The Boeslunde Spirals: Around 2,000 Mysterious Bronze Age Gold Spirals Discovered in Denmark

July 19, 2015 by Joseph Hopkins in Archaeology

The National Museum of Denmark has announced that a team of archaeologists has discovered a large of golden spirals—nearly 2,000—dating from the Nordic Bronze Age in Boeslunde, Denmark. The purpose of the Boeslunde Spirals are unknown. According to the National Museum of Denmark:

A photograph of the National Museum of Denmark's Bronze Age display, featuring the Trundholm Sun Chariot and various other Nordic Bronze Age items (Photo: Wikimedia Commons) — A photograph of the National Museum of Denmark's Bronze Age display, featuring the Trundholm Sun Chariot and various other Nordic Bronze Age items (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

[Archaeologists] do not know what they've been used for, and they have never seen them before in Denmark. The archaeologists at the Museum Zealand and the National Museum of Denmark are facing a little mystery, when they consider what they have just excavated.

Maybe the spirals have been attached to cords which have served as a small fringe on a hat or a parasol. Perhaps they have been braided into the hair or been embroidered on the suit. The fact is that we do not know, but I tend to believe they were part of a priest king’s costume or headwear, says [curator at the National Museum of Denmark] Flemming Kaul about the strange spirals.

The spirals were discovered in what is now a field in the small town of Boeslunde, located not far from the western coast of Zealand, Denmark. The objects were clustered together in what was once a leather-lined box (since decayed). This is not the first time the field has been excavated. According to the National Museum of Denmark's press release, "a couple years ago" amateur archaeologists discovered two large golden rings ("oath rings"—a practice that appears to have continued in the area until Christianization). Subsequently, the Museum Vestsjælland returned to the site for further excavations, resulting in the yield of golden spirals.

The area is rich in similar gold finds. As a result, archaeologists interpret the area as having been a holy location in the Bronze Age in Nordic Bronze Age religion, and subsequently the items found in the vicinity were probably votive offerings to beings—perhaps gods—in Nordic Bronze Age religion, forebear to North Germanic religion.

Outside of the National Museum of Denmark's rich Nordic Bronze Age exhibition at the National Museum of Denmark, the museum hosts a variety of original articles about Nordic Bronze Age finds on their website, which readers can browse here.

SOURCES
* "Guldspiraler er en gåde for arkæologerne" — Original Press Release from the National Museum of Denmark (in Danish)
* "Gold spirals are a mystery to archaeologists" — English Language Press Release from the National Museum of Denmark

"Freja" Fourth Most Popular Newborn Girl Name in Denmark in 2014

July 17, 2015 by Joseph Hopkins in Modern Popular Culture

Freja is the fourth most popular newborn girl name in Denmark in 2014, according to Statistics Denmark. Freja entered Statics Denmark's list of most popularity child names in 1994 at #42 and has steadily become very popular. This popularity appears to have peaked in 2009, when the Freja was the #1 most popular name for newborn girls that year. The name has hovered around the top most popular newborn girl names since.

The North Germanic goddess Freyja as depicted in Freja by Swedish artist John Bauer, 1905 — The North Germanic goddess Freyja as depicted in *Freja* by Swedish artist John Bauer, 1905

The modern Danish personal name Freja derives from Old Norse Freyja, a theonym (god name) referring to the major goddess Freyja. The name itself transparently means 'Lady' (the name of her brother, Freyr, is 'Lord'). Freyja is thought to have been a title for the goddess, who is otherwise know by at least several other names. The usage of a derivative of the goddess name Freyja as a given name is a recent development and does not appear to have historical precedent in the region.

While the list of newborn girl names primarily shows the influence of names deriving from Latin in the decision making process. However, another name deriving from pre-Christian North Germanic religion, Nanna (from the name of the Old Norse goddess—#38), also appears on the list, along with other Old Norse-derived names such as Signe (#32) and Astrid (#41). Newborn boy names show less of an influence from Old Norse, with a scant few representatives from the Danish language's ancestral name lexicon (for example, Aksel at #26 and Asger at #47).

SOURCE
* Navne til nyfødte ('Names of Nameborns') at Statistics Denmark (in Danish)

Unique Late Viking Age Sword Displayed to the Public for the First Time in Oslo, Norway

July 17, 2015 by Joseph Hopkins in Archaeology

The Langeid Sword, a unique Late Viking Age sword discovered in 2011 in Langeid, Norway is on display to the public for the first time at the Historical Museum in Oslo, Norway. The sword is dated to the end of the Viking Age and bears a variety of curious symbols: a mixture of Latin (or Latin-inspired) characters, spirals, and cross-like ornaments. A battle-ax and a variety of coins, including a coin from England, were found at the burial site.

