A. Sutherland – AncientPages.com – Holger Danske, also called Holger or Ogier the Dane, was a fearsome Viking warrior. He was a legendary knight and national hero of Denmark.
His entire life, from birth to death, is shrouded in mystery. According to ancient legends, Holger Danske is said to have never died. Instead, he sleeps in the dark cellar of Kronborg Castle at Elsinore, the setting of Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
Holger Danske’s history is difficult to trace because almost nothing is known about him. The information we possess is based on legends and myths.
The first mention of the sleeping hero Holger Danske comes from the Chanson de Roland (Songs of Roland), an epic poem based on the Battle of Roncevaux in 778, during the reign of Charlemagne. It is the oldest surviving major work of French literature and exists in various manuscript versions, which attest to its enormous and enduring popularity in the 12th to 14th centuries.
There is a prophecy related to the birth of Holger Danske. He was destined to become one of the most fearless warriors, never to be vanquished.
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See also:
Starkad The Viking – Legendary Norse Hero Who Was Both Blessed And Cursed By Gods
Ship-Shaped Burial Of Tjelvar – Legendary First Man Who Brought Fire To Gotland
