Scandinavian Amulets in Collectio Archaeologica Ressoviensis Tomus XXXIiI

collegium editorum Sylwester Czopek, Michał Parczewski, Andrzej Pelisiak, Zbigniew Pianowski, Andrzej Rozwałka, Aleksander Sytnyk, Marcin Wołoszyn Fundacja Rzeszowskiego Ośrodka Archeologicznego Instytut Archeologii Uniwersytetu Rzeszowskiego

L eszek Gardeła

Scandinavian Amulets in Viking Age Poland

Rzeszów 2014 Recenzent / Reviewer dr hab. prof. AH Władysław Duczko

Redakcja techniczna / Typesetting Zimowit

Korekta / Proofreading Leszek Gardeła

Ilustracja na okładce / Cover illustration Młot Thora z (Janów Pomorski). MAH 1599/2008. Fot. Marek F. Jagodziński Thor’s hammer from Truso (Janów Pomorski). MAH 1599/2008. Photo by Marek F. Jagodziński

© Copyright by Fundacja Rzeszowskiego Ośrodka Archeologicznego © Copyright by Instytut Archeologii Uniwersytetu Rzeszowskiego © Copyright by Zimowit

ISBN 978–83–7667-197-0

Wydawca / Publisher Oficyna Wydawnicza „Zimowit” sp. z o.o 35-604 Rzeszów, ul. Zimowit 6/5 e-mail: [email protected] CONTENTS

Acknowledgements ...... 9 Preface ...... 10

CHAPTER 1: Viking Age archaeology in Poland. History of research and reception ...... 11 1. Viking inspirations in 19th century Poland ...... 11 2. Viking studies in 20th century Poland ...... 13 Józef Kostrzewski ...... 14 Jan Żak ...... 15 Żak’s legacy ...... 17 3. Viking studies in 21st century Poland ...... 18 New finds and controversies ...... 18 4. Scandinavian-Slavic interactions ...... 20 Scandinavians in the ports of trade on the southern Baltic coast ...... 21 ...... 21 Kamień Pomorski ...... 23 Kołobrzeg and Świelubie ...... 24 Truso (Janów Pomorski) ...... 25 5. Viking burials in Poland? ...... 25 5.1. Greater Poland ...... 27 Łubowo ...... 27 Luboń ...... 29 Other allegedly Scandinavian graves in Greater Poland ...... 32 Grave 62/08 with a cross-shaped pendant from Dziekanowice ...... 32 5.2. Western ...... 33 Wolin ...... 33 Bardy-Świelubie ...... 34 5.3. Central Pomerania ...... 34 5.4. Eastern Pomerania ...... 36 5.5. Elbląg ...... 38 5.6. Central Poland ...... 38 5.7. Problematic chamber graves ...... 43 6. Poland and the Viking Worlds ...... 43

5 CHAPTER 2: Viking Age amulets in . An overview ...... 45 1. Defining amulets ...... 45 2. Viking Age amulets in Scandinavia ...... 47 History of research ...... 48 Amulet types in Viking Age Scandinavia and elsewhere in the Viking world ...... 54 3. Amulets and Viking worldviews ...... 56 New approaches to pre-Christian beliefs in the Viking world ...... 56 Diversity instead of orthodoxy. Acknowledging the complexity of beliefs ...... 58 4. Viking Age amulets in action ...... 59 Making Viking Age amulets ...... 59 Wearing Viking Age amulets ...... 61 Amulets and death ...... 61 5. Concluding remarks ...... 63

