Got one of those "Ring Fortresses" in Minnesota as well
Posted on 09/08/2014 11:44:18 AM PDT by BenLurkin
The fortress found on the Danish island of Zealand, around 30 miles south of Copenhagen, is the fifth circular fortress to be unearthed, and the first in over 60 years.
“This is great news,” said Lasse Sonne, a Viking historian from the Saxo Institute at the University of Copenhagen.
“Although there were Vikings in other countries, these circular fortresses are unique to Denmark. Many have given up hope that there were many of them left.”
Like previously discovered ring fortresses, the Vallø Borgring is thought to date back to the late tenth century and the reign of Harald Bluetooth, the king who Christianised Denmark and Norway.
However, some historians contend the fortresses were constructed by his son Sweyn Forkbeard, the first Danish King of England, as a military training camp or barracks from which to launch his invasions of England. Sweyn Forkbeard seized London in 1013 and was declared King of England on Christmas Day of that year.
The newly discovered fortress has a diameter of 475 feet, making it the third-largest of its type, and consists of a 35-foot wide circular rampart surrounded by a palisade of wooden spikes.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Is that not a cool name, or what?
Ping a ling!
Apple is building a ring fortress in Cupertino, Calfornia in the hopes that it’ll keep out the ‘Droids.
What is a ring fortress? Is that anything like a Wagner Ring Cycle?
(I know don’t judge me)
Every time I read about Vikings, I think about Klingons
(the new ones not the original)
Perhaps the Danes can now protect themselves against the bearded barbarians by hiding in these fortresses.
Got one of those "Ring Fortresses" in Minnesota as well
He also made the conquest hands free.
I'm only sorry that my sons are both grown and named already.
(I suppose that in a way it's fortunate for Slimhammer and Thunderprut that I wasn't aware of Sweyn Forkbeard and Harald Bluetooth at the time of their birth.)
My all time favorite real life Viking names are Sarcastic Halli, and Halfred the Troublesome Poet. Two guys not to invite to your feast.
*Snort* [giggles]
Your sons are fortunate indeed. ;-)
Thanks TEXOKIE. It has been speculated that the Vikings mimicked the old Roman fortified sites they'd encountered.
Judging only by the photo it seems like a fairly obvious landform. They’re only just discovering it now?
A circular fort seems like a reasonably intuitive shape for a fort. Does it have to be inspired by somebody else? What... They couldn’t think of a circle on their own?
“What is a ring fortress? Is it anything like a Wagner Ring Cycle?”
You see, only five have been found, but originally there were nine such rings each ruled by a wraith, with one ring to rule them all, known as the Lord of the Ring fortresses.
I think I read that somewhere...
;-)
:-D
Ithil and Anor were two of them, and they were ruled by two commanders, who drew lots to see who got what. The first one drew the westernmost, and said, “Mine is Anor”...
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