Æ Kistelbakk – Jeppe Aakjær’s Personal Memorial in Åkær
On the fields of Åkær, where Danish poet Jeppe Aakjær’s childhood farm Søndergård once stood, a memorial stone now marks a deeply personal tribute. The farm was located on the opposite side of the road, but no buildings remain. However, two burial mounds still stand in the area, and between them lies Æ Kistelbakk – a small hill where Aakjær placed a granite memorial stone in 1908 to honor his parents.
The stone measures 1.45 meters in height, 1.10 meters in width, and 0.45 meters in depth. The inscription reads:
Jens Peder I. Aakjær and Katrin.
Here father turned his plow so many times,
as the skylark sang high above the sandy field.
Here walked my quiet mother in her coarse grey dress
and gazed with heavy eyes toward the setting sun.
Thus your son places this little grey stone,
in memory of a life as pure as dew.
1908
This memorial is not only a tribute to his parents but also a poetic reflection of the rural life and values that shaped Aakjær’s writing. Located on a small hill beside Aakjærvej 23, it is a meaningful destination for those interested in the poet’s life and landscape.
