Denmark Part 5

Denmark is renowned for its educational system and for its schools.

These schools are all under Government control, and meet the wants of every cla.s.s. The authorities are upheld by the parents, both being determined there shall be no such thing as an ignoramus in Denmark, so whether the children are educated at home or sent to school, they must begin lessons at the age of seven. If they have a governess at home the parents must give a guarantee to the authorities that the governess is efficient and capable of giving the standard education to the children.

Should parents elect to take their children abroad during the school term, they must notify their intention, undertaking that a teacher shall accompany them and lessons continue while away. Shirking lessons is quite an impossibility for little Danes, as everybody thinks that education comes before all else, so parents do not encourage idleness or extra holidays during the school year.

School attendance is compulsory for all children between the ages of seven and fourteen. The hours are not long nor wearisome, as the lessons are arranged with a view to holding the attention of young minds during the period of instruction. The cla.s.ses are small, even in the free schools, never more than thirty-five pupils to a teacher, and generally less. The lesson lasts forty minutes, and then there is an interval for play. The thorough education of the pupils for their future work in life is considered, so lessons in writing, reading, and arithmetic, in the Kommune schools, are varied by tailoring lessons for boys, and cookery for girls, after they are ten years of age. At every school gymnastics play an important part--pleasant lessons these are for all--but perhaps the lesson the boys most delight in is their instruction in Sloyd. Each lad has his carpenter's bench with necessary tools, and as we know every boy is happy when making or marring with hammer and nails, I am sure you will think these must be enviable lessons. I have seen some charming models as well as useful things made by the boys--a perfect miniature landau, complete in every detail, benches, bureaux, carts, tables, chairs, besides many other serviceable articles. Besides this pleasure-work at school, the boys, if they are farmers' sons, have practical lessons at home by helping their father on the farm. The authorities being anxious to help the farmer, they allow him to keep a boy at home half the day for instruction in farm-work, but the other half must be spent at school. The prizes at the munic.i.p.al schools not infrequently consist of clothes, watches, clocks, or tools, all of which are worked for eagerly by the pupils.

The boys and girls of Denmark begin early with gymnastic exercises, and soon become st.u.r.dy little athletes from sheer love of the exhilarating practice. All Danes pride themselves--and with good reason--on their national athletic exercises. At the Olympic Games, held at the Stadium in London, the Danish ladies carried away the gold medal by their fine gymnastic display. This was a triumph with so many compet.i.tors in the field. It is an amusing sight to see the Danes at a seaside resort taking their morning swim; each one on leaving the water runs about on the sun-warmed beach, and goes through a gymnastic display on his own account, choosing the exercise he considers most calculated to warm and invigorate him after his dip. The children require no second bidding to follow father's example, and as they emerge from the water breathless, pantingly join in the fun. Sons try to go one better than the father in some gymnastic feat which the latter's stoutness renders impossible! The merry peals of laughter which accompany the display speak eloquently of the thorough enjoyment of all the bathers.

Yachting in Denmark is not merely a pleasure for the rich, it is inexpensive, so all cla.s.ses and every man capable of sailing a boat can enjoy it. In the summer-time the Sound and other waters seem alive with the mult.i.tudes of white sails and speeding craft of all sizes. The resund Week, as the Royal Yacht Club's regatta-week is called, is the time of all others for yachtsmen to display their skill, and a gay event in the Copenhagener's year. The pleasant waters of Denmark are beloved of yachtsmen. Sailing round the wooded islands, you are impressed by their picturesque beauty, which is seen to advantage from the water. One is not surprised that this popular pastime comes first with every Danish boy, who, whether swimming, rowing, or sailing, feels perfectly at home on the water. Everybody cycles in Denmark.

Cycle-stands are provided outside every shop, station, office, and college, so that you have no more difficulty in disposing of your cycle than your umbrella.

[Ill.u.s.tration: WINTER IN THE FOREST.]

Football is a summer game here--spirited matches you would think impossible at this season--but the Danes have them, and what is more, they will inform you that they quite enjoy what appears to the spectator a hot, fatiguing amus.e.m.e.nt. Cricket has few attractions for the Danish lads, but that is because they cannot play, though their schoolmasters and parents would have them try. All things English are much admired, and when a Dane intends to do a thing he generally succeeds, so we can only suppose he is too indifferent about cricket--although it is an English game--to excel.

