DISCOVER THE FLAX DUNE!

If one defines a picture stone as an ornate stone without writing, then Denmark's only picture stone from the Viking Age is found in the porch of Hørdum church.

The stone was found in 1954 during the excavation of the foundations for a new church tower. It was lying face down as a threshold stone for a trap door. When the stone was removed, a terrible thunderstorm is said to have broken out. No wonder, since the only safe ancient Danish portrait of the god of thunder, Thor, was removed.

The stone depicts Thor's attempt to hook the Midgard Serpent. This fishing trip is one of the most popular Norse myths. It was known wherever the Vikings went, and according to one saga, the event adorned the wall of the Hjardarholt farm, which was built in Iceland in 975. Snorre recounted the myth in his Edda, which briefly contains the following dramatic event:

Thor had taken the bull by the horns and had then torn off the head and taken it as bait on the fishing trip with the giant Hymer. As intended, the Midgard Serpent bit the hook. Since it was so large that it wriggled all around the world, it understandably caused a considerable tug on the fishing line. Thor had to haul so hard that his feet went through the bottom of the boat. But as the monster's spider-spewing head approached the rail, Hymer was so frightened that he cut the line. This is precisely the situation depicted on the stone.

Until now, it was thought that the Midgard snake had lost its head due to a flaking. But in 1993, the monster's triangular head appeared in the glare of a flashlight. The symbol of evil is alive and well!

Source tohmas.dk