Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Danish Culture
Even the smallest details in the Iron Age village are meticulously based on archaeological knowledge and finds.
Living life the Viking way If you are one of the many Viking fans who just cannot get enough of life in the Scandinavian past, why not take a trip back in time and spend your holiday in an authentic Iron Age village? In Odin’s Odense, you can do almost that. Originally constructed for educational purposes, the small, beautifully located village is reopening this year with a focus on private visitors who want to experience the life of the Vikings and their Iron Age ancestors. By Signe Hansen | Photos: Odin’s Odense
Crouching down to enter one of the small thatched clay homes in Odin’s Odense, the smell of smoke and sound of an Iron Age family chatting around the fire meet you. As you enter the dim room and your eyes slowly begin to adjust to the lack of electrical lighting, the many unfamiliar details that made up the homes of our ancestors come into sight. The Scandinavian design of the Iron Age is made up of animal enclosures, kilns, flour grinders and tools. 46 | Issue 102 | July 2017
Many of the tools you might never have seen before, but the village’s volunteer inhabitants will help you get acquainted with their use. “One of the special things about our village is that our guests can pick up and touch everything. That way, you come to feel like you’re part of that time,” explains Annette Bøge Huulvej, managing director of Odin’s Odense. “Everything has been reconstructed with careful attention to detail, but we also have one original artefact, a flour
grinder. This means that you can grind flour on a grinder used by our ancestors 2,000 years ago.” Located just five kilometres outside Odense, the Iron Age village also offers beautiful green surroundings perfect for walks, picnics and angling.
Learn the trades of the Vikings First constructed in 1973, the Iron Age Village that is today known as Odin’s Odense was, up until last year, mainly used for educational purposes. With four authentic Iron Age homes as well as outbuildings, workshops, tools, games and an abundance of everyday artefacts, the village provides an authentic and engaging environment for school children to learn about the time when the Iron Age turned into the Viking Age.