CHAPTER 3: Scandinavian amulets in Viking Age Poland. Analysis and interpretation . . . . . 66 1. Thor’s hammers ...... 66 1.1. Iron and silver Thor’s hammers ...... 67 Iron Thor’s hammers with differing shoulders ...... 67 Iron Thor’s hammers with equal shoulders ...... 68 Iron Thor’s hammers with very short shoulders ...... 69 Silver Thor’s hammers ...... 69 Thor’s hammers with rings ...... 71 1.2. Amber Thor’s hammers ...... 72 Amber Thor’s hammers from Wolin ...... 72 Amber Thor’s hammers from Gdańsk ...... 72 Amber Thor’s hammers from Truso ...... 74 Interpreting amber Thor’s hammers ...... 75 Thor’s hammers in Poland. Discussion and conclusions ...... 75 2. Miniature figures ...... 76 Female figure from Truso (MAH 600/2007) ...... 77 Female figure from Truso (MAH 1578/2008) ...... 77 Female figure shown en-face from Truso (MAH 1579/2008) ...... 78 Standing figure and horse rider from Truso (MAH 74/2000) ...... 78 One-eyed(?) female head from Truso (MAH 2110/2003) ...... 81 Female figure from Kałdus (27/00) ...... 83 Animal head from Wolin (694/79) ...... 83 Male head/mask from Wolin (1331/71) ...... 87 Scandinavian-style miniature figures in Poland. Discussion and conclusions ...... 88 3. Other miniature figures from Poland ...... 89 Anthropomorphic figures from Wolin ...... 89 ‘Światowit’ from Wolin ...... 92 4. Multi-headed objects. Scandinavian or not? ...... 94 Multi-headed objects in Viking Age Scandinavia. A reassessment ...... 95 Multi-headed beings in Old Norse textual sources ...... 96 Multi-headed objects in Poland and Scandinavia. Discussion and conclusions ...... 97 5. Miniature weapons ...... 98 Miniature shields ...... 98 Miniature axes ...... 100 Miniature spears ...... 102

6 Miniature swords ...... 105 Miniature weapons. Discussion and conclusions ...... 107 6. Miniature wheels ...... 108 7. Miniature feet/legs/shoes ...... 109 8. Miniature staff ...... 112 9. Miniature anchors ...... 113 10. The tri-part ‘amulet’ from Truso ...... 115 11. Alleged amulets and problematic pendants ...... 117 Cross-shaped pendants ...... 118 Stone pendants? ...... 119 Elongated pendants ...... 119 Pendants with a triquetra motif ...... 120 12. Concluding remarks ...... 120

CHAPTER 4: Synthesis and conclusions ...... 121 1. Types of Scandinavian amulets in Viking Age Poland. A summary ...... 121 2. Other signals of pre-Christian Scandinavian beliefs in Poland ...... 124 3. Scandinavian vs West Slavic amulets ...... 125 4. Future research possibilities ...... 127 CATALOGUE ...... 129 STRESZCZENIE ...... 139 BIBLIOGRAPHY ...... 149

7

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This book is the final outcome of a research project Rudolf Simek and to present my ongoing research during entitled ‘Viking Age Amulets in Poland’ which I conducted several academic seminars organized at the Department in 2014. Its initial part was generously funded by the of Scandinavian Languages and Literatures (Abteilung Viking Society for Northern Research whose Research für Skandinavische Sprachen und Literaturen). I am very Support Fund allowed me to travel to Elbląg, grateful for constructive criticism and encouragement and Wolin to examine and document a broad range that I received from Professor Simek and other members of Scandinavian amulets discovered in the territory and students of the Department. of Poland. The two research trips (the first to Elbląg and I am also indebted to Dr. Marek Jagodziński, Dr. the second to Szczecin and Wolin) were undertaken Andrzej Janowski, Kamil Kajkowski, Klaudia Karpińska, in February and August 2014. Professor Andrzej Rozwałka and Dr. Jerzy Sikora for My first research trip to Elbląg was intended their guidance, valuable comments and constructive to examine Viking Age amulets from the important critique which helped me to improve the final version port of trade known as Truso. During my stay at the of my manuscript. Any faults are of course mine alone. Archaeological and Historical Museum in Elbląg, Dr. Special thanks are also due to Marie Brinch, Dr. Marek Jagodziński has kindly granted me unrestricted Michaela Helmbrecht, Professor Władysław Łosiński, access to their archaeological collections for which Dr. Błażej Stanisławski and Jacek Wrzesiński for granting I am deeply grateful. The opportunity to see the me the permission to reproduce images from their Truso finds and to discuss my preliminary ideas and research and publications and to Karolina Michałowska interpretations with the discoverer of this remarkable site for preparing high resolution plates for the present was a truly exciting and unforgettable experience. While monograph. working in Elbląg, I also received kind help from Justyna I would also like to express my warmest thanks Duda who assisted me in finding archival reports and to Professor Sylwester Czopek from the Institute important unpublished information about the particular of Archaeology at the University of Rzeszów for accepting finds from Truso. this volume for publication in the series Collectio My second research trip involved examining Viking Archeologica Ressoviensis. Magdalena Rzucek always Age amulets from the past and recent excavations offered invaluable assistance in acquiring and lending in Wolin, many of which are now kept at the Institute books at our Institute’s Library for which she has of Archaeology and Ethnology of the Polish Academy my heartfelt thanks. I also appreciate the kind support of Sciences in Szczecin (Centre for Medieval Archaeology of Fundacja Rzeszowskiego Ośrodka Archeologicznego of the Baltic Region). I wish to express my warm thanks and its director Joanna Berdowska for generously to Professor Marian Rębkowski and especially Dr. Andrzej financing the printing of this book. Special thanks to my Janowski for giving me the permission to access their parents, Barbara and Roman Gardeła for their great help collections and their kind and friendly support during during the last stages of preparing the final draft. my stay in Szczecin. The book is dedicated to Mira Fricke. I hope that The main parts of this book were written during while reading it, she will recall the warm spring day when a Postdoctoral Research Stay at the University we first met in Munich… of Bonn, which was funded by the DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst) between July and October Leszek Gardeła 2014. I was fortunate to work closely with Professor Bonn-Poznań-Rzeszów, 1.06.2015

