3 Museums in a Day!

 Our last full day in Odense ended up being very full. We really wanted to see the Iron Age Village - Odins Odense, which showcased life during the time of Vikings. We checked with our lovely desk clerk, who kindly looked up transit schedules. She said the closest bus would let us off 3 km away. We decided to splurge on a taxi for this one. Good thing we did too, the entrance is in a residential area, I don't think we would have found it by walking!

Leif & Saga befriending sheep

After exploring the buildings, we could walk the short path to the sacrificial pond. Don't worry there were all sorts of Viking charms along the path to protect us!

Inside the "Witch's" House

Loom warped up, ready to weave!

Yarns dyed and hung to dry

!  

Odins Odense isn't very big, but since we aren't in the busy season yet, we only had to share it with one family and a school group. The school children were all dressed in costume which made it really fun. The family, Hungarian, had an activity basket for their kids, so we got to watch them try some of the tasks, like making pegs or cordage. The thatched roofs and wattle fences delighted me to no end.

Since we had to take a taxi back, we figured that we might as well have him take us to another museum. The Hans Christian Andersen sites were a little confusing to figure out what was what. We saw the little house where he was born the first day, but didn't see a way to go in. Now we went to his childhood home, which consisted of a small house and garden. 

Hans Christian Andersen's Childhood Home

We kept seeing references and photos of a big modern museum, but couldn't figure out where it was. We finally asked the lady from the childhood home museum. She explained that it was at the birthplace cottage, we go around the side and find the entrance. So we walked back to the place we were the first day.

Cobblestones. Charming plaster covered houses. More cobblestones. Turn the corner between two 400 year old houses, as instructed. Follow the cobblestone path. And BOOM!

Huge modern museum!

This display held a collection of artifacts from HC's travels - hat, umbrella, sunglasses, etc. In the audio guide, each one had a different voice and they argued about who was the most important to Andersen.

A collection of love letters and dried flowers from romances.

I don't even know if museum is quite the right word for this place. It is unlike any museum I have ever seen. It's huge, but dedicated solely to the life and work of a single man. It's set up more like a very modern art gallery. Everyone has a headset which has a dramatized explanation of the exhibits. This encourages a slow pace through the rooms and creates a hush over the building because there is very little conversation. This contemplative atmosphere heightened the experience tenfold.

The focus of the museum was primarily about HC Andersen's life and him as a person. How he reflected himself in his work and how the contemporary events of the day influenced his writing. He wrote 3 1/2 biographies, each with a different perspective. HC was not at all shy about self promotion, he had a very clear idea about how he wanted the world to perceive him.

By the end of the exhibit, I was left feeling quite melancholy. So much of Andersen's writing and experiences could be described as gritty, the epitome of the tortured artist, with happiness or even contentment, just out of reach.