The BBC series "The Last Kingdom" is set during the Danelaw, and does an okay job of historical accuracy. But, something one of the characters said left me curious as to whether the show was wrong or if I had misconceptions about Danish soil productivity. I can't recall which episode, but I know that Ragnar (the elder) said something along the lines ones of "Denmark is so sandy, you can't grow anything". I was under the impression that Danish soil was greatly fertile, especially the eastern part of the Jylland peninsula, and the isles of Lolland and Zealand. Today over 50% of Denmark's land is cultivated. Is this due to modern advances, or was "Ragnar" wrong?
Thank you.
Danish soil in the Viking period was extremely variable in quality. Some parts, like Eastern Jutland, had been quite valuable farmland since the Bronze Age. However, large parts of the country (the hillier parts) have too dense clays, while the western/central ridge was in fact too sandy for anything other than lifestock. The clayier parts were just covered by woodland, but those started coming under cultivation right when there is also the expansion of Scandinavian settlement in England, the 9th and 10th centuries, with the spread of the turnboard plough and horse collars. I do not know who 'Ragnar' is supposed to be, but it is true that many farmers who wanted to establish a new farm had the choice to either try to cultivate these suboptimal lands, or try abroad.