Holger Danske

The legend of Holger Danske, or Holger the Dane, is nearly a millennium old. The legend tells of a Danish prince accomplishing great feats after being sent to Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne as a hostage.

The legend actually originated in France, but it has been adopted by the Danes. He has become a national hero, turning up everywhere from the inspiration for World War II resistance to cultural references to modern commercial branding.

Holger’s connection to Kronborg is rather tenuous. The link is actually one of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales 1846 that placed Holger in the tunnels under Kronborg.

The statue is also relatively new Danish sculptor Hans Peder Pedersen-Dan cast the original in bronze in 1907. The one on display now is a cast of that original.

As you can see, it doesn’t have the typical dynamism of a statue of a hero. Instead, Holger is sleeping, his arms resting on his sword. Legend has it that he will awake if Denmark is ever again threatened.Read more