The beginning of Odense

Children play on the large swing set in the open grassy area between Nonnebakken and the Odense River, and everything feels peaceful. It is hard to imagine that during the Viking Age, this was probably the site of a sacred place where people worshipped Odin, the most powerful god in Norse mythology.

When I stand here, I often find myself thinking about how important this place has been to the city. In those days, a sacred site like this was known as a vé, and over time "Odin's Vé" evolved into the name Odense. People would have travelled here to the holy site by the river, where rituals were performed in honour of the gods, perhaps even involving human sacrifice.

Close your eyes for a moment and let your imagination take over. What do you think this place looked like?

Line Borre Lundø
Archaeologist and museum curator