Denmark is a nation in northern Europe that has its capital in the city of Copenhagen. During the Victorian era, the Gangrel vampires thrived and dominated the country.
Overview[]
Pre-history[]
The first humans, Stone Age hunter-gatherers, moved into what would become Denmark around 10,000 BC, when the last ice age began to wane. Here they found a rich natural resource--flint. Flint is normally rare, but Denmark's geology made it abundant which lead to an explosion in tool making. Around 3900 BC, the people living in what would become Denmark shifted from hunter-gatherers to farmers. This was probably due to the introduction of grain by migrating farmers coming from the south. This slowly allowed for an increase in population and the establishment of villages and towns, which in turn led to the establishment of a more sophisticated society. Scandinavia entered the Bronze Age relatively late compared to the rest of Europe. However, somewhere around 1700 BC trade with the lands to the south brought the new metal to Denmark. This transition is shown clearly in some of the latest flint weapons and tools found, which had started to copy the style of the new bronze implements. When the Bronze Age finally took hold, it created a golden age of culture, religion, and art. This included elaborate rock carvings, highly decorated objects, and the massive stone burial mounds known as "stone ships" because of their shape.
The Iron Age, when the people of Denmark began extracting iron ore from peat bogs, coincided with a change in the climate making it cooler and wetter. This limited agriculture, caused a great deal of migration and ended the cultural golden age. The Romans never made it all the way to Denmark, but beginning sometime around the first century AD they established a solid trade network. This has been evidenced by finds both in Denmark and in the Roman provinces. Several artifacts and archaeological sites exist from these times, including the Gundestrup Cauldron, the Sun Wagon, and numerous burial mounds. Unlike southern Europe, Denmark saw no invasions or large migrations during this period--instead, Denmark transitioned more or less smoothly from the Iron Age to the Viking Age, with the Viking Age being a great societal upheaval coming from within, rather than from outside.
Viking Age[]
The start of the Viking Age is generally accepted to be the 8th of June, 793. This was the date when Vikings raided and destroyed the monastery at Lindisfarne in England. While this was unlikely to be the first Viking raid, it is the first recorded. The Viking Age was a combination of numerous factors; the Medieval Warm Period allowed for better farming, leading to a population explosion, which meant that the lands of Scandinavia could eventually not support all the people. Advances in the technology of shipbuilding, as well as in seamanship, allowed the Norse to sail far beyond their own borders. A strong warrior culture rose in Scandinavia, with most adult males becoming trained fighters. And the growth of trade in all of Europe, bringing wealth to towns and cities, coupled with a relatively weak centralized power, meant that said towns and cities were relatively poorly defended.
During the Viking Age, the Scandinavians traveled far in their quest to raid and trade. The Norwegians went to Ireland, Iceland and, eventually, all the way to North America. The Swedes travelled down the eastern rivers and one Swedish tribe, the Rus, founded Kiev and gave their name to what would eventually become the biggest country in the world. Vikings from Denmark, meanwhile, sailed to England, as well as down the coast of Western Europe, raiding Paris and other big cities. Some Vikings made it all the way to Constantinople, where they became the Varangian Guard--the Byzantine Emperor's personal bodyguards. The Vikings were, generally, an imposing lot in those times. The abundance of food, especially meat, in Scandinavia meant that the average Viking man stood just under six feet tall in a time where the average English or French peasant was a full foot shorter. As time went by and a more central authority arose in the northern lands, larger raids were established. Most famously, the Danes took over a huge swath of England, which became known as the Danelaw. They were also granted the duchy of Normandy by the French king as payment for promising not to raid Paris again.
During the Viking Age, culture and society flourished in Denmark and large cities with up to 5,000 inhabitants, such as Ribe and Hedeby, were established. Laws became extremely important, artistic endeavor entered another golden age, and riches, obtained through both trade and raiding, flowed into Denmark. Stories of Vikings and their culture made their way far south, both through the Varangians and through a few intrepid merchants and explorers. Among the Norse, they found two legends of destructive serpents that tied into the Followers' own mythology: Jormundgandr the Midgard Serpent, prophesized to swallow the sun during Ragnarok, the end of the world, and Nidhogg, the serpent that gnawed at the roots of Ask Yggdrasil, the World Tree.
According to modern scholars, Harald accepted Christianity because it would offer some protection against powerful southern nobles who were themselves Christian, and because it would be easier for Danes to trade with southerners if they were themselves of that faith. Most scholars set the end of the Viking Age at the 25th of September 1066, when the last great Viking army was defeated at the Battle of Stamford Bridge, or the 10th of July 1086, when King Canute the Great died and the unifying central power of Scandinavia died with him. The Viking way had slowly but surely become less and less effective with the rise of centralized power in the hands of European kings and nobles, who could fortify towns and cities and raise large armies to repel the Viking raiders.
