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226
COPENHAGEN.
Chap. XV.
CHAPTER XV.
The Danish language — Its difficulties — Its similarity to the English
— The Vikings true ancestors of English — Raven of Odin — The
Norman lions.
THE DANISH LANGUAGE.
Seldom in the course of my numerous wanderings
have I felt so helpless as I did on my arrival in Zealand.
Whilst travelling in the duchies, and even in South
Jutland, our German, such as it was, proved of service
to us; but the Belt once crossed, we became the most
isolated of mortals. This state of affairs was
insupportable ; and, as we were likely to remain some months at
Copenhagen, we determined, on our arrival in that
city, at once to put our shoulder to the wheel, and
pick up something of the Danish language. For my
own part, I abominate learning anything, and always
did from my youth upwards. I like to pick up a
language anyhow, and with as little trouble as possible; so,
after some debates on the subject, thanks to the kindness
of Professor Thomsen, a student of the University was
discovered not a whit more fond of study than myself,
with a voice clear and ringing as a bell (N.B.—Never
engage a language-master with a contralto voice; they
mumble their words from the depths of their stomachs,
and you never catch the pronunciation). We studied
occasionally, translated old ballads and the passages I
required from various books, walked about, visited the
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