What was denmark called before

The Vikings travelled widely outside their realm, sailing to what today is Russia and Turkey. Their admirable navigation skills at sea also brought them as far as Greenland and North America. They continued to plunder and steal, along with more peaceful activities such as trading precious metals, textiles, glassware, jewellery, and fur. On occasion, they also bought and sold European slaves. The newly-adopted religion, however, did not immediately turn the Danes into a peaceful people.

They continued to fight to maintain and expand their territory, conquering parts of Germany and Estonia. In , with the Kalmar Union, Denmark incl. The Kalmar Union lasted until Sweden broke away in , the first shot in a long rivalry between Denmark and Sweden for dominance in the region.

In , the sovereignty of Norway was transferred to Sweden too. Iceland gained independence in This move led to the war with the Germans which Denmark won. But tensions continued and Denmark was defeated by Germany in a renewed conflict in As a result, Denmark had to cede all three duchies. Denmark remained neutral in World War I. A small German minority still lives in the region. People and Culture. Since the end of the last Ice Age - approximately 10, BC - people have migrated from the Eastern and Southern parts of Europe to the Northern area we now know to be Denmark.

Perhaps more importantly, this is the period where scholars find that Denmark culture took an important leap forward with the emergence of runes, an early form of writing common to many Scandinavian cultures, but especially prominent in Denmark history.

Around A. His runic signature is one that is immediately recognised around the world to this day as the symbol we use for Bluetooth devices connected with our computers and phones. Even with all of their traveling, global contact with a variety of civilisations, and access to luxury items — not to mention the emergence of writing and a more stable, cohesive Danish culture — the early Danes apparently wanted more.

It is a fact of Denmark history and culture that the Vikings who originated in Denmark were known as some of the most ruthless and bloodthirsty of the lot, gaining a reputation for inflicting particularly brutal treatment on people they encountered in churches and monasteries on their legendary overseas raids.

And while some Vikings chose to settle in this new land—after all the pillaging was done, of course—for many of these early actors in Danish history and culture, raiding was not only an economic godsend, it was a way of life intrinsic to Denmark culture. As time went on, various chieftains in each of these countries consolidated their power separately, and we see the beginnings of a true kingdom emerging in Denmark history, led by our well-connected friend, Harald Bluetooth, who ruled for 35 years.

The Viking period drew to a close by the late 11 th century, and Denmark history entered a phase of diminished power marked by internal squabbling and power struggles until around the 14 th century when Queen Margrethe became the first official head of state in Danish history. The following year, a group of Swedish elites sought her help in forming a rebellion against a German-born king who was exceedingly unpopular, sowing the seeds of her later alliance with Sweden and Norway called the Kalmar Union.

This pivotal moment in Denmark history came about as the leaders of these three Scandinavian nations felt compelled to fight the growing power of the Hanseatic League, a group of powerful German elites who dominated regional trade.

Denmark history is marked by the struggles of the monarchy and the Catholic Church in combating the influence of the Hanseatic League, culminating in the league actually invading Denmark, a low-water mark in the history of Denmark. But Denmark culture quickly bounced back, taking advantage of the long Danish history and culture of being great traders, and signed a neutrality pact with Sweden, Prussia and Russia. Once again, British ships sailed to Copenhagen, bombarding the city in a surprise attack that ignited the town in flames before confiscating the entire Danish navy, ships.

In spite of these early setbacks at the outset of the 19 th century, by the s Denmark history once again came to the fore, and Danish culture saw flourishing trade as well as great advancements in the arts and literature. By the middle of the s as revolution was spreading across the rest of Europe, Denmark culture showed its remarkable ability to adapt to changing circumstances.

At a watershed moment in Danish history, the nation adopted a democratic constitution, ushering in a legislative democracy and limiting the power of the monarch. By the time World War II rolled around, the history of Denmark dictated more or less that neutrality was the way to go.

Denmark history may not have had its proudest moment, but capitulation was really the only choice at that moment, given the circumstances. For the early war years, the Nazis allowed trade-oriented Denmark culture to continue doing business, and to operate semi-autonomously under their supervision. But by , the Nazis seized power outright. This led to the emergence of a powerful resistance movement, which redeems the history of Denmark during the war a great deal, as activists notably smuggled some 90 percent of Jews still remaining in Denmark into neutral Sweden.

The post-war years saw Denmark history taking a turn toward social democracy as students and others opposed authoritarianism in all its forms. And indeed, even support for the European Union was and continues to be a bone of contention for some people in Denmark — some 87 percent of Danish voters rejected adopting the Euro as its currency.

The stubborn independence we have seen running through the history and culture of Denmark continues to this day. For instance, Denmark was an early adopter of legal same-sex marriage and is a strong proponent of alternative fuel sources. Today, bicycles dominate the city streets and Denmark culture, contributing to a greener world. Indeed, Denmark was named the Green Capital of Europe in , and modern Danish culture has led many Danish companies to become innovators in wind power and other alternative fuel sources.

All taken together, the history of Denmark and a closer look at Denmark culture perhaps illustrates why the Danish people today are consistently ranked among the happiest in the world!

Denmark history is known for the formidable boat-building and navigational skills of its early people. They also maintained trade routes that stretched all the way to modern-day Kiev in Ukraine and Novgorod in Russia. Although in modern Danish culture they occasionally poke fun at visitors with wild tales of the invention of the breakfast pastry named after them, the truth is that the danish was not originally a part of Denmark history.

The fact is that the layered pastry was actually invented by Austrian bakers who imported it to Denmark. Danish bakeries ran with the concept and have fully taken it to heart, developing ever more intricate versions of the beloved breakfast staple and incorporating it into modern Denmark culture. The famous Bluetooth symbol was the rune—aka the written signature or name—indicating an early Viking king who was a vital player at the heart of Denmark history, Harald Bluetooth.

Danish, Greenlandic, Faroese, Germanic are the recognised regional language of Denmark. English is also commonly spoken. The flag of Denmark is a red and white Scandinavian cross which extends to the flags edges; the vertical line of the cross is shifted toward the hoisted side.

Scandification explores and celebrates the magic of Scandinavia. It is illegal to both buy, sell and possess drugs. As we spoke about in number 1, we are not Dutch. Danish IS a branch on the Germanic language tree. But so is English, Dutch and German and the other Scandinavian languages. Danish is most closely related to Norwegian and Swedish although, to foreigners, it sounds more like German and Dutch.

Certificate of Excellence Cool viking warrior 2. Where did the Vikings come from? And did they have horns on their helmets? That is a myth. Why is Denmark not part of the European Union? Map of the European Union We are. We just do not use the euro. Bicyclists in Copenhagen 4. Why so many bicycles? It always amazes foreigners how many bicycles there are in Copenhagen. Why is a good question. The Queen has nothing to say, right? Map of Scandinavia and Finland 6. What is the difference between Scandinavian and Nordic?

This one is fairly easy. Scandinavia is Denmark, Norway and Sweden. The Nordic countries are Scandinavia plus Finland and Iceland. Is tipping expected in Denmark? Tip jar No, but it is not uncommon.