legend A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess certain qualities that give the ...

paladin The Paladins, also called the Twelve Peers (), are twelve legendary knights, the foremost members of Charlemagne's court in the 8th century. They first appear in the medieval (12th century) ''chanson de geste'' cycle of the Matter of France, wh ...

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks from 768, List of kings of the Lombards, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian ...

Old French Old French (, , ; ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France approximately between the late 8th

chansons de geste The , from 'deeds, actions accomplished') is a medieval narrative, a type of epic poem that appears at the dawn of French literature. The earliest known poems of this genre date from the late 11th and early 12th centuries, shortly before the e ...

''. In particular, he features as the protagonist in ''La Chevalerie Ogier'' (), which belongs to the ''Geste de Doon de Mayence'' ("cycle of the rebellious vassals"; Doon is Ogier's grandfather). The first part of this epic, the ''enfance''[''s''] (childhood exploits) of Ogier, is marked by his duel against a

Saracen upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens ''Saracen'' ( ) was a term used both in Greek and Latin writings between the 5th and 15th centuries to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Rom ...

from whom he obtains the sword

Cortain Cortain (also spelled Courtain, Cortana, Curtana, Cortaine or Corte) is a legendary short sword in the legend of Ogier the Dane. This name is the accusative case declension of Old French ''corte'', meaning "short". Attestations The tradition tha ...

, followed by victory over another Saracen opponent from whom he wins the horse Broiefort. In subsequent parts, Ogier turns into a rebel with cause, seeking refuge with the King of

Lombardy The Lombardy Region (; ) is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in northern Italy and has a population of about 10 million people, constituting more than one-sixth of Italy's population. Lombardy is ...

and warring with Charlemagne for many years, until he is eventually reconciled when a dire need for him emerges after another Saracen incursion. His character is a composite based on an historical Autcharius Francus who was aligned with king

Desiderius Desiderius, also known as Daufer or Dauferius (born – died ), was king of the Lombards in northern Italy, ruling from 756 to 774. The Frankish king of renown, Charlemagne, married Desiderius's daughter and subsequently conquered his realm. De ...

of Lombardy against Charlemagne. The legend of a certain Othgerius buried in

Meaux Meaux () is a Communes of France, commune on the river Marne (river), Marne in the Seine-et-Marne Departments of France, department in the Île-de-France Regions of France, region in the Functional area (France), metropolitan area of Paris, Franc ...

is also incorporated into the ''Chevalerie''. In Scandinavia, he was first known as Oddgeir danski in the

Old Norse Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...

prose translation ''

Karlamagnús saga The ''Karlamagnús saga'', also called ''Karlamagnussaga'' or ''Karlamagnus-saga'' ("saga of Charlemagne") was a late-thirteenth-century Old Norse, Norse prose compilation and adaptation, made for Haakon V of Norway, of the Old French ''chansons de ...

'', but later became more widely known as Holger Danske, and was given the pedigree of being Olaf son of King

Gøtrik Gudfred was a ninth century Danish king who reigned from at least 804 to 810. Alternate spellings include ''Godfred'' (Danish), ''Göttrick'' (German), ''Gøtrik'' (Danish), ''Gudrød'' (Danish), and ''Godofredus'' (Latin). He stands at the thre ...

in a 16th-century Danish translation. Since then, Holger Danske has become a Danish folklore hero, with a

sleeping hero The king asleep in the mountain (D 1960.2 in Stith Thompson's motif-index) is a prominent folklore trope found in many folktales and legends. Thompson termed it as the Kyffhäuser type. Some other designations are king in the mountain, king und ...

motif attached to him, and eventually a symbol of Danish identity and patriotism as well as anti-German nationalism.

Historical references

The Ogier character is generally believed to be based on Autcharius/Otker, a

Frankish Frankish may refer to: * Franks, a Germanic tribe and their culture ** Frankish language or its modern descendants, Franconian languages, a group of Low Germanic languages also commonly referred to as "Frankish" varieties * Francia, a post-Roman ...

knight who had served Carloman and escorted his widow and young children to

Desiderius Desiderius, also known as Daufer or Dauferius (born – died ), was king of the Lombards in northern Italy, ruling from 756 to 774. The Frankish king of renown, Charlemagne, married Desiderius's daughter and subsequently conquered his realm. De ...

