Viking amulets

The jewelry and other objects crafted by artisans from the Viking Age were often richly decorated with intricate designs, including depictions of people, animals, and geometric motifs. Many pieces of jewelry are deeply symbolic, and their exact meaning is often difficult for us modern people to interpret.

Archaeologists not only investigate the appearance of Thor's hammers and other amulets, but also the context in which they are found. These objects are often located in graves or places of sacrifice, indicating a special significance.

By combining archaeology, history, and mythology, researchers attempt to understand the function of these objects.

Even after the arrival of Christianity, some magical traditions persisted, especially in remote communities. This shows how these practices evolved over time.

A amulet is an object that offers protection or brings luck. People carried them or hung them in their homes, believing they had magical powers.

In the Viking Age, however, it is difficult to determine if found jewelry truly served as amulet, especially with finds lacking context. Old Norse literature, such as Eiríks saga rauða, describes the völva Þorbjörg carrying a pouch with taufr, often translated as amulets or magical objects. Also, Hallfreðar saga and Vatnsdæla saga mention small figures that seem connected to pre-Christian gods.

Research into Viking amulet miniatures has significantly expanded in recent years. When writing Viking Age Amulets in Scandinavia and Western Europe, Bo Jensen knew of about 1350; now, approximately 2000 are known. Thanks to scholars like Zeiten and Jensen, these can now be better classified and the various possible time periods during which these different types of amulets were likely worn are established.

• Thor's hammers (800-1100)
• Miniature axes (800-1100)
• Miniature spears (800-1100)
• Animal figures (800-950) possibly up to 1000
• Valkyrie jewelry (850-1000) possibly from 800
• Serpent amulets (850-960) possibly from 800
• Mask amulets (850-1000) possibly from 800 to 1025)
• Shield amulets (900-1050) possibly from 825 to 1100
• Bowls, spoons, etc. (825-975)
• Miniature chairs (825-1050)
• Wheel amulets (900-950) possibly 850-1000
• Sword amulets 900-1000, possibly 875-1025
• Male figures (900-1050 possibly 850-1100
• Capsules (900-1100)
• Staff rings (900-1000)
• Sickles (900-1000)
• Crosses (900-1100)
• Fire strikers (900-1025, possibly up to 1100
• Legs (950-1050, possibly 900-1100
• Lunula (950-1100)
• Early Christian Encolpia (1000-1100)

The find context suggests that these objects had a religious or magical significance. Some were worn as jewelry, such as rings and pendants, while others, like stones or fossils, were considered magical. Even ordinary stones sometimes played a role in rituals.

Some miniatures possibly originated from other cultures, such as the Slavic region, and were found in graves alongside Scandinavian objects. Examples include the bird claw pendant from the grave of the völva of Fyrkat and the lunula pendant from grave Bj. 660 in Birka. This points to cultural exchange and the reuse of ritual objects.

Miniature snakes and chairs seem to have played a role in the tools of ritual specialists. In Nordic sources, staff bearers are often mentioned, such as the gods Guðr and Trá, sometimes in combination with other miniatures like masks, shields and sickles.

The symbolism of these objects was profound. Anthropologist Howard Williams speaks of "memory material": by combining certain objects, people created meaningful references to other times, places, and traditions.

One of the most well-known Viking jewelry pieces often found are small T-shaped Thor's hammers, also called Mjölnir.

Today, more than a thousand of these pendants have been found in Scandinavia, the British Isles, and other parts of Europe. Researchers agree that these pendants refer to the magical hammer of the god Thor. 

In 2014, an important discovery was made in Købelev on the Danish island of Lolland. There, a small hammer was found with a rune inscription that can be translated as: "This is a hammer." This confirmed that these pendants were indeed intended as symbols of Thor.

By wearing a Thor's hammer, one invoked Thor's protective power to ward off evil. The amulets are often found in graves, as they were given to the deceased to ward off malevolent spirits. In rural Norway, there was a long-standing tradition where the groom hid a miniature hammer in the marriage bed. If the bride discovered it ‘s at night, she wore it as a sign of loyalty around her neck on a silver chain.

The tradition of amulets goes back much further than the Viking Age. The Germanic ancestors of the Vikings used various amulets, some of which have been found in large quantities.

• Bracteates are aristocratic coin amulets that may provide protection to the wearer.
• Guldgubbar are amulets made of thin slices of silver or gold that likely brought prosperity and luck to the wearer
• Donarskeulen are the precursor to Thor's hammers, worn by women on the belt for fertility

Zeirscheiben were wheel-shaped amulets that were also mainly worn by the woman on the belt.

