VV king king HeritageHeritagemagazine

2/2005

DESTINATION Högskolan på Gotland VIKING Gotland University Viking Heritage Magazine 2/05

Editorial IN THIS ISSUE Viking Horses 3–8 WHAT KIND OF HORSES did the have and what did they look like? For what use did they have them and what role did they play in the Viking- Ailikn’s wagon and age society? In the first article of this summer issue you are sure to find Odin’s warriors 9–13 some answers to these questions. It is always fascinating, I think, for us urban people to learn more about Who were the thegns the close, interactive and also dependent relationship of man and animals of Cnut the great? 14–17 in ancient times – a way of living that many people of today know nothing about. Maybe our car is the closest we can come to what a horse could Viking Market in Slite, Gotland 17 mean to the Vikings? Another interesting article among many others, on a totally different DESTINATION VIKING topic, is about the extent of the Viking-age Danish influence in south How to make an early Sweden, a contribution to a debate that has engaged scholars in lute and rebec 18–19 Scandinavia for a long time. Kings and warriors This issue is our last in cooperation with and as part of the EU project History and science 20–21 Destination Viking Living History. During the project’s three years, much Dancing into the Future 21–22 progress has been made concerning the dissemination and marketing of Tiller thriller 23–24 Viking history and attractions, both at the local level of each partner as well as at the international network level, as you have been able to note NEW BOOKS 25, 34 through several articles in this magazine. Now, the aim of creating the Ragnarók – Odin’s World 26–27 Baltic Sea Viking Route will also be marketed through a brand-new guidebook. Read more about it in our next issue. Viking events Summer is here and we have listed more Viking events than ever before. in summer 2005 28–31 We wish you all a great Viking summer! Enjoy!

Marita E Ekman Heritage News Editor HERITAGE NEWS 32–34 Email: [email protected]

Cherish those near you, never be the first to break with a friend. Care eats him who can no longer open his heart to another.

From Hávámal (Words from “The High One”) Drawing by Lou Harrison, [email protected]

About the front page The pregnant Icelandic mare named frá Kvistum. Photo: Gunnar Britse GODRINGS TRYCKERI,Visby GODRINGS TRYCKERI,Visby 2004 www.hgo.se/viking 2 Viking Heritage Magazine 2/05

One of the subjects the County Museum of Gotland, Sweden is focusing on during the Viking Year 2005 is the Viking horse. The appearance and characteristics of horses of that period will be described and displayed, as well as their role in mythology and daily life. The exhibition is located in an actual stable on the Norrbys museum farm in the parish of Väte, south of Visby. Real live horses, descendants of the Viking horses, will be kept in the surrounding paddocks. Horse shows and presentations of the different horse breeds will take place all summer. This article sums up the main content The Norwegian Fjord mare and Viking descendant, Knuts Bocka. Notice the of the exhibition. traditional mane style. Photo: Sara Eliason

By Sara Eliason Viking Horses The origin of the horses over 600 samples from different living descend from many different, Traditionally the domestic horse is horse breeds together with fossil bones of geographically spread, wild mares. thought to have originated on the vast wild Ice-age horses preserved in the Consequently, it can be concluded that plains of the Ukraine. Here lived the permafrost of Alaska. Bones from Iron- mares were tamed at different times and Tarpan, one of the two wild horse breeds age graves in Sweden have also been at many places around Europe and Asia. surviving until historic time, and in these analysed. In another study, however, the DNA surroundings the nomads developed the Since mitochondrial DNA, which the from the male Y-chromosome of 50 art of riding about 6000 years ago. offspring inherits from the mother, is stallions of different breeds was analysed. However recent genetic research used only the matrilinear relationships The unexpected results showed no reveals a slightly different picture. can be traced with this method. genetic variation at all, which means that Evolutionary biologists have investigated According to the results, horses seem to all horses seem to be descended from one

Icelandic horses of today, on a beach on Fårö, Gotland. Photo: Gunnar Britse

3 http://viking.hgo.se Viking Heritage Magazine 2/05 single stallion! Perhaps wild mares from different stock in Europe and Asia were tamed independently while the stallions used in breeding were imported offspring from one or a few particularly good stallions, domesticated in a single geographic area. The oldest finds of domestic horses in Scandinavia are from Gotland. One 4700-year old bone was found in a marsh in the parish of Eke and a jawbone from the Middle Neolithic settlement Ire in Hangvar. This jaw is the same size as a jaw of the native Gotlandic pony, the Gotland Russ. Otherwise, Stone-age horse finds are rare. Finds of Bronze-age horses are more common and stone carvings from Sweden and often portray horses, mostly as draught horses and more seldom as riding horses. The two-wheeled wagon drawn by a team of horses depicted on a stone carving in the Kivik grave in Skåne is dated to 1300 BC. Opinions differ as to whether horses were first used for riding or as draught animals.

Viking horse relationships It is likely that the origin of the Viking horse breeds can be found in northwestern Europe. However trading with living horses has probably taken place, at least since the Roman Iron Age, when large amounts of leather, meat and even live horses were needed for the Roman army.