The burial site in which the sword and axe were found is also notable, both of which may have their origin in England. Post holes make it clear that the grave was sheltered with a roof, a construction apparently displaying status. While the grave is evidently pagan due to the presence of grave goods, the oldest runestone known in Norway to refer to Christianity was discovered relatively nearby. (which, notably, refers to Cnut, who ruled over England and much of Scandinavia). As a result, the grave may present an archaeological snapshot of pagan burial practices directly before Christianization in the region.

SOURCES
* "A unique Viking sword goes on display for the first time since its discovery" at pasthorizonspr.com
* "Viking sword linked to Canute's raids" at thelocal.no

Icelandic Germanic Neopagans Criticized Abroad for Conducting Gay Marriage Ceremonies

July 15, 2015 by Joseph Hopkins in Germanic Neopaganism

Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, chief gothi of the Ásatrúarfélagið—the major Germanic pagan organization of Iceland, reports that the group has received criticism abroad for its stance on gay marriage.

From Grapevine.is:

“We have unfortunately received some hateful communications from abroad, on account of how we handle gay issues, and have fought to be able to marry them,” Hilmar told reporters. “I think we echo Icelandic society. The people have stood with us through thick and thin.”

Hilmar says the Ásatrú Society of Iceland will continue to maintain their policy of tolerance, regardless of the misconceptions others may have.

“We’re not running this with some kind of Viking or battle romanticism,” he said. “We’re not contemplating some old text from the year 70, as some foreign Ásatrú believers seem to believe is a part of our practice.”

As of 2014, Germanic Neopaganism is the second largest religion in Iceland.

Source:
"Pagans Criticised for Being Too Liberal" at grapevine.is

Archaeologists Discover Remains of Viking Age Longhouse in Reykjavik, Iceland

July 15, 2015 by Joseph Hopkins in Archaeology

Archaeologists in Iceland's capital, Reykjavik, have had a number of exciting new finds on their hands as of late. Most notably for the purposes of Mimisbrunnr.info, one of these major new finds is a longhouse from the Viking Age unearthed in central Reykjavik. The longhouse was in use from the 10th the 13th centuries and was 20 meters (about 65.6 feet) in length. It featured a fire pit over 5 meters (about 16.5 feet) long.

Various objects were found at the site of the longhouse, including a silver ring and weaving tools. The site is to be the site of a new Íslandshótel hotel, where the longhouse remains will feature in an exhibition.

The oldest longhouse discovered in Iceland (dating from the 9th century) was also found in Reykjavik in 2001 and is now a part of the Reykjavík 871±2 exhibit, open to the public.

Sources:
* "Viking-age hut found in Reykjavik" at mbl.is
* "Two historic discoveries in Reykjavik" at mbl.is

Recent Discoveries at Gamla Uppsala, Sweden by GUAM

July 06, 2015 by Joseph Hopkins in Archaeology

A previously unknown great burial mound and a Vendel Period gold pendant have recently been discovered at Gamla Uppsala. The project behind the latter two discoveries, Gamla Uppsala – the emergence of a mythical centre (GUAM), maintains a blog covering the team's ongoing excavations, which readers can follow here. The blog is full of interesting information about GUAM's excavations in the area. GUAM is a collaboration between Uppsala University, the Uppland Museum, the National Heritage Board, and Societas Archaeologica Upsaliensis (SAU).

Gamla Uppsala (Swedish ‘Old Uppsala’) is a particularly notable location in ancient Germanic studies. According to several sources from the medieval period, the site was once the location of a major North Germanic pagan religious temple, the Temple at Uppsala. Unlike, say, the columns of Classical ruins, today there is no visible sign of any such temple, but imposing mounds still stand at the site. By the 12th century, Gamla Uppsala was the site of Sweden’s first Archbishopric.

Given the significance of the site, it’s no surprise that that the site has seen a significant amount of scholarly attention, ranging from archaeological digs to discussion among scholars (often perplexing given the complex nature of Germanic holy spaces). In 2013, for example, a long row of post holes was found, reaching 1.5 km (nearly 1 mile) in length. The purpose of this dramatic row remains unclear.

Lair Spindle Whorl: Younger Futhark Runes, Ogham, or Abstract Symbols?

July 05, 2015 by Joseph Hopkins in Archaeology

A team from the Glenshee Archaeology Project has found a potential spindle whorl (5 CM in diameter) near a Viking Age longhouse excavation site in Lair, in Glenshee, Scotland. The object appears to be decorated. The team is waiting for specialists to analyze the object for potential Younger Futhark or Ogham inscriptions:

"David Strachan of Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust explained the possible significance of the find.

'Through the ages spindle whorls have often been decorated – and the spinning action would bring life to these shapes, much like the old spinning top toy,' he said.

'While we certainly have abstract shapes on this example, some of the symbols look like they could be writing, perhaps Viking runes or Ogham inscription, a form of early medieval Irish script.'"