, King of

Lombardy The Lombardy Region (; ) is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in northern Italy and has a population of about 10 million people, constituting more than one-sixth of Italy's population. Lombardy is ...

, but eventually surrendered to

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks from 768, List of kings of the Lombards, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian ...

. The Ogier character could also have been partly constructed from the historical

Adalgis Adalgis or Adelchis ( – 788) was an associate king of the Lombards from August 759, reigning with his father, Desiderius, until their deposition in June 774. He is also remembered today as the hero of the play ''Adelchi'' (1822) by Alessandro M ...

(or Adelgis, Algisus), son of Desiderius, who played a similar role., pp. 274ff, note. The ''

chanson de geste The , from 'deeds, actions accomplished') is a medieval narrative, a type of epic poetry, epic poem that appears at the dawn of French literature. The earliest known poems of this genre date from the late 11th and early 12th centuries, shortly ...

'' does parallel this, and Ogier does seek refuge with the Lombardian king Didier or Désier (as Desiderius is styled in French). An unrelated Othgerius (Otgerius), a benefactor buried at the Abbey of

Saint Faro Faro (or Burgundofaro; died 675 AD), Count of Guînes, was bishop of Meaux. The family to which Faro belonged is known as the Faronids and is named after him. He is canonized as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church and Roman Catholic Church. ...

in

Meaux Meaux () is a Communes of France, commune on the river Marne (river), Marne in the Seine-et-Marne Departments of France, department in the Île-de-France Regions of France, region in the Functional area (France), metropolitan area of Paris, Franc ...

in France, became connected with Ogier by a work called ''Conversio Othgeri militis'' (ca. 1070–1080) written by the monks there. This tradition is reflected in the ''chanson'' of Ogier, which states that the hero was buried at Meaux. There is no Ogier of consequence in Danish history; at least, no Ogier as such appears in

Saxo Grammaticus Saxo Grammaticus (), also known as Saxo cognomine Longus, was a Danish historian, theologian and author. He is thought to have been a clerk or secretary to Absalon, Archbishop of Lund, the main advisor to Valdemar I of Denmark. He is the author ...

's ''

Gesta Danorum ("Deeds of the Danes") is a patriotic work of Danish history, by the 12th-century author Saxo Grammaticus ("Saxo the Literate", literally "the Grammarian"). It is the most ambitious literary undertaking of medieval Denmark and is an essentia ...

''. However, the Danish work ''Holger Danskes Krønike'' (1534) made Ogier into the son of King Gøtrek of Denmark (namely Olaf son of Gøtrek, mentioned by Saxo). "Olgerus, dux Daniæ" ("Olger, War-Leader of the Danes") had rebuilt the St. Martin's monastery pillaged by the

Saxons The Saxons, sometimes called the Old Saxons or Continental Saxons, were a Germanic people of early medieval "Old" Saxony () which became a Carolingian " stem duchy" in 804, in what is now northern Germany. Many of their neighbours were, like th ...

in 778, according to the chronicle of this monastery at

Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...

(ca. 1050). However, this is not a contemporary record and may just be poetic fiction.

The legend in France

Ogier the Dane's first appearance (spelled ''Oger'') in any work is in ''

Chanson de Roland The ''Song of Roland'' () is an 11th-century based on the deeds of the Frankish kingdom, Frankish military leader Roland at the Battle of Roncevaux Pass in AD 778, during the reign of the Charlemagne, Emperor Charlemagne. It is the oldest surv ...