The picture stone from Broa in Halla Since Vikings were expanding and on Gotland, dated 700-800 A.D., shows settling down in the British Isles as well the mounted warrior being welcomed as in Russia and the Baltic countries, to Valhalla. The Valkyrie offers the new horses from the native stock must have arrival a drinking horn. The rider is been mixed with the breeds from wearing knee-length baggy Scandinavia, especially those that were riding breeches, of Eastern taken to Iceland. origin. The horse is quite small, with a broad The genetic research previously neck and chest and a mentioned confirms that at least the short back. Scandinavian and British breeds are Photo: Raymond closely related. The British Exmoor, Hejdström Highland and Connemara ponies belong to the same genotype cluster as the Norwegian Fjord and Icelandic ponies. Two Viking-age horses were also found to have this genotype. Another distinguished genotype cluster consisted exclusively of Icelandic, Shetland and Fjord ponies. Among six DNA-analysed Iron-age horses, four separate types were found, all probably of Western European origin. No relationship with the Tarpan wild horse was found among these. The relatively high number of horse types among such a limited number of specimens, indicates that horse breeding was already well developed in the . Attempts to classify the Iron-age horses using morphological analysis have also been made earlier. Three different horse breeds have been distinguished by this method: The old Nordic Bronze-age http://viking.hgo.se 4 Viking Heritage Magazine 2/05

The picture stone from Levide church, Gotland, is dated to 1000–1100 A.D. and shows a four- wheeled wagon driven by a woman. The horse has its mane cut in a style still used on Norwegian Fjord ponies. Photo: Raymond Hejdström

The picture stone from Ire in Hellvi on Gotland, dated 400-600 A.D., shows two fighting stallions above a whirling disc. The horses wear horn-like objects on their heads, which is seen on many other depictions of horses from the Migration Period. Photo: Raymond Hejdström

horse, the Ihre horse (Equus caballus analysis on several ancient horses aimed breed that naturally has two extra gaits: nehringii) and a Tarpan-type horse. The at finding out their colour, since tolt and flying pace. results indicate that the conclusions relationships among horses also can be In tolt the horse moves its legs in the drawn from morphological analysis seem traced in this way. All white horses, for same sequence as in walking, but much uncertain. example, have inherited their colour from faster. Tolt is a four-beat gait without a one single horse. moment of suspension. In tolt, a horse The appearance of Viking horses has always either one or two feet on the The many horses found in the Viking Their descendants ground. It is a very comfortable gait that graves give us several clues as to how they Among the 400 horse breeds of today, enables the rider to cover long distances looked. Measuring the skeletons has there are several that can be regarded as without tiring. Tolt tempi range ridden shown that the horses were between 131 descendants of the Viking horses. from working speed right up to racing and 145 cm high, i.e. the same size as speed and a fast tolting horse can reach larger ponies of today. similar speeds as in gallop. Flying pace is The Icelandic Horse is often pointed out Although pictures may have been an a two-beat speedy gait used for short as the true Viking horse. It descends expression of artistic interpretation, distance spurts where the lateral pairs of from the horses that were brought to Viking-age art gives us some information legs move together and there is a Iceland during the colonization of the about what the horses looked like. moment of suspension. th Contemporary illustrations of horses island in the 9 century. Since it was There are several other modern horse indicate that they seem to have had mostly Norwegian Vikings who settled breeds outside Europe that have 5 natural shorter backs and thicker necks than on Iceland, their horses were mainly gaits. This used to be common among most modern horses. However they native Norwegian horses together with many horses in ancient Europe, which concur with the looks of the Nordic and British ponies. This mix became the also can be seen in different pictures. The British old horse breeds. Icelandic pony of today. little Birka Horse, a piece of jewellery Preserved textiles, from the Norwegian In the 10th century further import of found in Birka, for example, shows a Oseberg ship burial and the Bayeux horses to Iceland was forbidden and, Viking mounted on a pacing horse. tapestry for example, often show horses according to that law, no horses have of different colours and in Norse been brought onto the island since then. The Norwegian Fjord Horse is one of the literature the colour of horses is The main characteristics of the horse breeds from which the Icelandic sometimes mentioned. It seems that all Icelandic Horse are their thick mane and pony derives. It is native in the western the colours of modern horse breeds were tail, their many different colours and five parts of Norway, where it traditionally also represented in Viking-age horses. gaits. In addition to the three basic gaits: has been used on farms as a draught and At the moment, evolutionary walk, trot and gallop, the Icelandic Horse pack animal as well as for riding. biologists in Uppsala are doing a DNA- is the only now-living European horse One of its main characteristics is the

5 http://viking.hgo.se Viking Heritage Magazine 2/05 dun colour, the original colour of the wild horse. The thick mane is traditionally kept cut, a prehistoric relic you can see on many Iron-age horse pictures, for example on some of the Gotlandic picture stones. Thick bushy manes would otherwise disturb the warrior in battle.

