Official name is Borgring BorreringThe Danish Castle Centre and Aarhus University: ''Enigmatic Viking Fortress discovered in Denmark''
/ref>Københavns Universitet, Nordisk Forskningsinstitut, 5. September 2014: Navnet på vikingeborgen
n Danish/ref>Anders Petersen: ''Vallø og Omegn. En historisk Skildring'', Copenhagen, 1877. (p. 252) n Danish/ref>Harald Andersen: "De glemte borge" in Skalk, 1992, No. 1, p. 19-30 n Danish/ref>Skovbo Lokalhistoriske Forening, Gammel Lellinge (19 March 2009)
n Danish/ref>Stednavne som kilde til yngre jernalders centralpladser, Lisbeth Eilersgaard Christensen, 2010
n Danish/ref>Stednavne som kilde til centralpladskomplekser i Danmark, Namn och bygd, Årg. 99 (2011), p. 59–86
n Danish/ref>Danmarks Stednavne - Borrering (0221. Højelse s., Ramsø h.)
n Danish/ref> (1682: ''Borre Ring''; 1877 & 1992: ''Borrering'') also known as ''Vallø Borgring''Lokalarkiv raser over navn på vikinge-borg, Dagbladet, 09.09.2014
n Danish/ref>"Vallø Stift ser turismemuligheder", Dagbladet, 5. September 2014, p. 17 n Danish/ref> or ''Vallo ring-fortress'' (also ''Borgringen ved Lellinge'', ''Lellinge Ringborg'',Facebook Group about Lellinge Ringborg (in Danish)
n Danish/ref> ''Borgring'', ''Borgerring'', ''Borring'' and other names) is a Danish

Viking Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...

fortification A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere' ...

located on

Zealand Zealand ( da, Sjælland ) at 7,031 km2 is the largest and most populous island in Denmark proper (thus excluding Greenland and Disko Island, which are larger in size). Zealand had a population of 2,319,705 on 1 January 2020. It is the 1 ...

, east of Gammel l.Lellingegaard in the parish of Højelse and north-east of Lellinge. The ring sits on land under the Chapter of Vallø (the land and Gl. Lellingegaard has been a part of the estate of Vallø (later Chapter of Vallø) since 1721).

Description

Borrering is

circular Circular may refer to: * The shape of a circle * ''Circular'' (album), a 2006 album by Spanish singer Vega * Circular letter (disambiguation) ** Flyer (pamphlet), a form of advertisement * Circular reasoning, a type of logical fallacy * Circular ...

in shape and spans 145 metres across and thus ranks third among the original, Danish

Viking ring fortress A Viking ring fortress, or Trelleborg-type fortress, is a type of circular fort of a special design, built in Scandinavia during the Viking Age. Collectively, they may also be known as trelleborgs. These fortresses have a strictly circular shape, ...

es. It featured a 10–11-meter wide

rampart Rampart may refer to: * Rampart (fortification), a defensive wall or bank around a castle, fort or settlement Rampart may also refer to: * "O'er the Ramparts We Watched" is a key line from "The Star-Spangled Banner", the national anthem of the ...

and was shielded by a palisade, made by pointed wooden stakes. No fortification moat has been uncovered, but the Ellebækken stream running due west of the fortification might have offered a natural defence as might a small lake to the north/north-east. During the excavation in 2014 the northern and eastern gates were found exactly where they would be expected to be in a trelleborg-type fortification. Borrering could join the group of trelleborgs which include

Trelleborg Trelleborg () is a town in Skåne County, Sweden, with 43,359 inhabitants as of December 31, 2015. It is the southernmost town in Sweden located some west from the southernmost point of Sweden and the Scandinavian peninsula. It is one of the ...

at Slagelse,

Nonnebakken Nonnebakken (literally, "The Nun Hill") is a hill in Odense, Denmark. It is the site of one of Denmark's six former Viking ring castles, built during the reign of Sweyn Forkbeard, who had forced his father Harold Bluetooth to leave the country a ...

Odense Odense ( , , ) is the third largest city in Denmark (behind Copenhagen and Aarhus) and the largest city on the island of Funen. As of 1 January 2022, the city proper had a population of 180,863 while Odense Municipality had a population of 20 ...

Fyrkat Fyrkat is a former Viking ring castle in Denmark, dating from c. 980 AD. It is located near the town of Hobro, some distance from the present end of the Mariager Fjord in Northern Jutland. The fortress is built on a narrow piece of land, with a s ...

