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Tuesday, April 07, 2009

Water Week - The Gefion Fountain, Copenhagen

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This fountain is one of my favourite single objects in one of my favourite cities on the other side of the Öresund Bridge - and this is me, the one who isn't very comfortable around statues and sculptures, but still, fascinating they are... - the bronze Gefion Fountain which depicts an old Nordic mythology story. The story about the Norwegian goddess of chastity (possibly fertility) Gefjun and how she turned her four sons into oxens so they could plow a substantial territory during one night only, a territory she was promised by the Swedish king Gylfi.

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The territory she plowed was thrown into the water thus creating the island of Zealand on which Copenhagen is situated. The hole left behind is said to be the lake Mälaren, of which a substantial part can be found in and around Stockholm. (Some say it's not Mälaren but the lake Vänern that was formed from the hole left behind.)

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This grand fountain (said to be the largest monument in Copenhagen) was inaugurated in 1908, underwent renovations during the years 1999-2004, thus re-opened in 2004. Located near the Citadel - which plays a big role in the John Irving book "Until I Find You" - and you can't miss neither the monument nor the sound of the roaring water it if you're heading to the famous (imho though in very less than charming and befitting surroundings, sadly enough) Little Mermaid statue at the Langelinie waterfront. Do visit if you happen to be in Copenhagen and ...

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... don't forget to say hallo to my little favourite fountain detail

water week is a theme shared by the following blogs:

9 comments:

  1. Interesting fellow in that last shot. Haven't visited this sculpture yet. Then again, I haven't been spending a lot of time in this particular capital. Yet.

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  2. Anonymous12:24 pm

    I definitely need a holiday...

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  3. Powerful sculptures, powerful pictures!

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  4. Oh you really should get there asap, Per, it is a gem! Crowded in parts, but get yourself off the typical tourist tracks and it's just wonderful.

    Gosh yes, me too, Tardis19...

    Thanks, Fredrik!

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  5. Beautiful water photos:)

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  6. for one that feels uncomfortable around statues and sculptures pia k, you sure do give one fascinating and interesting history lesson.
    i love the picture of the fountain in this post.
    that fountain, if it had a tongue made of flesh instead of silvery water, could sure tell some good tales, eh.....love terry

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  7. Thanks, m_m!

    Yes, strangely fascinating but mostly *rather* creepy and eerie, that's my opinion of statues, Terry. Too much of an imagination perhaps... Oh yes, it's gorgeous this fountain, very impressive.

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  8. I like the subject, and my favorite type, I like it when the subject is mysterious, a little dark.... Herkules im kampf mit der Hydra,Adriaen De Vries,Augsburg; Rudolf Weyr, - Wien, Hofburg "Macht zur See"; Guido RENI - Bologne, 1575 - Bologne, 1642, Déjanire enlevée par le centaure Nessus,Louvre, Paris; Niederwalddenkmal,Rüdesheim at the Rhine sculptor Johannes Schilling and the architect Charles Robert Weißbach 1841-1905; Völkerschlachtdenkmal,Bruno Schmitz 1858-1916,sculptors Christian Behrens and Franz Metzner; Kyffhäuserdenkmal 1900 - Bruno Schmitz 1858-1916 architect, Geiger & Hundreiser sculptors; Muschelminna Brunnen, R. Toberentz, Standort: Postplatz, Görlitz, Sachsen; Jocob Ungerer, -sculptor, 1840-1920, Mende Brunnen Denkmal, Leipzig, Saxony, are a few sculptures, and one painting you might like??? All the best - Brad

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  9. thanks for all the sculpture tips, brad p, sounds interesting, i'll check them out!

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