'' (c. 1060), where he is not named as one of the douzepers (twelve peers or

paladin The Paladins, also called the Twelve Peers (), are twelve legendary knights, the foremost members of Charlemagne's court in the 8th century. They first appear in the medieval (12th century) ''chanson de geste'' cycle of the Matter of France, wh ...

s) of Charlemagne, although he is usually one of the twelve peers in other works. In the poeticized

Battle of Roncevaux Pass The Battle of Roncevaux Pass ( French and English spelling, '' Roncesvalles'' in Spanish, ''Orreaga'' in Basque) in 778 saw a large force of Basques ambush a part of Charlemagne's army in Roncevaux Pass, a high mountain pass in the Pyrenees on ...

, Ogier is assigned to be the vanguard and commands the Bavarian Army in the battle against

Baligant In ''The Song of Roland'', Baligant is the Emir of Babylon (i.e., Cairo, not the Mesopotamian Babylon), who brings an immense army to aid his vassal King Marsile (a.k.a. "Marsillion") in defending Zaragoza (sometimes spelled "Saragossa") from Ch ...

in the later half. He plays only a minor part in this poem, and it is unclear what becomes of him, but the ''

Pseudo-Turpin The ''Historia Caroli Magni'' ('History of Charles the Great'), also known as the ''Historia Karoli Magni et Rotholandi'' ('History of Charles the Great and Roland') or the (''Pseudo-'')''Turpin Chronicle'', is a 12th-century Latin chronicle consi ...

'' knows of a tradition that Ogier was killed at Roncevaux. A full career of Ogier from youth to death is treated in ''La Chevalerie Ogier de Danemarche'', a 13th-century assonanced poem of approximately 13,000 lines, attributed to Raimbert de Paris, preserved in six manuscripts. It relates Ogier's early years, his rebellion against Charlemagne and eventual reconciliation. This is now considered a retelling. Ogier in a lost original "''Chevalerie Ogier'' primitive" is thought to have fought alongside the Lombards because Charlemagne attacked at the Pope's bidding, as historically happened in the

Siege of Pavia (773–74) Siege of Pavia can refer to one of the following sieges of the city of Pavia (ancient Ticinum) in Italy: * Siege of Pavia (476), by Odoacer * , by Tufa * Siege of Pavia (569–572), by the Lombards * , by Pippin the Short * Siege of Pavia (7 ...

, that is, there was no fighting with the

Saracen upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens ''Saracen'' ( ) was a term used both in Greek and Latin writings between the 5th and 15th centuries to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Rom ...

s (i.e. Muslims) as a prelude to this. The legend that Ogier fought valiantly with some Saracens in his youth is the chief material of the first branch (about 3,000 lines) of Raimbert's ''Chevalerie Ogier''. This is also recounted in ''Enfances Ogier'' (c. 1270), a rhymed poem of 9,229 lines by Adenet le Roi. The story of Ogier's youth develops with close similarity in these two works starting at the beginning, but they diverge at a certain point when Raimbert's version begins to be more economical with the details. In the 14th-century and subsequent versions of the romance, Ogier travels to the

Avalon Avalon () is an island featured in the Arthurian legend. It first appeared in Geoffrey of Monmouth's 1136 ''Historia Regum Britanniae'' as a place of magic where King Arthur's sword Excalibur was made and later where Arthur was taken to recove ...

ruled by

King Arthur According to legends, King Arthur (; ; ; ) was a king of Great Britain, Britain. He is a folk hero and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In Wales, Welsh sources, Arthur is portrayed as a le ...

and eventually becomes paramour of

Morgan le Fay Morgan le Fay (; Welsh language, Welsh and Cornish language, Cornish: Morgen; with ''le Fay'' being garbled French language, French ''la Fée'', thus meaning 'Morgan the Fairy'), alternatively known as Morgan , Morgain /e Morgant Mor ...

