Meet the King!

In the low, quiet crypt beneath St Canute’s Cathedral in Odense, two solitary shrines stand in silence. They contain the earthly remains of the last Viking king, Cnut the Holy, and his brother Benedict. Whenever I stand looking at them, I cannot help but think of the vast expanse of time that came before us, and of the endless years and untold stories that still lie ahead when we ourselves are long gone.

We know of many Viking Age skeletons, but the crypt beneath Odense Cathedral is the only place in the world where you can see the remains of a Viking king. Meet the king. Meet his brother. Let your thoughts travel back to that day in July 1086, when a bloody struggle claimed the lives of Cnut, Benedict and 17 of their warriors.

Use your imagination, let your thoughts wander, and sense the presence of history in this unique place.

Karsten Kjer Michaelsen

Archaeologist and museum curator