Wikinger

Viking Age. Apparantly having had functionated as some kind of stopper, to my knowledge, there isn't a second example known, regarding this type of object. Stylisticallywise the decoration can be addressed as of Hiberno-Norse origin, the Norse-Gaelic. In Ireland, Scotland-including the Hebrids and the Isle of Man-from the 9th to the 12th centuries onwards a hybrid culture of people were living with a Gaelic background besides Norse immigrants-viking, or otherwise. These immigrants settled in these areas and adopted (partly) the culture of the Geal and intermingled via marriage. In-what we now call in hindsight-the Viking Age, these people distinguished themselves in their art outings on artefacts and in behaviour. They were very determined.

'This is a superb ancient Viking braided silver bracelet / Oath-ring, dating to the 9th-10th century A.D. It is formed from rods of silver, twisted about each other in a ropework formation, the terminals welded, forming a double spiral decorative element. This type of double spiral can be found on other Viking silver bracelets from Gotland in Sweden see here. This example recovered during dredging work is intact, though parts of the original weld has failed due to the conditions of sediment and machinery, this has been repaired but sadly it is no longer suitable to be worn. This bracelet is a very rare museum grade example, classic Viking workmanship and presence. Such an item would have been a prize piece of jewellery, worn as an 'Oath-Ring', given by a Jarl to brave and worthy subject. The silver likely taken at some stage as booty in raids, used as form of currency in a barter system of exchange. The weight of this bracelet alone would have been the monetary equivalent of at least 42 silver pennies, when 1 penny would have bought you 15 chickens! A wonderful piece of iconic Viking jewellery for the serious collector.' So far for the salesman advertisement ! So.. it got in hands of the serious collector .. A bracelet / arm ring of this braided type I think was a one off chance to aquire for my collection.

This week's blog I address one of the 'key' objects in the Viking Age, the key as a symbol of female status and independancy.

Keys were a symbol of a woman's status in the home and in society. Women would run farms both in the
presence of their husband or while he was away.

Eine Hausarbeit, die im Rahmen des Seminars "Wikinger, Seekönige, Berserker: Die Fornaldarsögur" (Leitung: Prof. Dr. Rudolf Simek) verfasst wurde.

(Bewertung: 1,0)

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Die Arbeit befasst sich mit der Darstellungsweise der wikingerzeitlichen
Lebenswirklichkeit in den Fornaldarsögur Norðurlanda.

Gegenstände der Analyse bilden Völsunga saga, Ragnars saga loðbrókar und Egils saga einhenda ok Ásmundar berserkjabana.

(Alle Übersetzungen wurden - sofern nicht anders angegeben - von mir selbst angefertigt.)

A Viking Age Anglo Scandinavian drinking horn finial.
From status symbol to symbol for vanity and luxury - showing the temptation of Christ.

This article I like to take you on a trip alongside one of the distinct Viking Age attributes of noble descent, the drinking horn.

Улав Триггвасон вошёл в историю Киевской Руси после появления в дружине князя Владимира I. В Норвегии, куда Триггвасон вернулся и был избран королём в 995 г., современные историки рассматривают его как одного из правителей, заложивших основы государственности, собирания земель и христианизации страны. Он стал энергичным реформатором эпохи викингов, времени проведения глубоких религиозных и финансовых преобразований. Именно в правление Владимира на Руси появляются собственные деньги, а в правление Улава – в Норвегии. Одновременно с Норвегией началась чеканка монеты викингами в Дании и Швеции. Для всех, интересующихся наиболее ранним этапом денежной политики Киевского княжества, статья предоставляет возможность узнать, какие денежно-финансовые процессы протекали одновременно в трёх королевствах викингов.

One single of 129 square unites of the excavation in the harbour of Haithabu (Hedeby; 9th-11th century AD) has yielded 17,294 fish, 16,491 mammal and 241 bird remains determined to species level. Part of the material was collected by hand, another part was gained by sieving.
In order to evaluate the influence of the sieved material on the interpretation of the whole data set, sheep and goat remains were analysed in the case of mammals. With regard to birds and fishes, the whole sieved material was taken into account. The following results were obtained:
About 50 % of the mammal remains, 75 % of those of birds, and 99 % of the fish bones were discovered only by sieving. Loss of material is increasing with decreasing species size. In the case of fishes for instance, sieving has yielded a further 15 species, mainly small-sized ones with accordingly small bones. Herring (Clupea harengus) alone is represented by 7,662 bones (45.8 %).
Thun, even the importance of smaller domestic animals will be underestimated if only hand collected findings are available. Among bird remains, especially those of fowl are underrepresented, resulting in their importance being underestimated as compared with geese. The same is true for small-sized wild birds when compared with large-sized species. Also in the case of fishes, especially small findings of corresponding small species were discovered by sieving only.
From smaller compact bones of sheep and goat more than 50 % are left undiscovered if sieves are not employed. Corresponding results will be expected for other species of similar size such as dogs, pigs, and some game animals. However, in the case of domestic animals the influence of this loss is estimated to be low. Especially isolated epiphyses are overlooked if bone material is excavated without sieving. Thus, the age of slaughtered animals will inevitably be overestimated.
Only the employment of sieving technique will obtain findings yielding further information on landscape, waters, and vegetation in the vicinity of a settlement as well as on aspects of the inhabitants' daily life, as exemplified by rat (Rattus rattus) and lynx (Lynx lynx). Some aspects of the cultural history of Haithabu, such as the role of pests and of fur-bearing animals are shown now in new light.

