"Krigare" i graven? Praktik, ideal och iscensättning under skandinavisk vikingatid

Abstract

Summary This article has focused on the relation between warriors and warrior ideals, studied through the presence of weapons in Viking age graves. Archaeological studies have repeatedly shown that objects, such as weapons, do not necessarily reflect certain lived identities as that of warriors. Moreover, weapons in burials seem to be able to transform and may not primarily be “weapons” when included in burials and burial processes. In trying to understand why certain people were buried with weapons despite having no lived experience of battle or war-like activity, I explore how identity is created, shaped and staged in connection to burials. I argue that ‘weapon-graves’ may be results of people wanting to materialize warrior ideals, rather than warrior identities.

Crossing the Maelstrom: New Departures in Viking Archaeology

“…Pedersen 2009). These perspectives often imply the assumption that the grave goods were the possessions of the deceased, a position that has been justly questioned in other areas of archaeology (e.g., Odebäck 2018).…”