About the exhibition
Join us on a captivating journey to the world of the Vikings in the National Museum of Denmark's spectacular special exhibition: 'THE VIKING SORCERESS'. The experience is staged by Kasper Holten.
Come to the magical world of the vikings
In this sensory exhibition, you enter the complex world of the Vikings and meet the Viking Sorceress, the powerful fortune teller who was the mastermind behind the Vikings' attempts to understand both the present and the future. Delve into the Viking philosophy of existence and destiny and feel for yourself... Perhaps the end-of-the-world omens of the time can teach you something important about your own life and our time.
Listen to Kasper Holten and Rane Willerslev talk about the exhibition
(only in Danish and with Danish subtitles)
Meet the Viking Sorceress
The exhibition opens up a universe where you learn about the Viking Age sorceresses, their function, their stories and who they were.
Influential and feared, Viking sorceresses played a surprisingly important role in the Vikings' attempts to understand the world around them and their own destiny. Even Harald Bluetooth, who introduced Christianity to Denmark, is thought to have sought the advice of the Viking sorceresses.
In the exhibition, you will be introduced to the Vikings' worldview and their thoughts about who they are. Thoughts that we might otherwise be tempted to think have only been reserved for people in modern times.
Humans have always tried to understand the world and their own existence, and to do so, we have always sought help. Shamans, religion, self-help books, psychologists, Google or ChatGPT. The Vikings went to the Viking sorceress.
The end of the world
The exhibition starts with a journey where you follow in the footsteps of Odin, the god of the gods, as we meet the Viking Sorceress, who speaks directly to us.
The Viking Sorceress tells you and Odin the story of Ragnarok: it's a story about a world where humans are deeply dependent on the nature around them. It's a story about the fear of what will happen when the world gets out of balance. What will happen if chaos is unleashed in the world - or if we dare to unleash chaos within ourselves. Hopefully, this journey brings us closer to the Vikings - and makes us look at ourselves in the mirror.
An exhibition staged by Kasper Holten
Kasper Holten has staged the exhibition with scenography by Steffen Aarfing. Together, the two are known for creating opera productions all over the world, including an acclaimed production of the opera "Ragnarok" at the Royal Danish Theatre.
Marie Carsten Pedersen from Zetland has contributed as the exhibition's dramaturge, and archaeologist and museum curator Peter Pentz and exhibition editor Mette Boritz from the National Museum of Denmark have been the professional team behind the exhibition.
Read more about the choices made in the work on the exhibition here.