Hobro Hobro () is an old market and railway town in Region Nordjylland on the Jutland peninsula in northern Denmark. It has a population of 12,071 (1 January 2022). The town is situated in a hilly terrain at the head of Mariager Fjord, close to the ...

and

Aggersborg Aggersborg is the largest of Denmark's former Viking ring fortress, and one of the largest archaeological sites in Denmark. It is located near Aggersund on the north side of the Limfjord. It consists of a circular rampart surrounded by a ditch. ...

next to The

Limfjord The Limfjord ( common Danish: ''Limfjorden'' , in north Jutlandish dialect: ''Æ Limfjord'') is a shallow part of the sea, located in Denmark where it has been regarded as a fjord ever since Viking times. However, it now has inlets both from ...

. These fortifications have all been dated to ca. 980 a.d. However, conclusive dating of Borrering remains to be done. During the

Viking Age The Viking Age () was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonizing, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. It followed the Migration Period and the Germ ...

the fortress would have enjoyed a strategic, geographical advantage overlooking the intersection of the old high roads from

Roskilde Roskilde ( , ) is a city west of Copenhagen on the Danish island of Zealand. With a population of 51,916 (), the city is a business and educational centre for the region and the 10th largest city in Denmark. It is governed by the administrative ...

and

Ringsted Ringsted is a city located centrally in the Danish island of Zealand. It is the seat of a municipality of the same name. Ringsted is situated approximately 60 km from Copenhagen. Tourism and transport Ringsted is one of Denmark's busies ...

extending as far as the two streams in Køge Ådal, which at this time was a ship-ready

fjord In physical geography, a fjord or fiord () is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Alaska, Antarctica, British Columbia, Chile, Denmark, Förden and East Jutland Fjorde, Germany, ...

and one of the best

natural port A harbor (American English), harbour (British English; see spelling differences), or haven is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is a ...

s on Zealand, offering easy access to the Bay of Køge.

Name

Borrering is the name of the fortress as well as the area. The written sources for this dates back to 1682. The name has been subject to some modification through the ages leading to a plethora of variations in different contexts. The name may also have been used either to denote the Viking Age fortification itself or the bank immediately east of Gl. Lellingegård: :«the place name with great certitude has moved geographically. Maps from the late 1800s will reveal Borgring or Boring to be the name of a small forest some 300 metres west of the ring fortress.» In 1682 the name Borrering is also synonymous with ''Borre Rings Aggere'' and ''Borre Rings Agre''. An undated land register (pre-1850 ?) supplies the name ''Borrerings Mark'', and a guide from 1860 offers ''Borgrings Marken''. Military and topographical maps through the ages contain versions such as ''Boring'' (1897) and ''Borgring'' (1911, 1941 and 1983), and a forest map from 1925 uses ''Borgringen''. In 1875, the variant ''Borgerring'' was used. In 1877 Anders Petersen uses the form ''Borrering'' in his book: ''Vallø og Omegn''. The 3rd and 4th editions of Trap Danmark (Statistisk-topografisk Beskrivelse af Kongeriget Danmark) from 1898 and 1921, respectively, use the name ''Borgering''. The version ''Borring'' appears in an old

legend A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived, both by teller and listeners, to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess ...

, and is used a few times between 1911 and 1946.Nationalmuseet, Danmarks Kirker, Højelse Kirke (Vol. III - Københavns Amt, bind 2 (1946) Page: 1237)
n Danish/ref>N. P. Nielsen: ''Det gamle Højelse. Historiske Minder fra Byen og Omegnen'', Slagelse, 1919. (p. 23) n Danish/ref> All Danish fortifications used to be registered by the Danish National Museum's Department of

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

even when finds, such as Borrering, were not from that age. The Museum registered the ring fortress as ''Borrering'', and when Harald Andersen submitted an article to the magazine Skalk in 1992 in which he "dragged" the pre-Medieval fortifications out of the darkness, ''Borrering'' was consequently referred to in this version: :«''Borrering'', ''Højelse parish. Circular embankment/grave about 140 m. across, today used for farming. Find dating from early Roman times.''» :«''Two major fortresses on Bornholm ... both from late Iron Age, are clearly refuges while it is less clear if this is also the case with the two remaining fortresses of this magnitude, viz. '' ''a circular fortress located just outside

Køge Køge (, older spelling ''Kjøge'') is a seaport on the coast of Køge Bugt (''Bay of Køge'') 39 km southwest of Copenhagen. It is the principal town and seat of Køge Municipality, Region Sjælland, Denmark. In 2022, the urban area had a ...

