Rickard Franzén the IMAGE of LOKI from PROOSA in ESTONIA: a MIGRATION PERIOD HIGH STATUS BUCKLE with an ELEVATED CIRCULAR FASTE
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Fennoscandia archaeologica XXVI (2009) Rickard Franzén THE IMAGE OF LOKI FROM PROOSA IN ESTONIA: A MIGRATION PERIOD HIGH STATUS BUCKLE WITH AN ELEVATED CIRCULAR FASTENING PLATE IN THE LIGHT OF SIMILAR BUCKLES RECOVERED IN SCANDINAVIA Abstract The purpose of this article is to examine an extraordinary Migration Period high status buckle recovered in a cemetery at Proosa, in the close proximity of the Estonian capital Tallinn. Within the cemetery the buckle belongs to a group of objects which all are decorated with animal art of Salin’s style I. With regard to the ornamentation this group has been linked to the material culture in the lake Mälaren area and on the island of Gotland. The buckle has never previously been published with detailed drawings of good quality and its place within the Scandinavian Migration Period art has only briefly been discussed by Birgit Arrhenius in an account from 1979. The aim of this study is to complement Arrhenius rendering by examining how the Proosa buckle relates – from a morphological and chronological point of view – to the few other known high status buckles of similar type recovered in Scandinavia. Of importance is Wencke Slomanns account of the closely related buckle from grave V at Snartemo. Furthermore, possible influences from the continental high status buckles will be investigated as well. The author defines a high status buckle as a buckle made of gold or silver or a highly ornate copper- alloy buckle. Apart from giving a general survey of the Proosa buckle and its morphological relatives, some of the features on these buckles which are likely to be endowed with highly symbolic meaning will also be discussed. These include the human head termination on the tongue of the Proosa buckle and the four legged animal on the tongue of the Snartemo buckle. The former feature can possibly be interpreted as a rendering of Loki, the god or giant from Old Norse mythology. Keywords: Migration Period, buckles, shapes, ornamentation, symbolism, trickster Rickard Franzén, Pontonjärgatan 8, SE-112 22 Stockholm. E-mail: [email protected] Defining the Proosa group of the other objects can likely be connected to sword, scabbard and baldric. Almost all of the The cemetery at Proosa is located near the village 23 objects in question are decorated with animal Saha-Loo in the northern part of Estonia. It has art of Salin’s style I (Salin 1904: 214–45), which been examined in a series of excavations from may suggest a connection with Scandinavia 1970–1984, which have shown that it was in use (Selirand & Deemant 1985). from the Roman Iron Age up to the 13th century If the distinct overall shape of the buckle is AD. In excavations taking place from 1971–77 a taken into consideration, it becomes clear that it once silvered copper-alloy buckle (Fig. 1) and 22 can be linked to a small number of similar high other high status objects, all dating to the latter status buckles recovered in Scandinavia. The aim part of the Migration Period, were recovered in of this paper is to examine how these buckles a 450 m2 tarand grave with cremation burials. 16 relate to each other with regard to morphology of the objects were clasp buttons with ornaments and chronology. The buckle from Proosa is executed in chip carving. The buckle and most considered to be the youngest in the group, thus 53 Fig. 1. Copper-alloy buckle with traces of silver from the cemetery at Proosa in Estonia. Length 60 mm. Drawing by Magnus Odéen. Fig. 2. The components of a buckle illustrated with one of the gilded silver buckles from the hoard recovered near Sjörup in Häglinge parish in Sweden. Length 70 mm. Drawing by the author. 54 it becomes a suitable point of departure for the study. The article is divided into four chapters. The first chapter defines the morphological characteristics for the Proosa buckle and its parallels – the Proosa group. The second chapter discusses possible influences for the overall shape of the buckles in the group. The third chapter gives a description of the ornamentation of the Proosa buckle and its relatives. Some of the features likely to be endowed with a highly symbolic meaning will be given a more thorough analysis. The disposition of the third chapter is ordered after the parts that constitute a buckle (Fig. 2). The fourth and last chapter is a summary of the conclusions of this study. Morphological characterization and function The shapes of the tongue, frame and fastening plate taken together constitute the overall shape of a buckle (Fig. 2). This will serve as a basis for the following morphological characterization. A