Description of the attraction
One of the most famous landmarks in Jelling is the Runestones. These are two stone runes - large and small - with inscriptions of the 10th century engraved on them. These stone runes were included in the 1994 UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Runestones are located in South Jutland, 10 km northwest of Vejle. The runes are of colossal historical value, personifying the transition from the pagan Viking era to the Christian Middle Ages. The appearance of the small rune is not documented, but it is known that its current location dates from approximately 1630. The text of the inscriptions engraved on the stone reads: "King Gorm made a memorial stone in honor of Tyra, his wife, Denmark." This is the first mention of Denmark as a state. The large runestone was probably erected between 953 and 965 and is 2.43 meters high and weighs 10 tons. The text of the runic inscriptions on one of the three sides of the stone tells about “Harald the king, who put this stone in honor of Gorm, his father, and Tyra, his mother. Harald, who conquered all of Denmark and Norway, and made the Danes Christians. " The image of the crucifixion of Christ has been preserved on the southwestern side of the stone. On the third side there are drawings of mythical animals.
Next to the Runestones are burial grounds and a whitewashed stone church, the predecessor of three wooden churches that were destroyed by fires.
During their long history, the stones were exposed to natural elements and cracks began to appear on them, rune inscriptions began to wear off, then the Danes decided to cover the runes with glass protective caps.
Today the Runestones are the hallmark of the city.