Middle Ages[]
After the end of the Viking Age, Denmark was three countries in one. Jutland (along with the island of Funen), Zealand, and Scania. In order to become king of Denmark, the pretender not only had to be of royal blood, but also be acknowledged as king in all three of these lands. This happened by traveling to the central thing (and old word for council) and being acknowledged by the nobles there assembled. In the middle of the 12th century, this led to a crisis, as each of the three things supported a different candidate; Svend, Knud, or Valdemar. The result was a civil war and in 1157, Valdemar won, by virtue of being the sole survivor, and became the unified King of Denmark. He went on to abolish the system of kings being elected by things and instituted the kind of monarchy that we know today, with male primogeniture. With the help of his foster brother, Absalon, Bishop of Roskilde, he went on to unite and rebuild Denmark, reorganize the running of the country to make it one of the more powerful countries in Europe and earning him the name Valdemar the Great. Valdemar would go on to make numerous changes to Denmark, in many ways modernizing the country and bringing it in line with the rest of western Europe.
With Denmark united as one country, Absalon saw the need for a central capitol. Due to Danish dominance of the waters between the Baltic and the North Sea, Absalon chose eastern Zealand for his new city. It was a place where the king could dominate the Oresund, the traditional sailing route to and from the Baltic Sea. Absalon recognized the immense wealth and power that came from controlling this sea route and soon, the new city of Kobenhavn (meaning Merchant's Harbor) was finished. For the Kindred of Denmark, the unification also had wide-reaching consequences. Naturally, different factions had backed different pretenders to the throne in the hopes of gained wealth, power, and status if their candidate won. With the victory of Valdemar and his centralization of power, the Prince of Roskilde (the old capitol of Zealand) found himself in a very strong position. Slowly, but surely, he extended his reach to the point that when Valdemar's son, Valdemar II the Victorious, made Denmark an even more powerful nation, the entire country was also one domain, under one Prince. It made sense, really, since Denmark was still not a populous country and its biggest cities could only support so many vampires. The Prince of Denmark moved his seat of power to Copenhagen and the country was divided into several regions, each of which would have its own Lord or Lady, subservient to the Prince. Each Lord or Lady would also be the Prince of a city and hold court from there. This system exists to this night, although the regions have changed somewhat.
Both Valdemars added substantially to the territory of Denmark and warred with both German and Swedish nobles. Valdemar I conquered the pagan Wends of northern Germany, while his son launched crusades against the heathens in eastern Europe, most notably in Estonia. Legend has it that it was during the Battle of Lyndanisse in Estonia that the Danish national flag, Dannebrog, fell from the sky as a gift from God to show the Danes that their cause was right and just. Whatever the truth, Denmark has the oldest national flag in the world. Denmark settled much of what is now the Baltic Lands, especially Estonia and Lithuania. During this time, the wealth of Denmark grew and so did the vampiric population. There was peace and prosperity, and any disagreements or rivalries were handled with social and political battles, rather than open hostility. Kindred society in Denmark slowly but surely became a mirror of the courts to the south, further securing stability. Near the end of his reign, King Valdemar II created the Code of Jutland, a comprehensive set of laws that were used for four centuries years.
After Valdemar II, Denmark entered a period of slow decline, culminating with the disastrous reign of King Christopher II in the early 14th century. King Christopher was obsessed with winning territory, but he kept losing his wars and needing money. He ended off pawning off most of Denmark to various North German counts and most of the rest of the country to Sweden. When he died, the counts that owned most of Denmark even kept his son, Valdemar, off the throne for eight years and ruled Denmark more or less directly.
A ray of hope for Denmark came in the form of King Valdemar IV, who took the throne after Denmark rebelled against the German counts. Valdemar proved a capable ruler who managed to reclaim most of the pawned territory. During his reign, the Black Death reached Denmark, putting something of a damper on the celebration of Denmark's Kindred. While territory was being reclaimed, the many deaths strained the resources and to make it all worse, the Inquisition began to stir. In 1360, Valdemar IV made the mistake of conquering the island of Gotland and the city of Visby. Visby was a member of the extremely powerful Hanseatic League, a union of mainly powerful German trading cities, which already resented Denmark for the Oresund toll. The League allied with Sweden and brought Valdemar to his knees, even going so far as exiling him and letting the Hanseatic League control the Oresund. He was allowed to return only after granting numerous rights to the Hanseatic League.