Fig. 3. Buckle of gilded silver from grave V suitable starting point when dealing with the overall at Snartemo in the county of Vest-Agder in shape of the Proosa buckle is Wencke Slomanns Norway. Length 85 mm. Drawing by the author. study (1979) of the buckle from the exceptionally rich grave V at Snartemo in the county of Vest- Agder in Norway (Fig. 3). As the most important which is a prominent feature on the Snartemo parallel to this buckle Slomann presents the buckle. A closer parallel to the Nydam II buckle buckles from a hoard recovered near Sjörup in the can instead be found in a buckle from Kertch in southern part of Sweden (Fig. 2). Altogether the the eastern Crimea (Fig. 4:2). The buckle from Sjörup-find consisted of parts from four different Ejsbøl with an octagonal fastening plate will buckles which all are morphologically close to the be discussed further in the chapter dealing with Snartemo buckle (Salin 1894). possible influences for the overall shape. Apart from the mentioned Sjörup buckles, The elevated and circular fastening plate Slomann also discusses three other buckles as with a sunken interior is a feature which the parallels to the Snartemo buckle. These are: a Snartemo buckle has in common with the buckle from the war booty sacrifice Nydam II buckles from Sjörup (Fig. 2) and the buckle of (Fig. 4:1; Kjaer 1905: 189), a buckle of unknown unknown provenance from Denmark (Fig. 5:1), provenance from Denmark (Fig. 5:1; Müller hence the author would like to designate them 1880: 156) and a buckle from the war booty as buckles with an elevated circular fastening sacrifice at Ejsbøl (Fig. 12:1; Ørsnes 1988: Taf. plate. Furthermore, it is possible to add three 57–9). According to Slomann the morphological more buckles to this group – the mentioned characteristic these buckles have in common is buckle from Proosa (Fig. 1), a buckle from the the elevation of their fastening plates. However, war booty sacrifice at Finnestorp in Larv parish in the author’s opinion the rhombic and in Sweden (Fig. 5:2; Nordqvist 2007: 228) and octagonal fastening plates of the Nydam II and a buckle from the war booty sacrifice at Nydam Ejsbøl buckles clearly separates them from the IV in Denmark (Fig. 5:3; Jörgensen & Vang Snartemo buckle which has a circular fastening Petersen 2003: 281). In this survey these buckles plate. Furthermore, the Nydam II buckle also (Figs. 1–3, 5:1–3) will be referred to as the lacks the sunken interior of the fastening plate Proosa group (Fig. 6). With reference to the close 55 connection between the buckle and the sword in Rau who is currently conducting research on the the Snartemo burial the Proosa group buckles same buckle type, which he refers to as ‘type are likely to have been part of the baldric. Snartemo-Sjörup’. Furthermore, a fitting from a Apart from the elevated circular fastening cremation burial at Sæbø in Norway (Shetelig plate, the heavyset tongue and frame must 1912: Fig. 197) is also considered by Rau to be mentioned as characteristic features of the have been a part of a type Snartemo-Sjörup Proosa group. Furthermore, it can also be noted buckle (Andreas Rau, pers. comm.). that the buckles are of similar size and, with exception for the once silvered copper-alloy Dating buckle from Proosa, are all made of gilded silver. The contrasting effect of silver, gold With reference to the dissolved animal art of and the black niello inlay must be regarded as Salin’s style I, Birgit Arrhenius (1974: 216) somewhat of a leitmotif for these buckles. An considers the Proosa buckle to be younger than identical contrasting effect can be seen on many the buckles from Sjörup and Snartemo. The of the contemporary high status buckles in the latter two are looked upon as contemporary by continental archaeological record. The only many researchers (e.g., Åberg 1953: 88–90; buckle which seems to lack niello inlay is the Slomann 1979: 115; Menghin 1983: 30–1), buckle from Proosa, however, it can’t be ruled belonging to the second half of the Migration out that niello previously has been present but no Period (D2). The buckle of unknown provenance longer survives. An alternate explanation may from Denmark (Fig. 5:1) is discussed by Olfert be that the later dating of the buckle suggests Voss (1954: 176–8) who relates it to the Nydam that ornamentations of this kind had gone out of style which, according to Voss, appears around fashion. Another deviating feature of the Proosa AD 400. A more precise dating of the buckle is buckle is the remarkable height and volume of not given. However, the author is prepared to the tongue relation to the size of the fastening look upon the buckle as roughly contemporary plate and frame. Also the shape of the tongue with the Nydam IV buckle (Fig.