Miniature Shields in the Viking Age: A Reassessment

Gardeła, Leszek; Odebäck, Kerstin

doi:10.1484/j.vms.5.116391

Cited by 9 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Pendants with potential mythological connotations, such as those interpreted as valkyries, have thus received generous attention (Gardeła 2013b(Gardeła , 2018Gardeła and Odebäck 2018;Helmbrecht 2011; see also Domeij Lundborg et al 2012 for a discussion of the use of Old Norse sources in interpretations of metalwork). In addition to these and other objects interpreted as depicting artifacts associated with potential Old Norse pagan rituals, such as staffs, chair pendants, Thor's hammers, and miniature weapons, a group of objects potentially show Christian references, such as the so-called "bag" pendants interpreted as miniature books, the 11 th -century Agnus Dei amulets, or the so-called Hiddensee crosses (Armbruster and Eilbracht 2010; A. .…”

Section: From Cult and Belief To Worldviews Viking Ways And Ontologiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Crossing the Maelstrom: New Departures in Viking Archaeology

Lund

Sindbæk

2021

J Archaeol Res

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This paper reviews the achievements and challenges of archaeological research on Viking Age northern Europe and explores potential avenues for future research. We identify the reemergence of comparative and cross-cultural perspectives along with a turn toward studying mobility and maritime expansion, fueled by the introduction of biomolecular and isotopic data. The study of identity has seen a shift from a focus on collective beliefs and ritual to issues of personal identity and presentation, with a corresponding shift in attention to individual burials and the “animated objects.” Network ontologies have brought new perspectives on the emergence of sea trade and urban nodes and to the significance of outfield production and resources. Field archaeology has seen an emphasis on elite manors, feasting halls, and monuments, as well as military sites and thing assembly places, using new data from remote sensing, geophysical surveys, geoarchaeology, and metal detectors. Concerns over current climate change have placed the study of environment as a key priority, in particular in the ecologically vulnerable North Atlantic settlements. Discussing future directions, we call for alignment between societal/economic and individual/cultural perspectives, and for more ethically grounded research. We point to diaspora theory and intersectionality as frameworks with the potential to integrate genomics, identity, and society, and to ecology as a framework for integrating landscape, mobility, and political power.

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Section: From Cult and Belief To Worldviews Viking Ways And Ontologiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Crossing the Maelstrom: New Departures in Viking Archaeology

Lund

Sindbæk

2021

J Archaeol Res

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“…We see them clearly in the funerary evidence where women of various ages (notably, some of them in their teens) are occasionally buried with military equipment, such as swords, spears, axes, and shields. Interestingly, some female individuals are also accompanied by miniature weapons made of nonferrous metals and closely resembling their full-size counterparts (Gardeła and Odebäck 2018). Opinions on this corpus of material are divided among scholars, and while some consider these finds as evidence suggesting a warrior identity of the deceased, others point out that weapons in female hands and in their graves may have held many other meanings.…”

Section: Tomboys and Little Vikingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Playing Vikings

Raffield¹

2019

Current Anthropology

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Although the Viking Age (ca. 750-1050 CE) is often characterized as a time of violence, significant questions remain regarding how conflict was conducted during the period. For example, there have been few attempts to understand the cultural norms, attitudes, and practices that drove individuals to participate in warfare. This article reports the results of a study that sought to shed light on this issue by considering the process of enculturation during Viking Age childhood. This was achieved by exploring how the influences of militarism and hegemonic masculinity conditioned those living within Scandinavian societies to participate in conflict from a young age. Through examining the archaeological and literary evidence for childhood pastimes, the study found that everyday aspects of Viking Age society reinforced militaristic, hegemonic hierarchies of masculinity. This can be seen, for example, in the form of toy weapons that were modeled on full-sized, functional weapons; strategic board games that conveyed messages regarding the ideological power of kingship; and physical games that provided opportunities for successful individuals to enhance their social status. The evidence therefore suggests that Viking Age societies perpetuated a series of selfreinforcing cultural norms that encouraged participation in martial activities.

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“…Shields are depicted on picture stones and tapestries, although such depictions only provide us with a few indications of their original decorations. By far the best source for shield decoration is the numerous miniature shield amulets found from burials, excavations and hoards, and recovered as stray finds by private metal detecting (Gardeła and Odebäck, 2018;Jensen 2010;Duczko 1989). The distribution coincides roughly with the extent of the Scandinavian Viking world with an emphasis on the eastern and southern areas.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The miniature shield is decorated on both sides. On one side, swirling bands -the most common motif on miniature shields (Gardeła and Odebäck, 2018) -radiate from a raised central boss (Figure 5a). The boss has been pierced and is surrounded by small circular perforations.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many miniature shield amulets have decorations which can best be described using a nomenclature associated with wheels, such as ´punched running wheel motif´ or ´resembling a running wheel with the spokes made of punched dots or circles´ (Gardeła and Odebäck, 2018). Viking miniature amulets include many different weapons and utensils, and wheel amulets, with rim and spokes in openwork and a hub, have also been found.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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