Ogier the Dane (French: Ogier le Danois or archaically Ogier de Danemarche, Danish: Holger Danske) is a legendary character who first appears in an Old French chanson de geste, in the cycle of poems Geste de Doon de Mayence.
The 12th c. Danish chronicler Saxo Grammaticus was not familiar with the character and Ogier has not been connected to any historic event in Denmark. However, there is a chronicle from St Martin's monastery in Cologne which claims that the monastery had been pillaged by the Saxons in 778, but that it was rebuilt by an "Olgerus, dux Daniæ", with the help of Charlemagne.
Ogier makes his first appearance in Chanson de Roland from the 11th century, and later in a number of rhyme chronicles from the 12th to 14th centuries, where his life is elaborated on considerably with several adventures.
According to his legend, he is the son of Geoffrey, king of Denmark. In La Chevalerie Ogier de Danemarche, he had a son who was slain by Charlot, son of Charlemagne. Seeking revenge, Ogier sought out and slew Charlot, and was only barely prevented from killing Charlemagne. He resisted Charlemagne for seven years but made peace with him to fight at Charlemagne's side against the Saracens, in which battle he slew the giant Brehus.
Hans Christian Andersen (Danish pronunciation: [ˈhanˀs ˈkʁæsdjan ˈɑnɐsn̩], referred to using the initials H. C. Andersen (Danish pronunciation: [ˈhɔːˀ ˈseːˀ ˈɑnɐsn̩]) in Denmark and the rest of Scandinavia; April 2, 1805 – August 4, 1875) was a Danish author, fairy tale writer, and poet noted for his children's stories. These include "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," "The Snow Queen," "The Little Mermaid," "Thumbelina," "The Little Match Girl," and "The Ugly Duckling."
During his lifetime he was acclaimed for having delighted children worldwide, and was feted by royalty. His poetry and stories have been translated into more than 150 languages. They have inspired motion pictures, plays, ballets, and animated films.
Hans Christian Andersen was born in the town of Odense, Denmark, on Tuesday, April 2, 1805. He was an only child. "Hans", "Christian" and "Andersen" were (and are) traditional and common Danish names.
Andersen's father, also Hans, considered himself related to nobility. His paternal grandmother had told his father that their family had in the past belonged to a higher social class, but investigations prove these stories unfounded. The family apparently was affiliated with Danish royalty, but through employment or trade. Today, speculation persists that Andersen may have been an illegitimate son of the royal family. In any case, King Frederick VI took a personal interest in him as a youth and paid for a part of his education. According to writer Rolf Dorset, Andersen's ancestry remains indeterminate. Hans Christian was forced to support himself. He worked as a weaver's apprentice and, later, for a tailor. At 14, he moved to Copenhagen to seek employment as an actor. Having an excellent soprano voice, he was accepted into the Royal Danish Theatre, but his voice soon changed. A colleague at the theatre told him that he considered Andersen a poet. Taking the suggestion seriously, he began to focus on writing.
Christian Andersen (born September 28, 1944) is a Danish former football player and now manager. He was most recently the manager of Boldklubben Frem
As player he played for B 1903, Cercle Brugge, FC Lorient and Akademisk Boldklub and played two caps for the Danish national football team.
As manager he has managed Akademisk Boldklub a couple of times, but he is most famous for his controversies with FC Copenhagen chairman Flemming Østergaard and former chairman of Akademisk Boldklub, Per Frimann. The first controversy was about Andersen being fired as manager of FC Copenhagen after only one match, and the other because Andersen in his autobiography called Frimann the reason why AB had had economic problems. Frimann began talking about a possible lawsuit, but this was solved, when Andersen made a public apology.