These pieces of jewelry were no longer worn by the Vikings, although exceptions are sometimes found. Occasionally, they can be found in the graves of völvas a colorful collection of historical objects has been found, and it has happened multiple times that Germanic objects and even Neolithic axes have been discovered in a völva grave. Historical objects gave the völva authority and directly connected her with ancestor worship. 

Visual and symbolic references to the coiled snake motif can be recognized in the design of the Oseberg ship, in spiral decorations, and on miniature pendants. In Old Norse literature, the snake is often depicted as a creature of European folklore. The snake was seen as a creature that guarded the boundaries between worlds and was often associated with knowledge, wisdom, death, and rebirth.

An important example is Odin, who connects magic, wisdom, and poetry — he drank a magical potion that gave him the gift of poetry. 

Miniature chairs also appear to be part of a network of 'meaning relationships', possibly symbolizing the throne from which Odin could oversee all worlds, and thus were a sign of the völva. This probably also symbolizes the platform from which the völva performed her ritual.

Jensen investigates animal figures that served as amulets, including miniatures of horses, wolves, ravens and other animals. These amulets were often associated with protection and strength, and their presence in graves suggests an important symbolic significance within Viking culture.

Human figures, such as the so-called valkyrie figures, are extensively discussed by Jensen. These amulets, often found in copper alloy or silver, represent female figures that may symbolize valkyries. They have been found in various regions's, including England, Denmark, and Sweden, and are often associated with female graves

Mask amulets from the Viking Age, made of copper alloy, silver, and amber, have been found in England, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Their presence in both male and female graves indicates a broad cultural significance.

Although Old Norse sources say little about masks in rituals, archaeological findings suggest they played a role. In the Edda, Odin is associated with disguise; his nicknames Grímr and Grímnir mean “the masked one.” It is also mentioned that a masked person can enter a trance. The Laxdæla saga describes a deceased völva with a cloth over her face, which may have been a ritual element.

Archaeological finds support this idea. In Hedeby, Denmark, 10th-century masks have been discovered that gave the wearer an animal-like appearance. In Novgorod, Russia, at least twelve similar masks have been unearthed. Masks also appear in art, such as on the Oseberg tapestry, where women are depicted with raven- and boar masks, dressed in Viking women's clothing. One woman holds a shield or drum aloft, reminiscent of berserker- and úlfheðnar-traditions.

Although there is no direct evidence that masks were used exclusively for religious rituals, they may also have played a role in seasonal festivals or ritual dances.

Miniature weapons were one of the most common types of Viking jewelry that are found. The most common of these are miniature swords, shields, spears, and axes. In addition, miniature helmets are also regularly found. 

Shield jewelry is always round and sometimes contains a shield boss and handle in the middle. The front is usually decorated with a wheel-shaped motif as depicted on various runestones. Some contain small ornaments or circle motifs.

Most of this jewelry has been found in women's graves. They are found both loose and as part of a necklace with multiple pendants, some of which have religious significance. In grave Bj 844, a shield amulet was found along with a miniature chair and a snake amulet, suggesting that this composition belonged to a völva. It is likely that this type of amulets was mainly worn by women from the upper class of society and protected the wearer against negative forces, magic, and the evil eye. References to this can be found in the Gongu-Hrolfs saga, where a shield was placed directly over the face of a magician. 

Sword amulets were also widely worn but were especially popular in Sweden and Denmark. Some sword amulets appear to be a realistic copy of real swords. Unfortunately, most have been found as grave goods, making the context less clear. They probably represented aristocracy and protection. Four of these ornaments have been found in Tissø, Denmark, known as a religious site. These ornaments may have been placed in the ground as offerings, just as was done with real swords. In Uppsala, miniature swords were likely offered for the same reason.

Miniature spears are less frequently found. Spears were noble weapons in the Indo-European religions, some were given as grave goods. The others were probably offered just like the miniature swords. Spears have been found in the graves of various völvas, including those from Fyrkat, Gerdrop, Trekroner-grydehøj in Denmark. Notably, both the miniature spears and the real ones were laid with the tip downwards. This implies a connection with the Odinistic ritual of the horned speardancer and a ritual described in the Hávamáll and Ynglinga saga. This may be related to offerings to Odin.

Most axe amulets originate from Central and Eastern Europe and are rarely found in Sweden and Denmark. The axe blades usually closely resemble the blades used by the Slavic and Baltic peoples. They were likely owned by non-Scandinavian people who had settled in the Viking world. These amulets likely symbolized the Slavic god Perun. Therefore, they can be seen as the Slavic variant of the Thor's hammer. These axe amulets can be seen in the Balto-Slavic world as gift offerings for both men and boys who had undergone coming-of-age rituals. 

