This exhibition was initiated by the Danish National Museum and shown in three countries. Each country had its own catalogue design: the sword, gold, and waves on the German catalogue served to reinforce the one-dimensional view of the Vikings as adventure-loving Scandinavian warriors. By contrast, the simpler Danish cover suggests objectivity. Gold treasures, including the Hiddensee Hoard, were presented in the exhibition as expressions of power. In the catalogues, the forewords by Queen Margrethe of Denmark and the then President of the Federal Republic of Germany Joachim Gauck, speak of the role of Viking Age artefacts in cultural diplomacy.