Mound of King Rene

Burial mounds and ancient legends

Many grave mounds from ancient Denmark have the names of legendary kings attached to them. There are also often folk tales of strange events, trolls and giants that appear around the ancient burial monuments.

According to legend, it was a king called Rene and his wife who were buried in the long Neolithic barrow. We don’t know when these names and stories became associated with the grave mounds, but they could very well be very old and bear witness to folk belief and local stories about the landscape’s deep past.

Who actually lies in the burial chambers of the mounds is lost in the depths of the millennia, but it is clear that the creators of the great monuments were the descendants of the important ancient families of the area.

Stone Age farms and burial mounds: Life close to the sacred places

Stone Age farms were located in the landscape close to grave mounds, in this case we don’t know exactly where, but the traces of the buildings are probably still hidden as dark patches in the clay and sand just below the ploughing layer of the fields. A long barrow, like the one you’re looking at now, may contain several graves buried around the mound.

In this way they may have functioned as a burial ground and sacred space for generations over 1000 years, perhaps in much the same way that churches function for people today, as a gathering place for ritual and celebration.

Nozzle chambers and blasted stones: Ancient traces on Langeland

There are two dolmen chambers, both originally sealed with large capstones, but at some point someone tried to blow up the stones, presumably with the intention of reusing the materials in their own buildings.Look out for more ancient monuments during your visit on Langeland. Although most of the megalithic tombs have disappeared, there is more to see than you might think.

Walk at King Rene's Mound

6 km walk with traces from the past

1. Stone-built grave (dated 3950-501 BC). The grave was registered in 1948, but not restored.
2. Disrupted Dolmen from the Stone Age. Many of the 24 kerb stones have fallen over. In the chamber are 5 supporting stones (only the tops are visible).
3. Pæregård Longdolmen is beautifully - but endangered located on the cliff close to the water.
4. Ringelshøj Langdysse on Snagestræde is an impressive long nozzle from the Early Neolithic period, 60 metres long and almost 12 metres wide. Read more on the sign by the nozzle.
5. Birkemose Long Barrow is dated 3950 - 2801 BC.
6. The two long dolmens at Almindingen are located in a field less than 50 metres apart.
7. Pæregård Beach with a picnic table and a shelter.

The forests are privately owned and only accessible by foot from sunrise to sunset. No driving in the forest.