(From: Cryptic symbols may hold key to Glenshee’s Viking-age past on thecourier.co.uk)

Notably, another spindle whorl—dubbed the Saltfleetby Spindle Whorl—featuring an inscription containing a very rare mention of the enigmatic god Heimdallr (along with the name of the widely attested god Odin and the rather mysterious figure of Þjálfi) was found in 2010 in Saltfleetby, England.

Sixteenth International Saga Conference Presentation Abstracts

July 05, 2015 by Joseph Hopkins in Conferences

While registration for the Sixteenth International Saga Conference has closed, particularly those of us not attending this year (including myself, unfortunately) will be interested at taking a look at the presentation abstracts available under “Download abstracts thematic strands” at the University of Basel and the University of Zurich’s Saga Conference website here.

The International Saga Conference, the largest conference dedicated to ancient Germanic studies in the world, will be held this year in Basel and Zurich, Switzerland from August 9 to August 15, 2015, and will feature presentations by numerous academics in a variety of fields. Having had the pleasure to attend the Fifteenth International Saga Conference in Aarhus in 2012, I can attest that the conference is a hotbed for cutting edge research in the field.

Norse Myth Retellings and Valkauskas's "The Illuminated Edda"

June 21, 2015 by Joseph Hopkins in Retellings

As of May 31, game designer Andrew Valkauskas's "The Illuminated Edda" Kickstarter raised $21,921 CAD (about $17,400 USD). "The Illuminated Edda" is described in Valkauskas's Kickstarter campaign as "the greatest Viking epics, the Poetic and Prose Eddas, retold with entertaining storytelling and full-color end-to-end illustration". Specialists will note that this description presents a variety of problems and that some of the manuscripts in question are in fact illuminated.

Valkauskas's project seems to be an illustrated retelling along the lines of the d'Aulaires' Norse Gods and Giants (1963). Strangely, included in "The Illuminated Edda" are narratives from Celtic sources (described as "the Celtic myths") and material from Finnish sources (described as "the Finnish myths", most likely material retold from the Kalevala).

Given the vibrant and visual nature of the Old Norse narratives, illustrated English language retellings of the Norse myths—or for that matter illustrated editions of any material regarding Norse mythology—are surprisingly rare. The illustrations for the project themselves, done by Croatian artist Natasa Ilincic, are rather nice (here's an example). Despite questionable decisions made in the project, the decision to release an illustrated edition makes Valkauskas's "The Illuminated Edda" notable.

Skull Not Modern Homicide But Rather Iron Age, Possible Sacrifice

May 31, 2015 by Joseph Hopkins in Archaeology

Initially the subject of a modern homicide investigation, a skull discovered by two walkers in Bergen, Norway has been found to have belonged to a Germanic Iron Age woman. As the skull was found alone, the skull may be the result of ritual, perhaps the result of a sacrificial custom of some sort. Via thelocal.no:

“‘Only a skull has been dug up and there’s no sign of other body parts. This may indicate a decapitation,’ Asle Broen Olsen, at University of Bergen’s Section for Cultural Heritage Management told NRK. ‘It was hardly a part of legal practice. It was more a religious practice, where the person who was sacrificed had not done anything wrong, but was selected to be sacrificed to the gods.’

Bergen police were disappointed last week when they realised that the discovery would not help clear up any of their outstanding missing person cases.”

New Egtved Girl Discoveries: A Foreign Birth

May 22, 2015 by Joseph Hopkins in Archaeology

Major media outlets are reporting on recent discoveries about the origins of the iconic Egtved Girl, specifically that she was born elsewhere before moving to what is now Denmark later in life. For example:

* Glimpse of a Bronze Age girl’s daily life from hair, clothes” at cbs.com
* Prehistoric Danish girl 'probably born in Germany' at bbc.com

Now housed in the National Museum of Denmark, the Egtved Girl (Danish Egtvedpigen) is the partially preserved corpse of a Nordic Bronze Age teenager who was buried in a hollow log in the summer of 1370 BCE (via dendrochronology) and discovered in 1921 in the small city of Egtved on the peninsula of Jutland in Denmark. The Egtved Girl caused something of a sensation when she was discovered particularly due to her surprisingly well preserved clothing. There are many fascinating things about the Egtved Girl, and I encourage you to read more about her on the National Museum of Denmark’s page about her, which you can find here.

New analysis has shown that the Egtved Girl was not born in Denmark, but rather emigrated to Denmark another location, perhaps from what is nowadays the Black Forest in Germany. You can read more about these fascinating discoveries here: “Tracing the Dynamic Life Story of a Bronze Age Female” on nature.com

Thousands of years after her death, the Egtved Girl has come to inspire everything from poetry to music, particularly in Denmark. An image of the Egtved Girl standing before her oak coffin appears widely in grocery stores and liquor stores all over the U.S. by way of the mass availability of Dogfish Head’s Kvasir, a reconstructed Nordic Bronze Age grog (see detailed discussion at the Livescience report here).