Book Review - Tollund Man: Gift to the Gods by Christian Fischer
Incredibly accessible, compared to most books published on bog bodies (which verge if not tip into dense scientific speak not easily penetrated by laymen). Details about the discovery of the body were interesting and added a new layer and even more humanity to the story of the bog bodies. Nicely structured chapters provide clear information to enhance understanding of the history and context of these bodies. Discussions on history of preservation of bodies (beginning in the 40s) and the difficulties not only in finding the correct process, but also maintaining records and preservation during WWII are interesting and rare to read. Another element that I have not yet come across is the reason for not displaying the bodies in the 30s and 40s when they were discovered, as they were “too macabre”.
Besides that, new information is not really given, though the existing information is clearly grouped and explained. A great resource but not a good place to look for answers to the most pressing questions - what religions were practiced, were these bodies sacrifices, why were they placed in the bog.
Photographs are amazing, color, and offer a variety of perspectives.
From the back of the book:
“On May 6, 1950, Viggo and Emil Højgaard from the small village of Tollund were cutting mud to find peat for their stove in the Bjældskovdal peat bog, 12 kilometers west of Silkeborg, Denmark. As they worked, one of their wives noticed in the peat layer a corpse so fresh that they believed they had discovered a recent murder victim, and after much deliberation they notified the police at Silkeborg. The police were baffled by the body, and in an attempt to identify the time of death, they brought in archaeology professor P.V. Glob. Upon initial examination, Glob suggested that the body was more than 2,000 years old, and most likely the victim of a sacrifice. This book, written by the director of the museum at which Tollund Man has resided since his discovery, presents the investigations into this enigmatic figure and tells the story of his life and death based upon the evidence of the archaeological record“
Find it on Amazon
