Troldkirken

Troldkirken is a Stone Age long barrow in the village of Nibe, Denmark. The Funnelbeaker culture constructed it around 3500 BC. The barrow is marked out by 47 megaliths, and the whole monument is some 50 metres (165 ft) long. There are several tumuli and dolmens in the area.

On top of the barrow is a polygonal chambered dolmen with a large capstone.

The barrow has been a protected site since 1809 and was one of the first prehistoric relics to be protected by law in Denmark. Today it is maintained by The Historical Museum of Northern Jutland in Aalborg.

The name Troldkirken means both Church of the Troll and Church of Sorcery in Danish, and several myths surround it. One says it appeared when nearby trolls, angered by the noisy church bells of Sønderholm Church, grabbed huge stones and threw them at the church, but missed. Another tells of a man who once witnessed 'the subterraneans' conduct a form of ceremony inside the dolmen.

Further north, the long barrow tradition took its own form. In Denmark and southern Sweden long barrows typically used stone in their construction. They belong to the Funnel Beaker culture, and the architecture of Scandinavia and northern Germany, called Nordic megalith architecture, appeared mainly between 3500 and 2800 BC.

The barrow was constructed by the Funnelbeaker culture around 3500 BC and is marked out by 47 megaliths. Placed on the top of the barrow is a polygonal chambered dolmen with a large capstone. The whole monument is some 50 metres (165 ft) long. There are several tumuli and dolmens in the area.