The Kalmar Union[]
Valdemar's daughter, Margaret, found herself married to the King of Norway. She gave him a son, Olaf, and when King Valdemar IV died in 1375 without male issue, Margaret skillfully maneuvered her own son into position as the heir to both Norway and Denmark. Due to her husband's connection to the Swedish throne, it was conceivable that Olaf could One day also become the king of Sweden. Since Olaf was too young to rule, Margaret and her husband became regents of Denmark. When Margaret's husband died, she proved her political mettle by being named regent of both Norway and Denmark, while still lobbying to have her son made the heir to the Swedish throne. Swedish nobles who were unhappy with their king conspired with Margaret, but in 1387, Olaf died, at 17 years old. Undeterred, Margaret managed to have herself declared ruler of Norway and Denmark and, with the help of the rebellious Swedish nobles, even became ruler of that country, uniting Scandinavia as "Sovereign Lady and Ruler"-- all while fending off the Hanseatic League and rebellious nobles of her own. This united Scandinavia became known as the Kalmar Union, after the castle where Margaret was crowned.
Margaret never remarried and never had another son. Instead, she adopted her sister's son Bogislav under the name Eric of Pomerania, and when Margaret died in 1412 he followed her on the throne. Sadly, Eric lacked Margaret's political acumen and failed to hold the three countries together. He also got himself embroiled in difficult foreign affairs in Germany. He nearly managed to break up the Kalmar Union and the three countries deposed him in 1449. He was followed by his nephew Christian I, who was elected King of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, despite the misgivings about the Kalmar Union, whose members were growing disillusioned with the Union as a whole. However, both Christian I and his son and heir, Hans, failed to reinforce the Kalmar Union and alienated Sweden. Hans' heir, Christian II, was a more skilled politician and managed to invade and conquer Sweden in an attempt to reunify the three countries. Unfortunately, once Sweden was conquered, Christian had 100 leaders of the anti-unionist forces killed in what became known as the Stockholm Bloodbath, effectively ending the Kalmar Union for good.
Denmark would eventually convert from Catholicism to Protestantism, specifically Lutheranism. In Denmark, this was very much due to one charismatic preacher, the Hospitaller monk Hans Tausen, who preached the teachings of Martin Luther. King Frederick I of Denmark made Tausen his person chaplain in 1526 and instituted a policy of tolerance for Lutherans in Denmark. This led to numerous clashes between Catholics and Protestants, to the delight of many of Denmark's Kindred. While some of them had their power base within the Catholic Church, the Inquisition was not forgotten. The hope was that the Lutheran Protestants would present less of a problem. When Frederick I died, the State Council refused to recognize his son, Christian III, as king, due to Christian's strong Lutheran faith. Instead, they asked Count Christopher of Oldenburg to become Danish regent. This kicked off a three-year civil war in Denmark between the two pretenders for the throne, each of them championing a different interpretation of Christianity. Ironically, while the Lutheran cause received strong support from Clan Brujah, the Catholics had a large army of peasant rebels fighting for them. The civil war ended with Christian III becoming King of Denmark and instituting the Danish National Church, making Lutheranism the state religion. Catholic priests and bishops could either convert to Lutheranism or face jail and exile. The crown took over churches, abbeys, priories, and cathedrals, as well as church land, giving it to nobles, the new Lutheran church, or keeping it for the king.
Changeling: The Dreaming[]
The Kingdom of Jutland encompasses Denmark.
Locations[]
- Copenhagen (capital city)
- Christiania
- Jutland (historical region)
- Scania (historical region)
- Zealand (historical region)
Non-canon[]
The Kindred history of Denmark is heavily described in Denmark by Night, a non-canonical sourcebook authored by Jacob Klünder.
Prehistory to Viking Age[]
Kindred historians believe that two powerful and ancient Gangrel came to Scandinavia during the early Bronze Age and later awoke from torpor in Denmark during the Viking Age. It’s highly unlikely that any other Clans came through at that point, though trade networks meant that some of them must have been aware of the existence of the Danish Bronze Age culture. Mystically inclined Kindred have found a few magical artifacts and places of power from this time and they are constantly searching for more. The population of the region, however, was still not large and centralized enough to attract anything other than nomadic vampires. In fact, there are Elders from Roman times who remember sending ghouls north or paying wandering Gangrel for information about the lands north of the Roman frontier. These vampires recall that the lands were considered unfit for anyone but the savages of Clan Gangrel. During the Iron Age, animal and human sacrifice also became a not-uncommon part of ritualistic life in Denmark. Some Kindred historians wonder if this was influenced by vampires setting themselves up as gods or spirits and procuring blood through these sacrifices.