Golf and hockey are also played, and "bandy"--_i.e._, hockey on the ice--is a favourite winter sport. A "bandy" match is quite exciting to watch. The players, armed with a wooden club, often find the ice a difficulty when rushing after the solid rubber ball. This exhilarating game is known in some parts of the world as "shinty." The Danes are proficient skaters, and of late years an artificial ground for winter sport of all kinds has been made in the Ulvedal, near Copenhagen. Here they have "bandy" matches, ski-ing, and tobogganing, as well as other winter games. Fox-hunting is unknown in Denmark, but frequently foxes are included in the sportsman's bag when shooting. These are shot because it is necessary to keep Mr. Reynard's depredations under control. Trotting-matches are held on Sunday on the racecourse near Charlottenlund, and horse-racing takes place too. Lawn-tennis and croquet are very popular, but the latter is the favourite pastime of the Danish ladies.

CHAPTER XV

INGEBORG'S JOURNEY THROUGH SEELAND

Funen, the island which lies between the Great and Little Belts, is known as the "Garden of Denmark," on account of its beauty and fertility. In Odense, the capital, Ingeborg had lived happily all the fifteen summers of her life. Now she was to have an unexpected treat.

Her grandfather intended taking her with him on the morrow to see some of the historical places in Seeland. Ingeborg loved history, and had given her grandfather much pleasure by the knowledge she displayed when showing him over her own church, St. Knud's. This ancient Gothic Church is the finest specimen of mediaeval architecture in Denmark. St. Knud, the grand-nephew of Canute the Great, was slain before the altar while praying for his people. This brave King could have saved himself by flight, but would not, lest his subjects should suffer at the hands of his enemies. He was canonized by the Pope, and his brother built the church to his memory. Besides being the shrine of St. Knud, this church is the burial-place of King Christian II. and his Queen, as well as of King Hans and his Consort. The beautiful altar-piece, given by Queen Christina, is of the most exquisite workmanship, and took the artists many years to execute.

Ingeborg's excitement was great when she crossed from Nyborg. She remembered that an army once crossed this water on foot, so severe was the winter, and that ice-breakers are still used occasionally. The girl wished it was winter as she watched for the first time the huge paddle-wheels of the steam-ferry ploughing through the waters of the Great Belt. By the time Korsor was reached, Herr Nielsen, her grandfather, had made acquaintance with a student who was returning to his college at Soro, the town which they intended making their first stopping-place. The student, whose name was Hans, informed them that he lived at Ribe, a quaint old town of South Jutland, left very much to memories and the storks, but possessing a fine twelfth-century Cathedral. The college at Soro was founded by Ludvig Holberg, the father of Danish comedy, who left his fortune and library for that purpose.

Hans was proud of belonging to this college, as it had educated many men of letters famous in Danish history.

In the Cistercian Church of Soro, Bishop Absalon, the founder of Copenhagen, lies buried. It is said that this Bishop's spirit appears, with menacing att.i.tude, if anyone desecrates the place by irreverence.

Ludvig Holberg is also buried in this cloister church, as well as three Danish Kings.

Ingemann the poet spent most of his time at this charming town, which stands on the lake of the Soro So. In the luxuriant beech-woods which surround the lake, Saxo Grammaticus, the first historian of Denmark, was wont to wander. Both these celebrated men also lie in the old church, which Ingeborg felt was a fitting resting-place for the n.o.ble dead.

On the advice of Hans, Herr Nielsen took his young grand-daughter to see the old convent church of Ringsted. Here many Danish Kings were buried in the twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The interesting Romanesque Church of Kallundborg was also visited. This Church, with its four octagonal towers and a square tower in the middle, forms a Greek cross. This is the most unique specimen of mediaeval architecture in the North.

