Harald's runestone

Harald's runestone is a three-sided monument with runic inscriptions and detailed carvings depicting Christ alongside traditional Norse animal motifs, standing approximately three meters tall. The stone sits in front of Jelling Church and rests inside a climate-controlled glass enclosure for protection.

King Harald Bluetooth commissioned this stone around 965 CE to honor his parents Gorm and Thyra while recording his unification of Denmark and Norway. The monument served as a way to announce power and religious change across the entire region at that time.

The inscriptions record Denmark's name in written form for the first time and show how the region shifted from pagan beliefs to Christianity. This transformation is visible in the carvings, which blend Christian and Norse imagery together.

The stone is accessible year-round and sits near Jelling Church, making it easy to find and reach on foot. Since it sits under glass protection, you can visit even during poor weather.

The stone displays the earliest representation of Jesus Christ found in Scandinavia, carved in a distinct Norse artistic style from the Mammen period. This early artistic interpretation of Christ appears in no other monument in the region.