The Thousandth Anniversary of the Danish Conquest of England

by Norman Berdichevsky (January 2016)

One of Hans Christian Andersen’s most beloved poems and the most often cited as a popular choice for a national anthem instead of the current two (one for royal occasions and another for civic celebrations), entitled “I Danmark er jeg født” (I was born in Denmark), expresses what has been a recurrent theme and dilemma in Danish self-identity – the knowledge that the present country’s small size and very modest power as a factor in international affairs masks a glorious past when… more>>>