Om dateringen av den store Jellingsteinen

Abstract

On the dating of the Great Jelling Stone The great Jelling stone has played a central role in Viking Age archaeology. Usually, it is taken for granted that the stone was erected by Harald Bluetooth in the period 960–986 AD. A reinterpretation of the different dateable elements, casts doubt on king Harald as the commissioner of this monument. Instead, it is suggested that bishop Absalon can have erected the stone at the end of the 12th century. Absalon was the mightiest statesman in Denmark under king Valdemar the Great (1146–1182) and his succeeding son Knut’s reign (1182–1202). He acted as a counsellor and deputy for king Knut. He had good reasons to raise such a stone as part of the consolidation of the Danish state. He also had enough resources and education to order the making of such a stone – a piece of many arts that required a scholarly attitude both to commission and understand.

Keywords

• Jellingsteinen