Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Beowulf's Hall Unearthed

Archeologists have unearthed what they believe to be the hall highlighted in the Saga of Beowulfjust on the outskirts of Cophenhagen. Lejgre's first royal hall was called the greatest hall in the world in the saga and was the scene of much of the action of the epic poem. The excavations place the halls use and construction around the 5th and 6th centuries, placing it roughly in the right time zone.

Read more here. 

I'm not certain that there can ever be clear evidence linking the poem and site (though we do know where legendary Delphi is), but what was of equal interest was the diet of those who lived in the hall. According to the bones found at the site they ate "suckling pig, beef, mutton, goat meat, venison, goose, duck, chicken and fish." I'm not sure what that last bit is, some type of tuber I guess, but the rest of it just confirms that the Vikings achieved the pinnacle of human evolution 1400 years ago!


post script: I think I use this image more than any other.

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