619 



DENMARK. 



General JL he kingdom of Denmark is composed of several 

 view. islands, as well as of part of the Continent of Europe. 

 ■"— "V™* 1 Of the islands, Zealand, in which the capital of the 

 kingdom stands, is the largest. The soil is sandy, but 

 fertile both in grain and pasturage ; and the face of the 

 country is agreeably diversified with woods and lakes. 

 Funen or Fioni is the second in extent, but the first 

 in fertility ; it is higher ground than Zealand, from 

 which it is separated by an arm of the sea, called the 

 Great Belt, so named to distinguish it from the Little Belt, 

 that divides it on the other side from Jutland. This 

 island is particularly celebrated for the richness of its 

 pasturage ; nor are those parts of it which are arable less 

 productive. The islands of Laland and Falster are 

 next in point of size ; the latter is abundantly produc- 

 tive of fruit ; and both are celebrated for the excellent 

 quality and large crops of wheat which are grown in 

 them. The other isles require no particular notice. 

 The head of that long peninsula, which is bounded on 

 the west by the Ocean, on the north and east by the 

 gulf called the Categate, and on the south by Holstein 

 and part of the Baltic, is called Jutland, and forms the 

 largest and most fertile of all the provinces of the king- 

 dom of Denmark. It raises grain, not only for its own 

 consumption, but also, in a great measure, for the sup- 

 port of Norway. A great number of small cattle are 

 likewise bred in this province, which are sent into 

 Holstein to be fattened for the markets of Amsterdam, 

 Lubeck, and Hamburgh. To the south of Jutland lies 

 the province of Holstein, which is bounded on the west 

 by the Ocean and the Elbe, on the east by the Baltic 

 sea, and on the south by part of the Electorate of Han- 

 over. Holstein possesses a soil still more fertile than 

 that of Jutland, and is supposed to furnish more excel- 



lent fat cattle, and provisions of all kinds, in proportion 

 to its size, than any other province of Europe. Its 

 climate is much more temperate and agreeable than that 

 of any other part of the kingdom of Denmark. Nor- 

 way is bounded on the north and west by Lapland and 

 the Ocean, and on the south and east by the .same Ocean 

 and Sweden. The interior of Norway is entirely com- 

 posed of mountains, covered with woods ; it is cold, dis- 

 agreeable, and uncultivated ; on the sea coast, however, 

 there are considerable tracts of fertile soil. To the 

 north of Norway, Lapland is situated, inhabited by a 

 race of people very different in figure, countenance, 

 language, and manner of living, from the people of 

 Norway. Such are the parts of the kingdom of Den- 

 mark, which lie contiguous to each other. Iceland, 

 which lies between the 63d and 67th degree of north lati- 

 tude,and between the 15th and 23d degree of west longi- 

 tude, first inhabited by a colony of Norwegians, after- 

 wards united to the crown of Norway, and thence pas- 

 sing under the power of Denmark, is a very large island, 

 almost entirely covered with rocks, high mountains, 

 and volcanic remains ; these, united to the extreme 

 coldness of the climate, render it a comfortless habita- 

 tion for a very thin population. From Iceland a colo- 

 ny was sent to Greenland ; but the eastern coast, on 

 which it settled, having been since blocked up by the 

 ice, this colony has been sought for in vain. Formerly 

 the Norwegians possessed the islands of Orkney and 

 Shetland; and the Danish monarch still retains the 

 Faroe isles, seventeen in number, producing a little 

 barley, and affording excellent pasturage for a few sheep. 

 The small possessions which belonged to Denmark in 

 the East and West Indies, have been captured from 

 them by Britain, during the French revolutionary war. 



Genera? 



Part I. HISTORY OF DENMARK. 



History. JVlucH doubt and conjecture have arisen respecting 

 ^•-^-y-^- the etymology of the name of Denmark. Saxogram- 

 maticus, the historian to whom we are principally in- 

 debted for our knowledge of the early history of this 

 Definition, kingdom, is of opinion that Denmark signifies the 

 kingdom of Dan, a monarch who is supposed to have 

 reigned 1038 years before Christ. By others, it is al- 

 leged, that the river Eyder, which separates Denmark 

 proper from Germany, was anciently called Dana, and 

 that the county to which the name of Jutland is now 

 given, was, from that river, named Danea or Denmark. 

 Another conjecture is, that Denmark is derived from the 

 Teutonic words (lane or thane, a prince or lord, and mark, 

 a boundary ; hence, signifying a frontier country, un- 

 der the dominion, or confided to the protection, of a 

 thane. But the most probable conjecture is, that Den- 

 mark is derived from the Danes, the inhabitants, who 

 are mentioned under this appellation in the sixth cen- 

 tury, and mark, a boundary. What is the etymological 

 meaning of Dane, as applied to a people, it is difficult 

 to conjecture. 



The first notice which we possess respecting the in- 

 habitants of Denmark, is derived from the Roman his- 

 torians. The ancient Cimbria seems to have compre- 



hended Jutland, Holstein, and some parts of Lower History. 

 Germany ; and in some districts of Holstein, it is said """""Y""" 

 that the people, even to this day, preserve the name of 

 Cimbri. The irruption of the Cimbri and Teutones in 

 the year of Rome 640, into the Roman territories, is 

 well known ; as well as their almost total destruction Cimbri. 

 by Marius. It is, however, a curious and interesting 

 question, whether these Cimbri were a Celtic or a Go- 

 thic people ; as hence we may be enabled to determine 

 whether, at the period of the irruption, Denmark was 

 inhabited by the same race of people who possess it 

 now. In support of the opinion that the Cimbri Avere 

 a Celtic race, it is urged that Cimri is the name given 

 to that division of the Celts who inhabit Wales ; and 

 that even to this day, the Welsh distinguish themselves 

 by this appellation. This argument certainly possesses 

 great weight ; but in support of the opinion that the 

 Cimbri were a Gothic people, it may be stated, that 

 from history it appears they made the irruption into the 

 Roman provinces along with the Teutones, undoubtedly 

 a people of Gothic descent ; and as the Celts and Goths, 

 differed essentially in manners, customs, dispositions, 

 and more particularly in language, and as, moreover, 

 the former having been subdued by the latter, and ex*. 