Ingeborg had long looked forward to seeing Roskilde Cathedral, and the day was bright and sunny when they arrived at the sleepy little town on the Roskilde Fjord. This stately Cathedral, with its two tall pointed spires, is called the "Westminster Abbey" of Denmark. It is the burial-place of the Danish Royal Family: thirty-three Kings and many Queens rest in it. A beautiful alabaster tomb marks the resting-place of Queen Margrethe, the famous Queen who united the three Crowns--Norway, Sweden, and Denmark--and was ever ambitious for the glory and development of these countries. She ruled with wisdom and wonderful diplomacy, and was the most powerful Queen Denmark ever had. She has been called the "Semiramis of the North." Though the three crowns are still on the shield of Denmark, the other two kingdoms were lost to her in the sixteenth century. Queen Margrethe was the daughter of Valdemar IV., known as "Atterdag," because of his favourite proverb: "I Morgen er der atter en Dag."[11] This powerful monarch kept his subjects in such incessant turmoil by his numerous wars for acquiring territory "that they had not time to eat"! The Renaissance chapel erected by Christian IV., in which his tomb stands, is very beautiful. This popular monarch, alike celebrated as architect, sailor, and warrior, was one of the most impressive figures in Danish history. The mural paintings of the chapel represent scenes in the life of this great King.

Ingeborg was glad she remembered her history, and could tell her grandfather so much as they went through the Cathedral. He, however, informed her that Frederik VII. was the last of the Kings of the Oldenburg line, which had been on the throne of Denmark for over four hundred years.

The sarcophagus of the beloved Christian IX., father of many European crowned heads, including Queen Alexandra of England, is still kept covered with fresh flowers. This King, whose memory is so revered in all countries, inaugurated a new dynasty in Denmark. The curious old clock at the western end of the cathedral interested Ingeborg, and she watched with delight, when it struck the hour of noon, St. George, mounted on his fiery steed, with many groans and stiff, jerky movements, kill the dragon, which expired with a gruesome death-rattle!

In the thirteenth century this quiet town of Roskilde was the capital, and the archiepiscopal see of Denmark. An English Bishop, William of Roskilde, is supposed to have built the Cathedral.

We will now follow our little friend and her grandfather to Frederiksborg Castle. The castle, with its many towers and pinnacles reflected in still waters, stands in the middle of a lake. This handsome Dutch Renaissance building is now used as an historical museum. Many of the Danish Kings have been crowned in its magnificent chapel. Wandering through the splendid rooms of the castle, Ingeborg could read the history of her country in a very pleasant and interesting manner. The collection being confined to one period for each room made instruction an easy affair for the grandfather. Beginning with King Gorm the Old and Canute the Great, it comprises all periods up to the last century.

The autumn residence of the Royal Family, Fredensborg Castle, was the next place of interest visited. This Castle of Peace was built to commemorate the end of the war between Denmark and Sweden. "Fred" means "peace" in Danish, and, indeed, this place proves a home of peace to tired Royalty. Its park is considered the most beautiful in Denmark. The magnificent avenues of lime-trees are lined by marble statues of peasants in national costumes, Faroese, Icelandic and Norwegian, as well as those of Denmark.

The Open-Air Museum at Lyngby, with its ancient farm and peasant buildings, the interiors of which are fitted up just as they used to be, gave Ingeborg a peep into the past and old-time Denmark. Here she saw a curious rolling-pin hanging in the ingle-nook of the farmhouse from the village of Ostenfeld. This wooden pin, so her grandfather told her, was a Clogg Almanac or Runic Calendar. It had four sides, each marking three months, large notches denoting Sundays, small ones showing week-days.

Saints' days were marked by the symbol of each saint. He had seen some of these old calendars in the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford, when he had been in England, which were relics of Danish government there. These quaint and curious Clogg Almanacs were used throughout Scandinavia, small ones made of horn or bone being for the pocket.

But here we must say good-bye to Ingeborg and her grandfather, as after seeing Kronborg Castle and Elsinore they will return by the beautiful coast-line to Copenhagen, there to enjoy many of the sights we have seen in "dear little Denmark."

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 1: Thank you for the food.]

[Footnote 2: May it agree with you.]

[Footnote 3: Spoon-food.]

[Footnote 4: Luncheon.]

[Footnote 5: Be so good.]

[Footnote 6: Birthday child.]

[Footnote 7: Impenetrable swamp.]

[Footnote 8: The sharp, dry, north-west wind which blows in the spring.]

[Footnote 9: Retreat of wild-duck.]

[Footnote 10: Blue Tower.]

[Footnote 11: To-morrow comes another day.]