf poem, an Anglo-Saxon heroic epic. It is one of the most important works in Anglo-Saxon literature and part of the literary curriculum in both American and British schools.

Beowulf, a Swedish hero, comes to help the Danish king Roar, whose hall is tormented by the monster Grendel. Beowulf kills Grendel with his bare hands and later kills Grendel’s mother with a sword.

In Denmark, archaeological excavations in Lejre – home of the Skjoldungar – have shown that a hall was built in the mid-6th century, the period in which the Beowulf poem is set. Researchers believe that figures such as King Roar and the Skjoldungar in the poem are based on historical people from 6th-century Scandinavia.