Deep down in the casemates of Kronborg Castle, you will find a mythical figure known as Holger Danske or Ogier the Dane, as he is also referred to. He is an important national symbol for the Danes, but the myth actually derives from Chanson de Roland, a principal work in French medieval literature.
The legend has it that Holger Danske is asleep deep down in the underground passages of Kronborg Castle’s casemates. He has been so for hundreds of years, and he will only wake up if Denmark is threatened by enemies, and he will wake up to defend his country. A Bronze statue was built in 1907, and the plaster model was based on the casemates of Kronborg, which became a very popular sight. In 1985, it was replaced by a concrete statue due to the damp climate in the casemates.