During the height of the Viking Age, this was when the Clans of Europe began to take notice and move north. Unsurprisingly, Clan Gangrel was the first. In fact, a few Gangrel had already made Scandinavia their home before the Viking Age and some of them decided to establish a more permanent home in one of the new settlements. In addition, two ancient, and unnamed, Gangrel rose from torpor at this point, making their presence felt all across Scandinavia. One of these came into conflict with the Gangrel Methuselah known as the All-High, who had moved to Uppsala when the Roman Empire collapsed. She eventually conceded defeat and moved north, into the land of the Sami people. The second ancient traveled all over southern Scandinavia, especially Scania, in what is now southern Sweden, and Denmark, and sired a number of prominent Gangrel. When Christianity came to Denmark, this unnamed Methuselah disappeared--some believe him destroyed, others think he lies in torpor somewhere in Scandinavia, maybe on the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea.
When the other Clans came to Denmark during the Viking Age, they were surprised to find that there were not only Gangrel present, but that these Gangrel seemed to have shed all of the nomadic nature that most of the southern vampires ascribed to them. They had taken the name Einherjar, after the dead warriors of Ásatrú mythology. These Gangrel were as much drawing power and influence from the Viking civilization as the Ventrue and Toreador of the southern lands were from the nations there. After Clan Gangrel, the most numerous Kindred to settle in Denmark during the Viking Age were the Brujah and Toreador. The Brujah were attracted by many things: the warlike nature of the Vikings, the fact that their religion stood in stark opposition to the Christianity of the south, their strong and, for the times, somewhat fair and just set of laws, and the innovations they displayed in ship design and sailing. Clan Toreador, meanwhile, found themselves attracted by the strong artistic streak running through everything the Vikings produced, as well as their music, poetry, and storytelling. Some Kindred scholars remark with scorn that the Vikings' legendary cleanliness was a result of Toreador influence. Clan Ventrue also made its presence felt, but they disliked the fact that Clan Gangrel had established themselves as the leaders in Denmark. Eventually, Clan Ventrue would collude with Clan Lasombra in bringing Christianity to the Norse countries in a bid to oust Clan Gangrel, whose members identified strongly with the Ásatrú religion. Clan Lasombra eventually made its way into Denmark along with Christianity, but never in great numbers. Of the rest of the Clans, three others had a minor presence in Denmark. A few Malkavians made their way there, drawn by the stories that the Vikings had powerful divination magic that could foretell the future. Some Nosferatu, especially the more monstrous of their kind, came to Denmark for various reasons. But it was the Followers of Seth who would make the greatest impact.
The Elders of the Setite Clan decided to examine what possibilities lay in Denmark and sent a pair of Clan members to investigate. The Setites tapped into Norse mythology and formed the Followers of Jormundgandr, made up of mortals, ghouls, and locally Embraced Setites. Their aim was to bring about the end of the civilized aspect of Viking culture while simultaneously urging the Vikings on to perpetrate bloodier and more destructive raids upon the Christian world. The Followers of Jormundgandr made their home in Hedeby, and from there they spread their influence. For a while, they were successful, but a young and foolish Follower overextended himself and revealed the existence and plans of the Setites to the vampires of Scandinavia. As a result, the most powerful vampires used their considerable influence to fan the flames of conflict between Denmark and other enemies and made Hedeby a target. In 1050, King Harald Hardrada of Norway sacked the city by sending burning ships into the harbor and in 1066, eastern Slavs sacked and burned Hedeby. All Followers of Set were either destroyed, driven into torpor or fled south.
Kindred scholars wonder if the missionary Poppo was blessed by the power of True Faith or if he was some kind of faithful sorcerer. Whatever the case, the introduction of Christianity led to massive battles between traditionalist vampires and those who supported the new religion. While the battle lines weren't drawn solely by Clan, it's safe to say that the pagan side was mainly Gangrel and Brujah, supported by Clan Malkavian and some Nosferatu, while the Christian side was mainly Ventrue and Lasombra from the south. Clan Toreador was more or less split down the middle. In the end, more than a century after Christianity had been accepted by Harald Bluetooth, nightly battles ended with a tenuous victory for the Christian side and most of the surviving Ásatrú vam-pires headed further north, to lands where the old ways still held sway. The rest either converted or bent their knee and kept their faith to themselves. This saw the end of Gangrel dominance in Denmark and the rise of Clans Ventrue, Lasombra and Toreador.
