Last year, we were in Copenhagen visiting family when we decided to spend part of our last day looking for Thomas Dambo’s forgotten tree giants. I had seen a link to them on Facebook and thought it could be fun to find them. Because they were spread out from each other and our time was limited, we were only able to find three of the six on our first time out.
You can read about our experience finding the first three of Thomas Dambo’s forgotten tree giants and see the pictures here.
I had hoped we’d find another day to continue the search in the near future and not let it become one more thing we would add to our bucket list. Our bucket list for Denmark was growing with every new place we would hear about, so it was time to get out and start crossing some places off the list!
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Luckily, nine months later, we happened to be back in Copenhagen for another family event and though our time was even more limited than before, we still made it our quest to find the remaining 3 of Thomas Dambo’s forgotten tree giants, whose names were Thomas, Tilde and Teddy.
Mapping the Way / A Technological AlternativeÂ
We went back to Thomas Dambo’s Website, just as we did the first time around, to find the map to start our quest for the rest of the forgotten tree giants. We were “map people”, but we still found it challenging to use a handmade, paper map to show us the way. We were determined not to ask Google to show us the way.
The map that was on Thomas’ website was much like an ancient treasure map, since it was a bit tricky to read. Nonetheless, it was what we used. I have been told; however, that you can actually look up the giants by name with Google Maps, but what’s the fun in that? I can imagine it is similar to doing Pokemon Go on your cell phone, which tons of people enjoyed. I guess it couldn’t have been THAT bad if the whole adventure got our family walking around in nature.
My husband was the captain of this mission, so we left the navigating of where to park up to him. When we were on foot in nature, we worked on the quest as a team.
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Finding the Giants or Getting Lost?
The funny thing about these forgotten tree giants was their locations. We felt that we were driving to the edge of the world, especially since we weren’t originally from the greater Copenhagen area. There was always that feeling of doubt as if we were not where we were supposed to be. You couldn’t see the giants from the road because they were usually hidden on a hill or in the trees, so most times, we just hoped that we would come to the right spot.
Tackling Thomas’ Mountain
We parked our car at what looked like a large field that many were using as a dog park. In the distance, we could see a rather large hill in the center of the field. Since the forgotten tree giant we were looking for was called “Thomas of the Mountain”, walking in the direction of the hill seemed the most logical approach to finding Thomas.
This hill was more like a mini mountain that went straight up to the clouds. They had placed wooden boards along the slope of the hill on one of the sides as some sort of make-shift stairway, which came in handy for us seeing as the hill was very slick with mud from the rains that came earlier that morning.
When we got to the top of the hill, there was no sign of a forgotten tree giant. We only saw a couple on bicycles.What? Where had they come from? Perhaps an easier, paved way? We knew Thomas had to be up there, and since the hill wasn’t very large, we had to be close. We decided to walk to the left and keep looking. Not far into the walk, we found him sitting in the most relaxed position, facing an opening in the trees, looking at the view below.
Had we approached the hill from a different side, we would have seen the giant looking out at us, and we would have been able to walk up an easier slope that didn’t seem to be as steep as the way we actually did walk up. This was helpful information for my husband and younger son, who were about to reach the bottom of the hill at that moment. Little man needed a bathroom break, and luckily, my husband was able to find a place for him shortly after we got there.
Meeting Thomas Dambo’s “Thomas on the Mountain”
Thomas looked to be just as relaxed as a person or forgotten tree giant could be. He sat upright, leaning back on his elbows with his hands flat on the ground. He had one leg stretched out in front of him with the other one laying on its side, bent at the knee. His feet still managed to meet in the middle and his big toes and feet were as bare as the rest of him. There seemed to be nowhere else he’d rather be than on the side of that hill looking out.
Thomas had a painted face, which I wasn’t sure was intentionally placed there by the Thomas Dambo, the builder/creator, or if some locals decided to decorate him. I thought the color suited him, though. It fitted his laid-back look. The boys had a good time climbing on him, and my husband and I tried to see if we were taller than the forgotten tree giant’s foot. My husband was, but I was about the same size if you counted the toenail.
A Treasure Hunt
The next of Thomas Dambo’s forgotten tree giant was actually positioned in a spot very near “Thomas of the Mountain”, so it made little sense to drive when we could spend a bit more time in nature.
Being experienced parents, who know our kids, my husband and I decided that he should go back for the car and drive it to where we would come out of the park on the other side. The boys were getting low on energy at this point, so they would need a snack break soon. A shorter trip to the car after finding giant number two (for this trip. Number five in total) was just a way to avoid a potential breakdown.
Behind Thomas’ hill was a small lake and a path that went around on both sides. We chose to take the path to the right, since it seemed to be the shortest. The two paths looked to be very similar in size, so it was actually difficult to say which was shorter when using the map from the website.
Though the day was cool and grey, it was nice enough for a walk. We would be in the car for a few hours after we had found the rest of Thomas Dambo’s forgotten tree giants, since we would be on our way back home, so this time outside was appreciated and much needed.
