The Golden Horns of Gallehus are a pair of richly decorated 5th century BC Germanic drinking horns, discovered in Gallehus, a town in southern Denmark in 1639. The horns were made from gold panels and richly decorated with images of animals and myths. scene. They were probably used by Germanic chieftains or kings as ceremonial drinking vessels, and later buried as offerings and grave goods.
The larger of the two horns, known as the Golden Horn of Gallehus, is about 75 cm (30 in) long and weighs almost 3 kg (6.6 pounds). The smaller horn, known as the Silver Horn of Gallehus, was also made of sheet gold but decorated with silver inlay and was about 50 cm (20 in) long.
They are among the most important artifacts from Iron Age Germany, and they have been the subject of much scholarly research and debate. In 1802, a jeweler and watchmaker named Niels Heidenreich, who was tasked with restoring them, stole and melted them down! All we have left is the copy that was made using old drawings and placed in the National Museum, but was stolen again in 2007 and has since been recovered!
The golden horns became popular after their theft in 1802, and after they became the subject of one of the most famous poems in Danish literature, The Golden Horns (Guldhornene) by Adam Oehlenschläger:
“A glimpse of two ancient times
Lot! appeared in modern times;
Strange returns those glimpses with gold,
They carry mysteries on them.
Mysterious holiness
hovering over their signs, carrying deep meaning;
The glory of God pervades
These eternal works are magical.
Honor them, for nothing is stable;
They can disappear, beyond any search.
Let the blood of Christ be on the table of Christ
Fill them, once with vivid red blood.
But their majesty is not seen,
And their aura is filled with contempt,
They are like the spectacles you are displaying
For the stupid and curious.
The storm winds howl, darkening the sky!
The hour of melancholy has come;
Take back what has been given,—
The relic has disappeared.”
The first heist was even mentioned by famous Danish author Hans Christian Andersen when writing the story The Princess and the Pea. So it’s no surprise that the golden horns are today a symbol of Denmark and carry a rich and interesting history.
Gallehus’ Golden Horn replica is on display in Denmark. (Public domain)
Etymology and origin: The golden horns in popular culture
The origins of the Golden Horns of Gallehus can be traced back to Iron Age Germany, around the 5th century, although their exact use remains uncertain. Their precious materials and intricate decoration suggest they may have been used in religious rituals or ceremonies, but whether they were used as drinking trumpets or wind instruments is unknown. Apparently due to lack of documentation.
The horn motifs depict various human and animal figures, as well as mythical and fantastic creatures, and have been interpreted in a variety of ways. Some images may be related to Mediterranean, Norse or Celtic mythology, and their meaning is the subject of much debate.
The inscription on the shorter horn, Ek HlewagastR HoltingaR Horna tawiðo, has been interpreted in various ways. Some say it means “I, Lægæst, son of Holt, made the horn,” while others doubt this interpretation. A possible translation of Hlewa is “shelter”, which could refer to a camp where people stayed, and “forest” which could refer to a dark or dangerous place during the Migration Period.
Depiction of one of Gallehus’s golden horns found in 1734 near the village of Gallehus in Denmark. (Public domain)
Historian Dan Hemming has suggested that Lægæst may actually have been Liutgast, a Danish king said to be “rich in gold” in the Germanic epic Nibelungenlied. This poem is from the Middle Ages, but the stories in it are said to originate from the Migration Period. Liutgast’s story is also known from the Elder Edda, an ancient collection of Norse mythology.
In Hans Christian Andersen’s story The Princess and the Pea (1835), the theft of the horn appears in a key scene in the story. A prince wants to marry a real princess. His mother decided to test the eligibility of a young woman claiming to be a princess by placing a bean under the stack of mattresses on which she had to sleep.
In the morning, the young woman complains of a sleepless night due to a hard object in her bed, demonstrating her sensitivity and thus her royal identity. The story is often associated with the theft of the golden horns because it takes place in a castle, and the mattress test is seen as a reference to the hiding of the horns in a bed of hay – a hidden allusion smart example.
The girl finds Harald Slott-Møller’s golden horn. (Public domain)
Rediscover and reclaim the golden horns of Gallehus
Gallehus’ golden horns were discovered separately, more than a century apart. The first horn, a long yellow horn, was found on July 20, 1639 by a young girl named Kirsten Svendsdatter. The second horn, a shorter one inlaid with gold and silver, was discovered on April 21, 1734 by Erik Lassen. Both horns were found in a field near Gallehus in Schleswig, which is why they are known by that name.
After finding the longhorn, Kirsten wrote to the king to report her discovery and was rewarded with a dress as the find fee! Erik entrusted the short horn to Count Schackenborg, who then passed it on to the king. Lassen received 200 Richsdaler as a reward for his find. The horns were then given to the crown and kept at the Royal Kunstkammer in Christiansborg.
Christian IV, the Danish king at the time of the longhorn’s discovery, gave it to his son Prince Christian (also known as the “chosen prince”). The prince is said to have used the horn as a drinking vessel!
It should be emphasized that the exact details surrounding the discovery of the golden horns remain uncertain and poorly documented. There are some details missing surrounding their recovery. A series of additional casts from the 18th century were also lost, leaving us with fragmentary knowledge of this unique find from the Migration period. However, two separate discoveries by ordinary people and their eventual acquisition by the Danish crown contributed to their status as important cultural artifacts.
Top image: Replica of Gallehus’s Golden Horn at the National Museum of Denmark. Source: Public domain