(the earliest known mention of her as his lover is in ''Brun de la Montaigne''). This is how the story culminates in ''Roman d'Ogier'', a reworking in s written in the 14th century, as well as its prose redaction retitled ''Ogier le Danois'' (''Ogyer le Danois'') printed in a number of editions from the late 15th century onwards. The Alexandrines version may contain some vestiges of the lost 12th-century ''Chevalerie Ogier''. It is also possible that Ogier the Dane has first appeared in the Arthurian context as the Saxon prince Oriolz the Dane (de Danemarche), sometimes known as the

Red Knight Red Knight (, , ) is a title borne by several characters in the Arthurian legend. Legend Tales of Perceval The Red Knight prominently appears in the tales of the hero Perceval as his early enemy. * In Chrétien de Troyes' ''Perceval, the Stor ...

, in the 13th-century Vulgate ''Merlin'' and its English adaptation '' Arthour and Merlin''. There are also several texts that might be classed as "histories" which refer to Ogier. Girart d'Amiens' ''Charlemagne'' contains a variant of Ogier's ''enfances''. Philippe Mouskes's ''Chronique rimée'' (c. 1243) writes on Ogier's death. Jean d'Outremeuse's ''Ly Myreur des Histors'' writes of Ogier's combat with the ''capalus'' ( chapalu), which is a giant cat monster known from the Arthurian cycle.

Legend at Meaux

A legend of ''Conversio Othgeri militis'' was invented by the monks at the abbey of

Saint Faro Faro (or Burgundofaro; died 675 AD), Count of Guînes, was bishop of Meaux. The family to which Faro belonged is known as the Faronids and is named after him. He is canonized as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church and Roman Catholic Church. ...

at

Meaux Meaux () is a Communes of France, commune on the river Marne (river), Marne in the Seine-et-Marne Departments of France, department in the Île-de-France Regions of France, region in the Functional area (France), metropolitan area of Paris, Franc ...

around 1070–1080. It claimed Othgerius Francus ("Frankish") to be the most illustrious member of Charlemagne's court after the king himself, thus making him identifiable with Ogier the Dane. He was buried in the abbey in a mausoleum built for him. His remains were placed in a

sarcophagus A sarcophagus (: sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a coffin, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Greek language, Greek wikt:σάρξ, σάρξ ...

lidded with his recumbent

tomb effigy A tomb effigy (French language, French: ''gisant'' ("lying")) is a sculpted effigy of a deceased person usually shown lying recumbent on a rectangular slab, presented in full ceremonial dress or wrapped in a shroud, and shown either dying or sh ...

lying next to that of Saint Benedictus, and the chamber was enshrined with erect statues of various figures from the Charlemagne Cycle. A stone head later found in Meaux was determined to be Ogier's head from comparisons with these incunabula etchings. This stone head can still be viewed today. This document was first commented on by

Jean Mabillon Dom Jean Mabillon , (; 23 November 1632 – 27 December 1707) was a French Benedictine monk and scholar of the Congregation of Saint Maur. He is considered the founder of the disciplines of palaeography and diplomatics. Early life Mabillon w ...

in his ''Acta Sanctorum Ordinis S. Benedicti'', printed editions of which include a detailed illustration of the mausoleum at St. Faro. The statues at the mausoleum even included la belle Aude, affianced to Roland, with one of the inscriptions there (according to Mabillon) claiming that Aude was Ogier's sister. It underwent restoration in 1535 by the Italian Gabriele Simeoni. That mausoleum is no longer preserved, but an illustration of the interior was printed in editions of Mabillon's ''Acta Sanctorum Ordinis S. Benedicti''.

''Chevalerie Ogier''

Ogier is the main character in the poem ''La Chevalerie Ogier de Danemarche'' (written –1215). The work consists of twelve parts (or "branches") of varying lengths. In the first branch of the poem (sometimes referred to as the ''Les enfances Ogier'' portion), Ogier is introduced as the son of Geoffroy de Danemarche (while Geoffroy, in turn, is son of Doon de Mayence according to other works). Ogier is surrendered as a hostage to Charlemagne, but at the castle where he is kept, he becomes intimate with the castellan's daughter, who bears him a son, named Baldwinet (, dim. of ). When Charles (Charlemagne), at the Pope's request, launches a war campaign against Saracens invading Rome, Ogier is there initially as an unarmed bystander. But when the French suffer a setback, Ogier joins the fray, seizing a flag and arms from a fleeing

standard-bearer A standard-bearer, also known as a colour-bearer or flag-bearer, is a person who bears an emblem known as a standard or military colours, i.e. either a type of flag or an inflexible but mobile image, which is used (and often honoured) as ...