In graves from the Viking Age, dozens of pieces of jewelry featuring spoked wheels have been found. These often have four, nine, or twelve spokes. Some of these pieces were found in the graves of religious specialists or volvas.

In Viking culture, wheel jewelry represents Freyja, the goddess of fertility and death. Whether the wheel jewelry symbolizes the wheels of the chariot or the sun itself is unclear. The meaning is the same. Within this dharmic religion, death and fertility are interconnected, symbolized by the goddess Freya. See this blog for more information. 

Various people are depicted on Viking amulets. The images show a clearly repetitive pattern, suggesting that they form a repertoire that people in the Viking Age were consciously aware of. They symbolize attributes associated with these figures. Most of these pieces of jewelry are made of copper alloy or silver. 

Valkyrie amulets represent female figures that may symbolize valkyries. They have been found in England, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, often in female graves, which may associate them with Freya. In some of these amulets, it is clearly visible that they represent a Valkyrie, given the weapons they wear. In others, it is more logical that it concerns Freya. Sometimes these ornaments can be associated with völvas, because Freya was the mistress of seidr. Some amulets show the motif of a woman holding a drinking horn. This may point to the tradition of drinking together from a drinking horn and thus emphasize the oath-bound ritual of reciprocity. 

Some amulets depict a valkyrie greeting a rider, such as specimens found in Norfolk, England. These representations suggest a ritual or mythological significance, possibly related to the reception of warriors in the afterlife. 

On some jewelry from the Viking Age, a horned sword dancer or spear dancer is depicted. This tradition comes from the Germanic tradition and is probably much older. Among the Vikings, the horned person symbolized the god Odin and referred to an Odinistic tradition that was probably reenacted in practice. See this blog for more information. 

Both the Germans and the Vikings wore amulets with the image of Odin. These amulets likely emphasized participation in the warrior class and protection from the almighty father Odin. See this blog for more information. 

Jewelry with mountain crystal is regularly found in völva graves. When you look through the mountain crystal, you see the world upside down. This type of jewelry probably played a role in some cases during ecstatic rituals. There are some examples of rock crystals from graves of Abraxas 'priestesses' on which the crystals are engraved with a magical spell. 

Just like miniature weapons, the staffs of the völva and other ritual specialists could also be worn as miniature amulets. These amulets took various forms, such as miniature staffs, Thor's hammers, fire strikers, and sickles. Often, multiple examples were attached together on a ring. These combinations are usually associated with the völva and her practices. They may have even worn these amulets on their staff, causing a jingling sound during rituals.

Staffs from the Viking Age always have the same form: a simple silver or bronze wire 2-3 mm thick, folded into a loop on one end, so they can be hung on a ring.

One of these rings was found in a silver hoard in Klinta, in the parish of Köpings on Öland, close to a previously discussed grave. On this ring, three staffs are strung on a silver wire, interspersed with a miniature firesteel, a sword, and a spear head. An older illustration in Svenska fornsaker (1872) shows the object more completely. The hoard is dated to 1050 or later and also contained a so-called 'Valkyrie' figure.

Two other examples come from Birka. The first originates from Stolpe’s s finds from the black earth of the town, but without an exact location. This piece is of bronze and contains nine staffs – possibly a significant number – a miniature sword, and a small undecorated bronze strip. In grave Bj. 60a, a woman's grave, a silver ring was found with four staffs. The woman had few grave goods, but was also given another small ring with two small Thor's hammers.

Just like the real staffs, these amulets have also been found at other Scandinavian locations in Europe. For example, an iron ring with four staffs and a hook was discovered in Kokemäki, Astala (Finland).

The mentioned bird claw pendants from grave 4 of Fyrkat and the silver lunula pendant from grave Bj. 660 in Birka originate from the West-Slavic region and were likely made in Greater Poland. 

Among the Slavs, these types of pendants were probably intended for women who played a role in temple rituals, possibly a kind of priestesses. These women often wore a headgear, scarf, or veil, to which such pendants were attached. These exotic objects were mainly important for the aristocracy and the völva because they could emphasize their authority with them. However, exotic objects were probably used differently than in their country of origin.

Another example of appropriation and/or reinterpretation of foreign objects is the pendant found in Klimta. This pendant shows an individual among other figures. It was originally made as decoration on an object from the 9th or 10th century and is associated with a group of Hungarians from Eastern Europe, the so-called Subboty-type jewelry. This jewelry shows influences from Buddhist art (as seen in Scandinavia with the Helgö Buddha figurine) or from Iranian/Sassanid art.