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Danelagen is the name of the area in north and east of england that was conquered by the nordic Vikings from the Anglo-saxons. The Vikings invaded the area in the 10:th century. In 880 king Alfred of Wessex and the danish king Guthrum from Östangeln, made piece with each other and drawn the new boarders. The danes got Northumberland, east anglia and half of Mercia and a piece of essex. The englishmen got the rest. In the danish area danish law ws practised. A host of danish names on villages that end on -by and -thorpe was founded during this time era.
As with all of the nordic countries the exact, or for that matter, exact century(!) of birth is hard to evaluate. Different families, towns and other important factors of powers played a game against each other and the 'country' was subsequently not united in the modern sense.
Their neighbours, however, seams to have the impression of a united country, and when they said Denmark they included areas that have nothing to do with Denmark of today. They included Skåne, Jylland, and the land down to the river Ejder in the south. When Denmark celebrated it's thousand anniversary they celebrated king Harald Gromsson Blåtand (around 940-986). As a footnote it can be mentioned that this is the king that has given his name to a telecommunication standard for computers, Blue tooth. He is conected to the birth of denmark as he was the one who began the christian era in Denmark. Kings and christianity followed each other as both the religous power and the more worldly power benefitted from each other. The christian faith built on strong central organisations, often based on a king, and this in turn was a benefit for the king who otherwise, of tradition, had an exteremely weak position in the nordic society.
He has left a large monument in stone at his residency in Jellinge, Jylland. It is engraved with runes and the text states that Gormsson has won all of Norway and Denmark and he has christianed them all. The christian faith was officially accepted in 960.
During this time several large fortifications where made in Denmark. A large wall, allmost like the harianic wall in England, was built right a cross the narrowest part of Jylland. This wall, called Danevirke is still visible outside of the town of Schleswig. A part of the wall was built already in at 737, and french documents tells us about large constructions works under the danish king Godfred. The wall was menat to bea defence against enemies int he south. First they where of slavic origins, later on, when the slavic people had been conquered by Charlesmange, the enemy was french (around 800).
The constructions of these gigantic fortifications depends on strong organizers. The kings has to be of the same calibre as Harald Blåtand that continued the work on the wall during 960. The wall has been continued all along up to the 14:th century.
Denmark has been seen, depending on geographicla location, as part of the weterns europe long before Norway and Denmark. It weas here the ambasadours and emmisaries from the rest of europe came when they tried to extend their respcitve countries influence in europe. Denmark also had the best communications between the south and the north. It was easy to reach both eastern and western europe by boat, the only feasible way to travel with larger cargos. It was also relatively easy to reach the north of germany by land.
The lim fiord offered an excellent passage over Jylland. An important trading route wen't over land for goods traded between the north sea and the baltic sea.
Denmark was important for the communication between western europe and the north, both in terms of trading as well as military. The danish people constirubeted to a significant part of the Viking war parties. They where also important in the Viking colonisation of England, where they sttled in Danelagen. The danish influence culminated after the invasion of England under Sven Tveskägg and Lnut the great in year 1000. A new invasion of England was planned as late as 1085 under king Knut.
There is a rich set of acheological findings from the Viking period in Denmark. Hedeby, Danavirke and several fortified castles can still be seen in the landscape. Several monuments like the big grave hills in Jelling still exists.Several odd grave monuments can be seen in Ladby and Mammen.
Ribe, Århus and Hedeby where important trading places during the viking age, but most of the populaiton was still working as farmers.
River with its origins in Western Russia, in the same area as the rivers Daugava and Volga. Dnjepr end in the Black sea. Dnjepr was an important communication path for the vikings when they wanted to trade with Byzans and and the Orient. Dnjeprs could be rached from the baltic sea via Neva-Ladoga-Volchov-Ilmen-Lovat, a path described in the nestor chronicles. The same chronicle gives the name 'Rusernas ocean' and 'Varjagernas Ocean' to the baltic sea and the black sea. Dangerous and hard to pass rapids exists at the lower part of the river, see Aifur.
Odens ring, made in gold by the dwarfes. It is a magical ring, and every nint:th night gived birth to eigtn new gold rings. Draupner was put on the fire when Balder was cremated. When Balder was visited in Hel by his brother (hermod), Balder sent back the ring to his father as a memory.