. For his deeds, Ogier is knighted by Charlemagne and is girt with the king's own sword. Next, Ogier accepts the challenge of single combat from the Saracen warrior Karaheut of India, but enemies interrupt and abduct Ogier. Karaheut protests for Ogier's release, to no avail, and loses his engagement to the amiral's daughter. The amiral then decides his daughter should marry the brutish warrior Brunamont of Maiolgre (Mallorca), but she is unwilling, and appoints the captured Ogier as her champion to fight on her behalf. Ogier, armed with Karaheut's sword

Cortain Cortain (also spelled Courtain, Cortana, Curtana, Cortaine or Corte) is a legendary short sword in the legend of Ogier the Dane. This name is the accusative case declension of Old French ''corte'', meaning "short". Attestations The tradition tha ...

(or Corte, Cortana, etc.), vanquishes Brunamont and confiscates the horse Broiefort. Barrois-ed-Ogier-MS A-fol199v-eschecs

In the second branch, Ogier's son Bauduinet (Baldwinet) is slain by Charlot over a game of chess. Ogier attacks Charlot and demands his life in revenge, resulting in his banishment. Ogier is given safe haven by King Didier of Pavia in

Lombardy The Lombardy Region (; ) is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in northern Italy and has a population of about 10 million people, constituting more than one-sixth of Italy's population. Lombardy is ...

. Ogier strengthens the fortifications at Castelfort (Chastel Fort) and Mont Quevrel in Lombardy. In the subsequent branches, Ogier wars with Charlemagne (alone, after losing his squire Benoit/Bennet), enduring for seven years, then is taken prisoner for another seven years. In the ninth branch, renewed attack by the Saracens forces Charlemagne to seek Ogier's help, and Ogier, reunited with his old war horse, slays the

giant In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: ''wiktionary:gigas, gigas'', cognate wiktionary:giga-, giga-) are beings of humanoid appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word ''gia ...

, King Brehus (or Brahier, Braihier, Bruhier) of Africa. In the concluding branches (XI and XII), Ogier engages in a warring adventure in England, and marries the English princess whom he succors. He is granted

Hainaut Province Hainaut ( , also , ; ; ; ; ), historically also known as Heynault in English, is the westernmost province of Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium. To its south lies the French department of Nord, while within Belgium it borders ...

and

Province of Brabant The Province of Brabant (, ; ) was a province in Belgium from 1830 to 1995. It was created in 1815 as South Brabant, part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. In 1995, it was split into the Dutch-speaking Flemish Brabant, the French-speaki ...

(now in Belgium) by Charlemagne. Ogier and his squire Benoit/Bennet are interred at Meaux.

''Roman d'Ogier''

Modified verse versions were produced in the 14th century. The

decasyllabic Decasyllable (Italian language, Italian: ''decasillabo'', French language, French: ''décasyllabe'', Serbian language, Serbian: ''десетерац'', ''deseterac'') is a Poetry, poetic Meter (poetry), meter of ten syllables used in poetic trad ...

''Roman d'Ogier'' appeared (31000vv., early 14th cent. or c. 1310) which contained an ending plot where Ogier is invited to Avalon by Morgue la Fee (Morgan le Fay). Later an

Alexandrine Alexandrine is a name used for several distinct types of verse line with related metrical structures, most of which are ultimately derived from the classical French alexandrine. The line's name derives from its use in the Medieval French '' Ro ...

