The First Kings
The first, forgotten chapter of Denmark's history.
The Danish royal line began before Gorm the Old and Harald Bluetooth. The Cultural museum in Vejle tells the story of the earliest Danish kings who fought for power in Denmark during the 8th and 9th centuries.
The story is illustrated by the renowned comic book artist Thierry Capezzone and is based on the latest research findings from the royal hall at Erritsø. The exhibition presents fascinating archaeological artifacts from Germany, Sweden, and Denmark in innovative ways.
Photos from the exhibition:
(Read more about The First Kings below the photos)
Drawn Danish History
Thierry Capezzone is a regular artist for Spirou & Fantasio and Rasmus Klump and has created a wide range of historical comics.
For the exhibition The First Kings, Thierry Capezzone has crafted brand new stand-alone illustrations and a continuous comic about the power struggle between the two Danish kings Harald Klak and Horik the First. His drawings adorn the walls of the exhibition in massive floor-to-ceiling format.
He is also the artist behind the comic Daisy, which tells the early life story of Queen Margrethe II, from her birth to her ascension to the throne in 1972.
It Didn’t Start in Jelling
For most, Jelling is synonymous with the first Danish kings. But how many know of the kings from the mysterious centuries before Gorm the Old and Thyra – and later Harald Bluetooth – claimed the throne in Jelling?
Large structures from 8th- and 9th-century Denmark, excavated over the past decades, indicate the presence of a powerful monarchy before the Jelling kings.
The upcoming exhibition tells the story of the earliest kings, the great halls, the heroic poems, and the mythology. We find ourselves in 8th- and 9th-century Denmark, specifically in southeastern Jutland at the royal estate of Erritsø. We are on the threshold of the Viking Age, in a world where heroes and mythological creatures intertwine with reality and myth alongside the king, reinforcing his power as the central figure.
In this world, it's all about seizing power and keeping it!
Research from Vejlemuseerne in Jelling and Erritsø has, more than anything, highlighted the question: What kind of king’s power existed before Jelling?
The exhibition features the latest research findings from Vejlemuseerne’s research project Kingship and Landscape.
Based on written accounts of legendary kings and archaeological traces, we tell the story of Denmark's earliest kings.
The Cultural Museum Vejle
Experience how the world we know today was created.
Visit The Cultural MuseumThank you
The exhibition is supported by Augustinus Fonden, Aage og Johanne Louis-Hansens Fond, Konsul Georg Jorck og hustru Emma Jorck's Fond, Spar Nord Fonden and Knud Højgaards Fond.