A very rare intact silver ring from the Viking Age recently had been found in the borough of Buren. Cees-Jan van de Pol detected the ring with his metal detector.
On the same location also a piece of melted silver in the form of a drop was found together with a silver coin from the 10th century in the clay ground of the Betuwe.

Drinking horn finals from the early medieval period are extremely rare. Let aside, those having an outspoken viking (or hybrid Anglo-)Scandinavian style as the example here published. This bronze example had been found near Lincoln in Lincolnshire, England. The, complete, example seemingly having a simple form of decoration and casting, but, and here one recognizes the distinguished, and what it sets it apart from everything else, viking art, once again, zooming in, taking a closer look. The details are of an astonishing quality-and if I might say: force. Looking at the end of the final where one sees an animal face, a slight rotation of it unravels the intimate perspective looking at a wolves head.

Die Wikinger sind populäre Identifikationsfiguren. Als vermeintlich reinrassige, blonde, heldenhafte Krieger, die für Ehre und Lebensraum kämpften, waren und sind sie bis heute in rechtsextremen Kreisen ein Idealbild des "echten" Deutschen. Dabei erscheint es paradox, dass ausgerechnet in Deutschland die ehemaligen Aggressoren zu Identifikationsfiguren wurden. Im 9. und 10. Jahrhundert wurden die küstennahen Gebiete und das Rheinland zum Ziel immer neuer brutaler Überfälle, die Nordleute brandschatzten Städte und Klöster und metzelten die Bevölkerung dahin. Diese blutigen Taten scheinen im allgemeinen Gedächtnis der Deutschen weitgehend vergessen; die Sympathie vieler Deutscher liegt heute weniger bei den Opfern, sondern bei den Tätern. Um der Frage nachzugehen, wie es dazu kam, ist es nötig, bis ins 19. Jahrhundert zurückzugehen, denn die Wikinger-bzw. Germanenideologie der Nationalsozialisten war die Weiterentwicklung eines Geschichtsbilds, das in bürgerlichen Kreisen zu jener Zeit bereits fest etabliert war. Wie alles anfing: Richard Wagners "Ring des Nibelungen" Zur Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts war das Interesse an den Überlieferungen aus dem Norden groß. Von nicht zu überschätzender Bedeutung für die Verbreitung des populären Wikingerbildes in Deutschland ist Richard Wagners Opernzyklus "Der Ring des Nibelungen". Die Inszenierungen prägten das allgemeine Bild der Wikinger mehr als alle wissenschaftlichen Publikationen jener Zeit. Wagner hatte vor allem im Nibelungenlied sowie in nordischen Götter-und Heldengeschichten der Edda Anregungen für seine Opern gefunden. Figuren der nordischen Mythenwelt wie Odin, Freya und die Walküren kommen in der Oper vor, und indem wichtige Handlungsstränge am Rhein spielen, wird eine Verbindung zu Deutschland hergestellt. Sogar das zählebigste Stereotyp überhaupt, den Hörnerhelm, verdanken wir hauptsächlich dem "Ring des Nibelungen". Als Wagner 1864 dem 18-jährigen König von Bayern, Ludwig II., begegnete, waren die Opern zwar seit Langem fertiggestellt, es war aber noch keine uraufgeführt worden. Ludwig II. begeisterte sich sofort für das Projekt und förderte Richard Wagner nach Kräften. Noch im selben Jahr beauftragte Ludwig II. den Historienmaler Michael Echter mit 30 Wandgemälden für seine Münchner Residenz. Die im Jahr darauf ausgeführten Fresken zeigten Szenen aus Wagners Opernzyklus. Eines der letzten Gemälde des Zyklus zeigte eine Szene aus der "Götterdämmerung"-und einen Krieger mit Hörnerhelm. [Abb.] Dies war eines der ersten Werke, das einen Hörnerhelm bildlich mit der nordischen Mythologie in Verbindung brachte. Allerdings hat Echter den Hörnerhelm nicht selbst