(dodecasyllabic) ''Roman d'Ogier'' (29000vv., mid-14th cent. or c. 1335 ) of 29,000 verses, appeared, datable to c. 1335, extant in three manuscript redactions, and this too expanded upon the ''Chevalerie'' of Raimbert, by adding an Avalon adventure (about 18,000 verses). Fairies by H

The Alexandrine version represented fan intermediate stage between the decasyllabic romance and the later prose rendering. In the Alexandrine version, Ogier's fate with Morgan is set in motion while he is still a newborn in his crib. Six fées visit the baby, each with a gift, and Morgan's gift is longevity and life living with her. Ogier has an enhanced career, even becoming King of England, and when he reaches the age of 100, he is shipwrecked by Morgan so he can be conveyed to Avalon. He returns after two hundred years to save France, and is given a firebrand which must not be allowed to be burnt down for him to remain alive. Ogier tries to forfeit his life after accomplishing his task but is saved by Morgan. In the further development of the legend, Ogier and Morgan have a son named Meurvin (or Marlyn). The latter himself became the subject of a lengthy Renaissance era romance, the ''Histoire du Preux et Vaillant Chevalier Meurvin'' (1540). Meurvin's story makes Ogier an ancestor of

Godfrey of Bouillon Godfrey of Bouillon (; ; ; ; 1060 – 18 July 1100) was a preeminent leader of the First Crusade, and the first ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem from 1099 to 1100. Although initially reluctant to take the title of king, he agreed to rule as pri ...

, the historical crusader king of Jerusalem.

The legend in Scandinavia

The early form of the ''chanson de geste'' was translated in the 13th century into Old Norse as ''Oddgeirs þáttr danska'' ("Short story of Oddgeir danski"), Branch III of the ''

Karlamagnús saga The ''Karlamagnús saga'', also called ''Karlamagnussaga'' or ''Karlamagnus-saga'' ("saga of Charlemagne") was a late-thirteenth-century Old Norse, Norse prose compilation and adaptation, made for Haakon V of Norway, of the Old French ''chansons de ...

'' (c. 1240). An Old Danish version of it, ''Karl Magnus krønike'', was later created (some copies date to 1480). The 16th-century ''Olger Danskes krønike'' was a Danish translation of the French prose romance ''Ogier le Danois'' by Kristiern Pedersen, started while in Paris in 1514–1515, probably completed during his second sojourn in 1527, and printed in 1534 in

Malmö Malmö is the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, third-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, sixth-largest city in Nordic countries, the Nordic region. Located on ...

. Pedersen also fused the romance with Danish genealogy, thus making Ogier the son of Danish king Gøtrik (

Godfred Gudfred was a ninth century Danish king who reigned from at least 804 to 810. Alternate spellings include ''Godfred'' (Danish), ''Göttrick'' (German), ''Gøtrik'' (Danish), ''Gudrød'' (Danish), and ''Godofredus'' (Latin). He stands at the thre ...

). "Holger Danske og Burmand" ( DgF 30, TSB E 133) recounts the fight between the hero and Burmand. The ballad also exists in Swedish ( SMB 216) and tells the story of how Holger Dansk is released from prison to fight against a

troll A troll is a being in Nordic folklore, including Norse mythology. In Old Norse sources, beings described as trolls dwell in isolated areas of rocks, mountains, or caves, live together in small family units, and are rarely helpful to human bei ...

by the name of Burman. The hero's popularity led to him being depicted on 15th- and 16th-century paintings in two churches in Denmark and Sweden. The Holger Danske and Burman painted on the ceiling of Floda Church in Sweden are attributed to

Albertus Pictor Albertus Pictor (English, "Albert the Painter"; Immenhusen, c. 1440 – c. 1507), also called Albert Pictor, Albert Målare and Albrekt Pärlstickare (Swedish), is the most famous late medieval Swedish painter, known for his wallpaintings survivi ...

around 1480. It also includes the text ''Holger Dane won victory over Burman''; this is the burden of the Danish and Swedish ballad, but the painting predates other written texts for this ballad. On the slopes of Rönneberga outside

Landskrona Landskrona is a town in Scania, Sweden. Located on the shores of the Öresund, it occupies a natural port, which has lent the town at first military and subsequent commercial significance. Ferries operate from Landskrona to the island of Ven, an ...

in south Sweden (formerly a part of Denmark), there is a burial mound named after Höljer (Holger) Danske.

