Denmark Road Ways Two on the loose. Dan with down travels anywhere.: Kronborg

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Kronborg - Castle model, courtyard, furnishings

Kronborg Castle -Furnishings, Layout
And the Printing Press - An Example of turning Plays into Profit

Kronborg castle is just outside the town of Helsingor, known as Elsinore in Shakespeare's play, Hamlet. The original castle was built in about 1490, to ease the collection of revenue from passing ships, and was renovated and expanded by King Frederik II as a Renaissance castle in 1574. Kronborg Castle, furnishings. Details and pictures: see http://www.copenhagenet.dk/CPH-Kronborg.htm.

I. The Kronborg Castle Exterior

Kronborg Castle: model of how the garrison grew, Helsingor, DK

Kronborg Castle, portion of model of layout

Fair use of a small portion of the model.

Renaissance renovations, Kronborg Castle, Helsingor Denmark

There is one main tall tower, distinguishing Kronborg from Frederiksborg, with its four tall towers. The TV show Ghost Hunters was at Kronborg in 2011, see http://www.masslive.com/television/index.ssf/2011/01/ghost_hunters_international_ta.html

That renovation included the fortifications and weapons and garrison facilities needed in case Sweden invaded. There is no evidence, we understand, that Shakespeare ever visited here. Apparently he liked the name Elsinore, it sounded somewhat like Kronborg, the location was dramatically suited, so he used it. The play plays at Kronborg in the summer of 2011, see http://www.denmark.dk/en/servicemenu/News/Culture-News/HamletIsComingHome.htm

II. Furnishings

A. Modern amenities

Printing press

Without a printing press, like this one from Kronborg Castle, would the plays have spread? Not much. This was a mechanical way of reproducing books, tracts, anything written by hand before. Johannes Gutenberg invented the first one in 1440, see http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/printpress.htm

Printing press, Kronborg Castle, Helsingor DK

Wood-burning Stove

From large tiled ceramic wood-burning stoves, to the condensed metal stove, heating was greatly improved from the drafty huge fireplaces. Could the Dark Ages have ended without the North finally being cozy easier, able to spend time thinking, inventing, jawboning around the heater, see Wood Burning Stove as End of Dark Ages

Cast iron stove, Jamb Stove, Kronborg Castle, DK

This would have been a wood-burning stove. The little door is for removing ashes. This looks like a 5-plate or jamb stove, and those were first made in Germany See http://www.antiquestoves.com/history.htm Jamb stoves: invented in the early 16th Century, weighed 320-400 lbs, expensive. Not for regular people. http://www.hvva.org/hvvanews6-5.htm (this site focuses on such stoves imported to and later made in America).

These stoves were often set in the wall, and fired by the fireplace in the next room, see http://www.nga.gov/collection/gallery/iadpenn/iadpenn-29109.html

This style looks different from the sandcast pattern technique used in America, however, because the front panel looks cast in a smooth way, not the sand mold. See site.

The crown motif derives from the Coat of Arms Crown of Denmark, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:National_Coat_of_arms_of_Denmark.svg What are the initials below: Elaborate C for Christian IV? F for Frederik? King Frederick II lived here after he expanded it in the mid-1500's. Christian was his son, heir, next king.