, pottery-dated to Roman times'', ''and ...'» :"''Borrering'', ''Højelse s. Kredsrund vold/grav, ca 140 m i diam., nu helt nedpløjet. Fund fra ældre romertid.''" n Danish :"''To storborge på Bornholm ...begge dateret til yngre jernalder, er utvivlsomt tilflugtssteder, mens det er mere usikkert, om det samme gælder de to andre anlæg, som endnu er tilbage i denne størrelsesklasse, nemlig'' ''en kredsrund borg beliggende tæt uden for Køge, skårdateret til romertid'', ''og ...'" n Danish The name ''Borrering'' has therefore been used several times since 1992, e.g. in 2009, 2010 and 2011. The primary name of ''Borrering'' has been recorded by The Department of Nordic Research (Nordisk Forskningsinstitut) at

University of Copenhagen The University of Copenhagen ( da, Københavns Universitet, KU) is a prestigious public research university in Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in Scandinavia after Uppsala Unive ...

, although the department only records instances found on maps and in land registers while ignoring literature and other institutes. Therefore, the versions of the name used by Sophus Müller, Trap Danmark, during the excavations led by Thorkild Ramskou in 1971–72, in the National Museum registry and Harald Andersen are not mentioned. The department has not registered usage of the recent past. This means that the recordings of The Department of Nordic Research as for now is of limited usability as a source to naming convention and usage concerning ''Borrering'' over the years - including the recent years. Lately, other versions have appeared almost supplanting the original name. Especially in 2013–2014 there has been a trend towards new names for the fortress. ''Borgringen ved Lellinge'' has been used a few times in 2013–2014, and the shorter version ''Borgring'' on several occasions. The Chapter of Vallø stirred waters when, during publication of the preliminary excavation results in September 2014, they wanted to rename the fortress ''Vallø Borgring''. In response to this and following vocal opposition, a

Facebook group Facebook is a social-network service website launched on February 4, 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg. The following is a list of software and technology features that can be found on the Facebook website and mobile app and are available to users of t ...

was created on 8 September 2014 to promote the name ''Lellinge Ringborg''. This version has been used by the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde. "Borre" as a name or word has several denotations in

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...

, but for this discussion it seems most relevant to consider "fortified site" or just "fortress". So, in terms of naming, Borrering becomes part of a group of pre-historic fortifications that include Borremose fortified settlement in

Himmerland Himmerland is a peninsula in northeastern Jutland, Denmark. It is delimited to the north and the west by the Limfjord, to the east by the Kattegat, and to the south by the Mariager Fjord. The largest city is Aalborg; smaller towns include Hobro, ...

, Borreknold on Falster and Borrehoved on Bornholm.

Legends

It is said about the largest

church bell A church bell in Christian architecture is a bell which is rung in a church for a variety of religious purposes, and can be heard outside the building. Traditionally they are used to call worshippers to the church for a communal service, and to ...

in Højelse that ''..., upon its inaugural knell, the ancient castle of »Borring« by Lellinge stream sank deep into the earth''.

Research history

The place ''Borre Ring '' is first mentioned in a 1682 land register as part of Christian V's cadastral map. The fortress is reportedly outlined on an 1805 land map of Lellingegård. The fortress was first codified by Sophus Müller in 1875: :«''Right to the east of the farm l. Lellingegaardlies a bank called "Borgerring" and by virtue of its location next to the stream ..'» although no certain date has been offered. The

US Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sig ...

aerial photo ( ortho-photo) from ''Basic Cover 1954'' and provided by

COWI COWI A/S is an international consulting group, specialising in engineering, environmental science and economics, with headquarters in Lyngby, Denmark. It has been involved in more than 50,000 projects in 175 countries and has approximately 7,300 em ...

shows the fortress as a somewhat blurry shadow on the field. It was only after echo-photography in November 1970 that it became clear that there might be an actual trelleborg near Lellinge (the circular structure was recognized on a photography by

warrant officer Warrant officer (WO) is a rank or category of ranks in the armed forces of many countries. Depending on the country, service, or historical context, warrant officers are sometimes classified as the most junior of the commissioned ranks, the mos ...

Valdemar Ryhl from

Air Base Karup Air Base Karup is the main air base of the Royal Danish Air Force. It is situated within Midtjyllands Airport, 3 km west of Karup in mid-Jutland. The air base covers 3000 hectares of land of which only a third is inside the operational area ...