Modern era

Ogier in Danish legend is said to dwell in

Kronborg Castle Kronborg is a castle and historical stronghold in the town of Helsingør, Denmark. Immortalised as Elsinore in William Shakespeare's play ''Hamlet'', Kronborg is one of the most important Renaissance castles in Northern Europe. It was inscribed ...

, his beard grown down to the floor. He will sleep there until the day when the country of Denmark is in the greatest peril, at which time he will awaken and save the nation. This is a common folklore motif, classed as Type 1960.2, " The King Asleep in the Mountain". According to the tour guides of Kronborg Castle, legend has it that Holger sat down in his present location after walking all the way from his completed battles in France. It was popularized by the short story "Holger Danske" written by

Hans Christian Andersen Hans Christian Andersen ( , ; 2 April 1805 – 4 August 1875) was a Danish author. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogue (literature), travelogues, novels, and poems, he is best remembered for his literary fairy tales. Andersen's fai ...

in 1845. The 1789 opera ''

Holger Danske Holger may refer to: People * Holger (given name), includes name origin, plus people with the name * Hilde Holger, stage name of dancer, choreographer and dance teacher Hilde Boman-Behram (née Hilde Sofer, 1905–2001) Fictional characters * H ...

'', composed by F.L.Æ. Kunzen with a

libretto A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...

by

Jens Baggesen Jens Immanuel Baggesen (15 February 1764 – 3 October 1826) was a major Danish poet, librettist, critic, and comic writer. Life Baggesen was born at Korsør on the Danish island of Zealand on February 15, 1764. His parents were very ...

, had a considerable impact on Danish nationalism in the late 18th century. It spawned the literary "Holger feud", which revealed the increasing dissatisfaction among the native Danish population with the German influence on Danish society. Danish intellectual Peter Andreas Heiberg joined the feud by writing a satirical version entitled ''Holger Tyske'' ("Holger the German") ridiculing Baggesen's lyrics. Ogier is also regarded as the symbol of national identity in

Bernhard Severin Ingemann Bernhard Severin Ingemann (28 May 1789 – 24 February 1862) was a Danish novelist and poet. Biography Ingemann was born in Torkilstrup, on the island of Falster, Denmark. The son of a vicar, he was left fatherless in his youth. He atten ...

's 1837 epic poem ''Holger Danske''.

Vernon Lee Vernon Lee was the pseudonym of the French-born British writer Violet Paget (14 October 1856 – 13 February 1935). She is remembered today primarily for her supernatural fiction and her work on aesthetics. An early follower of Walter Pater, ...

's short story "A Wicked Voice" posits an opera called ''Ogier the Dane'' which the lead character Magnus attempts to finish under duress. During the 1940-1945

German occupation of Denmark At the outset of World War II in September 1939, Denmark declared itself neutral, but that neutrality did not prevent Nazi Germany from occupying the country soon after the outbreak of war; the occupation lasted until Germany's defeat. The ...

, a patriotic presentation of Kunzen's opera in Copenhagen became a manifestation of Danish national feeling and opposition to the occupation. The largest armed group of the

Danish resistance movement The Danish resistance movements () were an underground insurgency to resist the German occupation of Denmark during World War II. Due to the initially lenient arrangements, in which the Nazi occupation authority allowed the democratic govern ...

in World War II,

Holger Danske Holger may refer to: People * Holger (given name), includes name origin, plus people with the name * Hilde Holger, stage name of dancer, choreographer and dance teacher Hilde Boman-Behram (née Hilde Sofer, 1905–2001) Fictional characters * H ...

, was named after the legend. The Hotel Marienlyst in

Helsingør Helsingør ( , ; ), classically known in English as Elsinore ( ), is a coastal city in northeastern Denmark. Helsingør Municipality had a population of 63,953 on 1 January 2025, making it the 23rd most populated municipality in Denmark. Helsin ...

commissioned a statue of Holger Danske in 1907 from the sculptor

Hans Peder Pedersen-Dan Hans Peder Pedersen-Dan (1 August 1859 – 21 April 1939) was a Denmark, Danish sculptor. Early life and education Pedersen-Dan was born at Itzehoe in Schleswig-Holstein. He was the son of Ole Pedersen (1820–1902) and Elisabeth Sofie Johansen ...

