YGGDRASIL

MENTAL LANDSCAPES Yggdrasil, Asgard und Vanaheim
Submission for a competition Danevirke+Haithabu, commissioned by Schleswig Holstein (D). In collaboration with B+B.

The Danevirke is a defence wall from the early Middle Ages near today’s border between Germany and Denmark. The settlement Haithabu was a port with trade relations and thus had cultural connections as far as the Middle East. However, in today’s landscape the relics of Danevirke and Haithabu are so well hidden it is hard to distinguish them. They have a similar hidden presence in our history, because what does the average European know about Scandinavian culture and Vikings from the early Middle Ages? Danevirke and Haithabu are on German territory since the 19th century, but are not as much part of the German history as they are of Danish and Scandinavian traditions. Their weak image and subtle presence gives them a difficult starting position to present themselves against outside pressures. We view the subtle presence of these relics as an extraordinary quality, but suggest making a deep impact in the mental landscape. There is much interest in (literary) history in and of the landscape, and love for the historical novel is growing. This is why, besides placing new relics and rituals in the landscape, we want to invite a novelist to write a historical novel that shows Viking culture in its many different aspects and besides gives an idea about the broad trade relations of Haithabu.

Design period; September – October 2009
Click HERE for a booklet about YGGDRASIL (German)