Enjoying the Park
The map suggested that the next forgotten tree giant, Tilde, was in the forest directly on the other side of lake, so we started walking. There were other people on the path running or riding bikes. It was a typical Sunday to most who were out enjoying a day without rain. We even were able to see some swans out on the lake, which made the walk much more interesting.
The park lay close to a larger road. It might have even been a highway of sorts, and as we curved around the lake, we could hear the sounds of cars and trucks traveling at faster speeds. It was nice to be out with the boys and to have some family time. The runners and bikers on the path seemed to know the area well, unlike the three of us who were in search of our own treasure. It made me wonder if those other people knew what watched them from the trees or if the giants truly were “forgotten” by those who frequented the area.
The cars and trucks on the busy road couldn’t tell what lived in these trees. The idea of it all was very magical. We were very excited to find her, Tilde, the smallest, forgotten tree
giant of them all.
As we approached the trees which stood just opposite the side of the lake where we started the path, we saw two children walking with their grandparents in the opposite direction. The grandfather had a copy of Thomas’ map with him. They were also looking for giants. We smiled and nodded at each other as we passed, knowing that we both held a secret not known by many others who used this path. I felt that I was part of a secret society that knew the truth about Copenhagen’s forgotten tree giants. It was like taking the train to Hogwarts or finding Diagon Alley. Magic existed around us, and we were able to see it.
Little Tilde
Again, we knew there was a giant in the woods, but we had no idea where. That is the suspense and the excitement of the hunt. We found a small path and followed it until we reached what seemed to be the middle of the woods. My husband met us in the forest, and we continued the hunt as a family. It was then that we started to see something.
Tilde was standing there at the edge of the woods, holding onto trees, peering out from them shyly. She was a little giant, a little girl, a child. She was my favorite!!
Though she was large and stood towering over us, my boys acted differently around her. They stopped and looked at her. She was different from the others, whom my children used as a jungle gym or playground. There was no climbing on Tilde, but they didn’t even try.
We stood next to Tilde and tried to see what she could see as she stood looking out of the woods. She seemed curious about the world around her, but she was also shy enough to stay hidden in the trees. She was looking out at the lake, perhaps at the swans as they swam by, and she seemed to have a smile on her face. I wanted to take Tilde home with me!
She also had a tail, which we didn’t notice on any of the other giants. It could also be that she was the only one that was standing up or perhaps because it was the trait of the giant children. This is one more mystery we will never know. One thing is for sure though; we really enjoyed our time with Tilde.
Teddy Friendly
We found five of Thomas Dambo’s forgotten tree giants, but there was just one left to go. We got back in the car and headed out to find Teddy Friendly, forgotten tree giant number six. Again, we had to follow the map to an unknown location and stop at a place that didn’t really seem like the right place. We were actually very close to a company headquarters, but we had been in other weird places in the past.
This was probably the right place, or so we thought. We walked down the path, where there were lots of muddy tracks and horse poop, but no signs of anything else. After about 5 minutes, we noticed that there was a small lake of some sort on the right side. As we were noticing this, we didn’t notice when we approached Teddy, who sat next to the water.
He too seemed to be standing, since we could see some small feet sticking out underneath him. It was so interesting to see just how different the last two giants were from the first four, which were long and thin and either sitting or laying down.
Teddy was another short giant, and he had a full beard. If Tilde was the giant “child”, Teddy was the “grandpa”. He also had very long arms that seemed to be twice the length of his entire body. One arm was stretched out and covered a small batch of water that escaped from the lake. The boys used it as a bridge to cross back and forth between the two patches of land. This was the extend of playing on Teddy, but it was enough to entertain two little fellows and their parents.
Overall Impressions
Overall, I was very impressed with the tree giants and so glad that we were able to find all six of them. As I mentioned before, I felt as if I had been a part of a secret world for a short period of time.
It is days and experiences like these that make me happy for the internet, because I might never have found out about these creatures without the use of technology. The giants are definitely a must-see.
The design and detail of each were also so impressive, that I couldn’t help but feel that we were in an outdoor museum of sorts that stretched over the natural parts of Copenhagen. If you go onto Thomas Dambo’s website, you will learn that there are other projects that he has created throughout the world: some in Florida in the USA and some in Australia, as well as others in different parts of Denmark. It would be fun to see them all one day. Another great thing about these creations is that they are made from recycled material. Thomas really proves to the world that one man’s trash can be another man’s treasure.
Hi! I'm Kelly, an American mom and wife to a Dane. After deciding to move to rural Denmark in 2016, I decided to share the highs and lows of expat life in Denmark with lots of fun family experiences and trips in Denmark to make it all a bit more interesting! :) Welcome to My New Danish Life!
One Comment
Kelly
We are now hoping to find some of Thomas Dambo’s giants in the USA. Look for those posts, too! 🙂