. The bronze statue was outside the hotel until 2013, when it was sold and moved to Skjern. The bronze statue was based on an original in plaster. The plaster statue was placed in the vaults at Kronborg Castle, also in Helsingør, where it became a popular attraction in its own right. The plaster statue was replaced by a concrete copy in 1985. In

Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English journalist, novelist, poet, and short-story writer. He was born in British Raj, British India, which inspired much ...

's poem "The Land" (1916), 'Ogier the Dane' is the archetypal name used to signify Danish invaders who have overrun

Sussex Sussex (Help:IPA/English, /ˈsʌsɪks/; from the Old English ''Sūþseaxe''; lit. 'South Saxons'; 'Sussex') is an area within South East England that was historically a kingdom of Sussex, kingdom and, later, a Historic counties of England, ...

. Ogier is the protagonist of ''The Viking'' (1951) by

Edison Marshall Edison Tesla Marshall (August 28, 1894 – October 29, 1967) was an American short story writer and novelist. Life Marshall was born on August 28, 1894, in Rensselaer, Indiana. He grew up in Medford, Oregon, and attended the University of Oregon ...

, where he is portrayed as the child of

Ragnar Lodbrok Ragnar Lodbrok (Old Norse: ''Ragnarr loðbrók'', ), according to legends, was a Viking hero and a Legendary Kings of Sweden, Swedish and Legendary kings of Denmark, Danish king.Aella of Northumbria; his chief rival is his paternal half-brother

Hastein Hastein (Old Norse: ''Hásteinn'', also recorded as ''Hastingus'', ''Anstign'', ''Haesten'', ''Hæsten'', ''Hæstenn'' or ''Hæsting'' and alias ''Alsting''Jones, Aled (2003). ''Transactions of the Royal Historical Society: Sixth Series'' Cambridge ...

. The protagonist of

Poul Anderson Poul William Anderson ( ; November 25, 1926 – July 31, 2001) was an American fantasy and science fiction author who was active from the 1940s until his death in 2001. Anderson also wrote historical novels. He won the Hugo Award seven times an ...

's fantasy novel '' Three Hearts and Three Lions'' (1961), World War II Danish resistance member Holger Carlsen, time warps and learns that he actually is Ogier of the legend.

Per Petterson Per Petterson (born 18 July 1952 in Oslo) is a Norwegian novelist. His debut book was ''Aske i munnen, sand i skoa'' (1987), a collection of short stories. He has since published a number of novels with good reviews. ''To Siberia'' (1996), set i ...

's novel ''

I Curse the River of Time ''I Curse the River of Time'' () is a 2008 novel by the Norwegian writer Per Petterson. The narrative is set in 1989 against the backdrop of a communist Europe. The story revolves around Arvid Jansen, the protagonist, and his relationship with h ...

'' (2001) has a ferry named ''Holger Danske''. There is an Ogier story event in the strategy video game ''

Crusader Kings II ''Crusader Kings II'' is a grand strategy game developed by Paradox Development Studio and published by Paradox Interactive. Set in the Middle Ages, the game was released on February 14, 2012, as a sequel to 2004's '' Crusader Kings''. On Octob ...

''.

Explanatory notes

References

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External links

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Holger Danske
at

Den Store Danske Encyklopædi ''Den Store Danske Encyklopædi'' () is the most comprehensive contemporary Danish language encyclopedia. The 20 volumes of the encyclopedia were published successively between 1994 and 2001; a one-volume supplement was published in 2002 and two ...

{{National personifications Chansons de geste Characters in The Song of Roland Legendary Danish people Fictional knights Matter of France National personifications King asleep in mountain Kronborg category:Medieval legends Fictional rebels