). In 1971–72, the Danish National Museum, represented by Thorkild Ramskou, conducted

excavations In archaeology, excavation is the exposure, processing and recording of archaeological remains. An excavation site or "dig" is the area being studied. These locations range from one to several areas at a time during a project and can be condu ...

on the site, but the research technology available at the time left the embankment itself undated. Evidences of settlement and middens were dated to the

Roman Iron Age The archaeology of Northern Europe studies the prehistory of Scandinavia and the adjacent North European Plain, roughly corresponding to the territories of modern Sweden, Norway, Denmark, northern Germany, Poland and the Netherlands. The regi ...

. No evidence of later settlements was found at the excavation site. Prior to work there was a general expectation that the excavation would reveal and document that the fortress ring was from the

and similar to the other known Viking ring fortresses. This expectation, however, was not satisfied. Some forty years later, professor Søren Sindbæk of

University of Aarhus Aarhus University ( da, Aarhus Universitet, abbreviated AU) is a public research university with its main campus located in Aarhus, Denmark. It is the second largest and second oldest university in Denmark. The university is part of the Coimbra Gr ...

were working on a major book on

, when he recognized a clear pattern to the location of the other

fortresses A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

; it soon became clear that there was a fortress missing in eastern Zealand. The trelleborgs are placed a day's march apart, i.e. about 30–40 kilometres. This distance was also apparent between the nearest fortress Trelleborg at Slagelse and the now already known ''Borrering'' at Lellinge, which could not previously be counted as a Viking trelleborg. In 2014Excavations began on 18 September 2014. further archeological research by Danish Castle Centre and University of Aarhus and with some important help from Helen Goodchild from University of York showed that Borrering dates back to the 10th century. Remnants of burnt gates were also found possibly suggesting war activity of the kind found in Trelleborg at Slagelse, where nineteen arrows were found inside the fortress. Up until 2014, the fortress has only been mentioned a few times in literature, leaving one of the largest circular fortresses
land map of Lellingegård
from 1805 shows Borrering having an elliptic shape. in

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

in relative obscurity. As yet only minor sections of the fortress have been unearthed. Despite the geometric plan, in line with other trelleborgs, the gates of Borrering are not perfectly aligned north, east, south and west. The minor dislocation (11°) probably reflects concerns that the fortress would emerge asymmetrical in the landscape if the prevailing building principles were rigorously obeyed. Excavations will continue in 2015.

Builder

Harald Bluetooth Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson ( non, Haraldr Blátǫnn Gormsson; da, Harald Blåtand Gormsen, died c. 985/86) was a king of Denmark and Norway. He was the son of King Gorm the Old and of Thyra Dannebod. Harald ruled as king of Denmark from c. ...

is presumed to be the master builder of the other Danish trelleborg-type fortresses, and it seems plausible that he may indeed have built the ring fortress at Lellinge, too. The fortress remains to be conclusively dated, however, rendering Harald Bluetooth's involvement likely but not proven."Vikingeborg måske Harald Blåtands værk" by Katrine Wied, Dagbladet, 5. september 2014, p. 16-17 n Danish/ref>

Footnotes

References

External links

Press release
from Danish Castle Centre n Danish
''Newly Discovered Viking Fortress Could Have Been a Launch Point for Invading England''
by Rachel Nuwer,

Smithsonian.com ''Smithsonian'' is the official journal published by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The first issue was published in 1970. History The history of ''Smithsonian'' began when Edward K. Thompson, the retired editor of ''Life (magaz ...

, 9 September 2014
''Vikingeborg fundet ved Køge''
Sjællandske Medier, 5. September 2014 n Danish
''Vikingeborg kan ændre datering af Køge'' af Katrine Wied, Dagbladet (Sjællandske Medier), 5. September 2014, p. 16-17
n Danish
''Arkæologer: Flere vikingeborge vil dukke op''
Videnskab.dk, 9. September 2014 n Danish
''Borgring: the discovery of a Viking Age ring fortress''
by Helen Goodchild, Nanna Holm and Søren M. Sindbæk, Antiquity, Volume 91, Issue 358, August 2017, pp. 1027-1042 *''Science Magazine''. 2017.
Thousand-year-old Viking fortress reveals a technologically advanced society
" Includes a Q&A with Søren M. Sindbæk. {{coord, 55, 28, 11, N, 12, 7, 20, E, type:landmark_region:DK, display=title Viking ring fortresses Forts in Denmark Archaeological sites in Denmark