Middle Ages[]
For the vampires of Denmark, the 14th century was a bleak time, as it saw the rise of the first Anarchs. Taking advantage of a peasant revolt, the Anarchs challenged the rule of the Elders. Already weakened by their struggles with German and Swedish vampires who wanted to move into Danish territory, the Danish Elders found themselves pushed to the brink. Only savage retaliation managed to suppress the Anarchs, something that resulted in animosity and hostility among both surviving Anarchs and those young vampires who had not joined the fight. During the Black Death and Inquisition, the Elders of Denmark closed ranks, letting many of the younger vampires fend for themselves in a time of scarce blood and vampire hunters.
The meteoric rise of Queen Margaret came as a total surprise to the Kindred of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. When it became clear just how skilled a politician she was, the vampire Prince of Denmark declared Margaret off limits to any other vampire. Kindred historians say that he himself met with her, possibly exploring the option of making her his ghoul or at least bring her under his control, but nothing seems to have come of it. When the Kalmar Union became a reality, the powerful vampires of Norway and Sweden initially resisted, but they soon saw the possibilities that the union offered, especially as they could make a common front against the vampires of the Hanseatic League, who had long profited off the League's dominance in Scandinavia. Under Margaret, the Elders of all three nations presented an outward image of solidarity.
During the early times of the Kalmar Union, the Anarch Movement arose in strength all over Europe. Powered by the scarcity of blood created by the Black Death and the dangers posed by the Inquisition, the Anarch Movement appealed to neonates and ancilla Kindred who resented being used as expendable pawns by the Elders. Numerous Elders fell to the fangs of the Anarchs, and the battles among Kindred alerted the Inquisition, allowing them to strike against even the most secretive vampire. Even Antediluvians were not immune, and a shock went through the Kindred world when it was announced that both the Lasombra and Tzimisce Clan founders had fallen to the Anarchs. Denmark was not immune to the strife. Elders who had thought their position secure either found Final Death at the hands of Anarchs or Inquisitors, were driven into torpor, or fled to other lands.
Kindred historians in Denmark mark this time as the first recorded reference to the mystery of Bornholm. Until the Anarch Revolt, there was no record of any vampire setting foot on the island of Bornholm. Now, one or more Elders sailed here, either to make this their new domain or as a stopping-off point on their way further east. Whatever the case, none of them were heard from again. When the Convention of Thorns established the Camarilla and supposedly ended the Anarch Revolt, Denmark nominally became a member of the Camarilla. Never a populous country when it came to vampires, the Kindred population had been decimated by the Revolt and the Inquisition, and the remaining vampires just wanted peace. In addition, most of them belonged to the traditional Camarilla Clans, with only Clan Lasombra having any real presence, and most of whom were Elders who preferred the Camarilla to the Anarchs. This, however, was not to last. When the Sabbat formed from the ashes of the Anarch Movement, they found themselves hounded by the Camarilla. Some fled to the New World, but others moved north, to Scandinavia. After a tense number of years, the Kindred of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden decided not to make an issue of the situation.
In Denmark, most Camarilla vampires congregated in Copenhagen and the other big cities and left the rest of the country to the Sabbat. These Sabbat vampires, in return, were not warlike fanatics, but rather old philosophers, who saw the Sabbat as a more natural expression of the vampiric condition. And so, for centuries, the Camarilla and the Sabbat managed to coexist in Denmark. For their part, the Inner Circle had bigger things to worry about and never really made an issue of the situation.
Modern history[]
Denmark is a small but strong, country that presents a powerful and united façade to the outside world. It is a place of traditions, ruled by Elders centuries old, but with plenty of opportunity for the young, industrious Kindred. Theoretically Camarilla, Denmark's connection to the Ivory Tower has at times been tenuous. Even now the Inner Circle knows that should they press Denmark too hard, or interfere too severely in the affairs of the local Kindred, they might find Denmark declaring themselves neutral or defecting to the Sabbat. With Denmark being the gateway to both Sweden and Norway, the Camarilla can ill afford to lose their foothold in the north and as such, tread carefully. As united as Denmark might seem to the outside, it is far from immune to the intrigues and politicking that characterizes vampiric societies the world over. As small as Denmark is, resources are somewhat limited and battles social, political and even physical are waged constantly between factions and individual vampires. On top of all this, Denmark contains its share of mysteries and dangers. While Denmark has little to no wild nature left, the streets and plantation forests are still home to lupines that will attack vampires with little provocation. And although Denmark is strongly secular, there are still hunters there, remnants of ancient families and religious brotherhoods that know what stalks the night. During the summer, the exceptionally short nights puts extra pressure on the already large Kindred population. And on the island of Bornholm, something is killing any vampire foolish enough to set foot on the rocks.
When it comes to Kindred politics, Denmark presents a rather unique power structure; the entire country is under the rule of a single Prince, who prefers not to be called that, with each area being the domain of a lesser Prince.