9 PREFACE

The main aim of this study is to critically review accurate definition. In addition, Chapter 2 discusses the full corpus of Viking Age Scandinavian amulets the Scandinavian-style amulets in the broader context discovered in the territory of Poland. While the different of pre-Christian beliefs and examines how they may types of amulets and their thorough analysis form the have functioned in Norse societies. Some attention is also core of this book, the author’s intention was also to set devoted to ways of producing, wearing and carrying them against a wider context of Viking Age Poland and amulets and their role in funerary practices. present some critical observations on past and present Chapter 3 lies at the core of this book and offers research on Scandinavian-Slavic interactions in the period a thorough analysis and interpretation of all Scandinavian between the 9th and 11th century AD. amulets discovered in Poland. These are divided into The opening chapter gives an overview of the last a range of distinctive types and each of them is set within 160 years of studies on the presence of Viking Age a wider context of similar artefacts from the Viking world. Scandinavians in the territory of Poland. It begins The last chapter summarises the discussions presented by reviewing a range of works by some of the most in this book, provides a range of critical comments on the famous 19th century enthusiasts of Scandinavian history confluences and discrepancies between Scandinavian and and archaeology, who expressed their fascinations with the distinctively Slavic amulets and offers a range of ideas for North in their art, literature and academic publications (e.g further research in the field of Viking studies in Poland. Henryk Siemiradzki, Juliusz Słowacki, Karol Szajnocha At the end of the present monograph the readers and others). Further sections of Chapter 1 present the will find a Catalogue including a handlist of all gradual development of Viking studies in the early Scandinavian amulets discovered in Poland supplemented 20th century. This is followed by a critical assessment with additional information about their find context, of a wide spectrum of past and recent discoveries of actual measurements, weight and decoration. The book is richly or assumed Scandinavian-style artefacts from various illustrated with full colour photographs of the finds, most sites in Poland. of which were taken by the author in 2014 and 2015. Chapter 2 focuses on the long history of research Some preliminary ideas on Viking Age amulets from on Viking Age amulets in Scandinavia (and elsewhere Poland were previously published in two articles written in the Viking world) and briefly discusses their most by the author of this monograph in Polish (Gardeła distinctive types. It also explores a range of previous 2014d; in press a) and presented at conferences in Wolin, interpretations of such artefacts and examines the Elbląg and Wrocław. This book, however, expands these different methodological problems which amulet studies ideas considerably and sets the archaeological material continue to evoke. Particular attention is devoted to the in a much wider perspective. issue of identifying such finds and providing their