National Museum of Denmark

I was quite surprised when I woke up on Nov 21, that my feet or my legs did not hurt, considering how much (E) and I walked the day before. Since we had such a hard time on the train to Copenhagen the day before, we agreed to try to get on a early train so that we can see everything we wanted to see. Plus now we knew exactly where we want to go; since we got off at the wrong station and then went to the wrong museum.

We arrived at the museum right when they opened at 10am, and we started to work our way through, this place was huge!! We did not even see all the exhibits after walking in the National Museum for 3 hours!!

This a few pictures with detailed descriptions, I took about 50 pictures but I not posting all of them.  Just all the cool ones.  

The subject of this altarpiece is Judgement Day. Above the Trinity is enthroned; in the centre Christ is depicted as the Judge presiding over the saved, who are lifted up to Heaven, and the damned, who are being cast down into Hell. Inthe foreground the donor of the altarpiece, King Christian II (1513-1523), is kneeling, together with his 13 year-old-queen, Elisabeth. The portraits of the royal couple were altered, when the altarpience was still quite new. X-ray photos reveal that they were originally looking at each other, and that the King's head was uncovered. The altarpience was made in the Flemish style ca. 1514-1515.  St. Mary's Church, Elsinore

The Gunhild cross

Carved in walrus ivory. The front of the cross once carried the  figure of Christ. Symbolised on the front of the upright: Life and Death,  on the cross-piece: the Old and New Testaments (the Synagogue and the Church). On the back: Christ enthroned on the rainbow, and Lazarus in Abraham's Bosom.  In the roundelterminals of the cross-piece: the Blessed and the Damned.  According to the inscription the cross is carved by Liutger for Helen,  also call Gunhild, the king's daughter. The name Gunhild is repeated in runes.  She may have been the daughter of Svend Grathe. The cross belonged to Sphine Brahe in 1646.

The Clausholm bed

Bed from ca 1650, oak, carved by Peder Jensen Kolding. Served as a symbolic bridal bed at wedding within the nobility. Decorated with biblical scenes: on the footboard, the Annunciation; on the  headboard, the Adoration of the Shepherds - suitable subjects for a  bridal bed. The headboard depicts the virtues Charity and Justice, the footboard depicts Hope and Faith, originally flanked by the Apostles Peter and Paul. The four Evangelists carry the canopy, which originally hadan inscription from the Song of Solomon, about a bride's longing for her lover. On the top of the canopy Christ with his banner of victory. All the textiles are new. The bed was purchased from a farm in Eastern Jylland in 1842, but it originates from the manor of Clausholm.

Painting of a nobleman's children from ca. 1620. The children are dressed like small adults. The painting probably come from Nakkebølle Manor on Fyn.

Chest with carvings in Renaissance style, ca 1620. On the front the four virtues Faith, Hope, Charity, and Peace are depicted, together with a poem: "Where Faith is in mind/where Hope does win/where Charity's within/there Peace you'll find." The chest comes from East Jylland, where it was probably made.

These marble lions, purchased in Marseille, stood in the grounds of Fredensborg Palace from 1764. Later they flanked the main entrance to the palace. The construction of Fredensborg Palace began in 1720, theyear Denmark declared peace in the Great Northern War. Frederik IV's country seat was called Fredensborg, which means palace of peace, to
commemorate the end of the conflict.

The lurs - the wind instruments of the Bronze Age - were masterpieces of casting. They were created between between 1200 BC and 700 BC. The oldest lurs are shaped like ox-horns. Soon the tube became curved and the ornamental disc at the top grew larger, becoming a sun symbol. Deep booming  notes surged from the disc as if the magical sound was coming from the sun symbol itself. After the lurs had been used in sacred rituals, they were sacrificed in pairs in bogs. In rock carvings one sees men with horned helmets blowing lurs. 

This stone was placed as a tombstone, this is what was carved on the tombstone: "Asråd and Hildvig (or Hildulv?) raised this stone in memory of Frede, their kinsman (?). And he was then bafainkuaiRa (the terror of men?); and he died in Svitjod (Sweden) and was fursifrikisiapi (the foremost of Frigge's host?); and then: all vikings."