Lur from Tellerup bog

Lur from Tellerup bog (Tellerup Mose), c. 1000 BC. The lurs were probably used in religious ceremonies, for example when offering in bogs and lakes. This lur is now at Møntergården in Odense. Photo: René Riis.

Intro

In 1808 a pair of lurs was found in Tellerup bog in western Funen. One is exhibited in Odense, the other one is kept at a Funen estate. Lurs are often found in pairs and they were probably used in religious ceremonies such as offerings in bogs and lakes.

At the bidding of the gods Faith and rituals have shaped life on Funen since antiquity. In the hope of gaining the gods’ favour, Funen’s inhabitants dispatched grave goods to the kingdom of the dead, constructed churches and wore both Thor’s hammers and Christian crosses.
Water – gateway to the kingdom of the gods? Did the prehistoric gods live beneath the water – deep in the muddy depths? Or was water merely the gateway to their kingdom? These two questions about our ancestors’ faith will never be resolved, but we do know that bogs, lakes and watercourses were used for offerings and sacrifices – of everything from pots, weapons and tools to animals and people.

This location is part of the exhibition 'Funen – at the centre of the universe', at Møntergården in Odense. Read more about the exhibition on our website.