A horse breed that is seldom mentioned as a Viking horse, probably due to its small size is the Gotland Russ. Nevertheless, it is the oldest of the Scandinavian horse breeds and can be detected as far back as perhaps the Stone Age. Smaller horses were used for other purposes than riding, and you would therefore not expect to find them in Viking-age graves. Only the noble riding horses of the deceased warriors were buried with their masters. However, it A snaffle bit, found in the mouth of a horse in a Viking-age grave in Ire, Hellvi on was revealed that a Viking-age horse from Gotland. The horse, together with a dog, was buried with its master, a ten-year old boy. Gotland (Broa in Halla) shared common Each iron ring is mounted with decorated bronze cubes. ancestry with the Gotland Russ. Photo: County Museum of Gotland

The many native horse breeds on the British Isles have also played an Scyths (700-300 BC) were the first Bridles and bits important role in creating the Viking equestrians to use saddles. The parts of the bridles remaining in the horses. The oldest is the Exmoor Pony, The Viking riding horse was probably archaeological finds are the bits and often mentioned as the Celtic Pony, used equipped with a wooden saddle, a type bronze mounts the bridles were by the Celts as a packhorse and a draught still used in the Iberian countries and decorated with. The bits are so-called animal. It is a small (maximum 123 cm), among Western riders. According to very snaffle bits, the same type that most hardy horse with a dun coat. few fragmental archaeological finds and riders use today. They are made of iron The Scottish Highland Pony exists in depicted horses as well as similar modern and have one or two joints. Curb bits, two varieties, the mainland type and the saddles give us an idea of how they the sharper leverage bit that was invented smaller horse on the Hebrides. It is also a looked: Two parallel boards held together for military use are not found in the strong, compact horse, ideal as a pack in an L-shape with two broad bows, one Viking-age archaeological material at all. animal. front and one back. Each bit ring often has two sheets of The saddles were often elaborately tinplates, to which the reins and the side The art of riding and equipment carved and painted and probably straps were riveted. Horses served a number of purposes in upholstered in leather and cloth. In Contemporary pictures often show Norse culture. Above all, they were used Alskog church on Gotland, a piece of mounted Vikings, riding with the reins for riding. As warriors on horses we may wood with carvings was found, which hanging loosely. The rider must have assume that the Vikings were very skilled proved to be a fragment of the front or been using his legs and the body weight riders. back bow of a Viking-age saddle. to steer, instead of the reins. In order to The art of equestrians was developed wield weapons and a shield from the by the Eastern nomads and perhaps Stirrups horseback, this would be a necessity. spread to the North in the late Bronze It was probably Eastern nomads, the Age (400 BC) and onwards. Sarmatians, who invented the metal Spurs The main source of the knowledge stirrup 300 years BC. However it did not The spur is an old invention, used by the about the Iron-age equestrians is the become common among the Vikings Celts and the Greeks before the saddle th graves, where fully equipped horses have until the 10 century. and the stirrup were invented. During often been buried with their masters. The On Gotland, stirrups are not found in the early Iron Age, spurs were also used images of riders on picture stones, the Viking-age graves at all and the among the riders in Scandinavia. runestones, decorated helmets, jewellery picture stones often show riders with toes However they seem to fall out of fashion and textiles are also important sources. pointing downwards and a body leaning in the following centuries and do not backwards, typical of riding without show up again until the 10th century. Saddles stirrups. However loose finds of stirrups On Gotland, a special type of spurs, Early riders, for example the ancient have been made even on Gotland. the Charner spurs, were used. They were Greeks, did not use saddles at all. The made of bronze and had jointed legs. The http://viking.hgo.se 6 Viking Heritage Magazine 2/05 spurs found elsewhere are made of iron same side of the horse. However women often had a strong religious and and with rigid legs. driving are depicted on several picture mythological significance. As a consequence of riding, trousers stones. Maybe the woman went to Hel were invented by the Eastern nomads. in a wagon drawn by horses, while the Symbol of fertility On two of the Gotlandic picture stones, man rode to Valhalla. The strength and speed of the horse you can see the riders wearing very puffy caused it to be associated with fertility trousers, probably inspired by the Cult, myth and rituals and early on it became a symbol of the Southeastern cultures. According to the rich finds of horses, the sun – the source of all life. The sun often shows mounted many horse illustrations and Norse moving across the sky, drawn by horses is warriors, but the Norse depicted in Bronze-age stone literature indicates that horses carvings and the bronze Sun were used mostly to reach the Wagon, found in a marsh in battlefield quickly, where the Trundholm in , is warrior would fight on foot. famous. Since the warriors often are The association of the horse depicted without stirrups and with the sun persisted into the the bits found in graves are of Viking Age. In Norse a mild snaffle-bit type, not mythology the sun is drawn suitable for battle, this could across the sky by horses. The be the case. two steeds have even got However the late Viking- names: Alsvinn – the quick age Bayeux tapestry illustrates one, and Arvakr – the vigilant. mounted warriors in combat, but here the horses are Horse fighting equipped with both curb bits On the early 5th–7th century and stirrups and the warriors picture stones from Gotland, are wearing armour. This is horses are often depicted the first step towards the together with the whirling heavy armoured knights of the wheel, a probable sun symbol. Middle Ages. Several of these horses are also standing facing each other, Draught horses and women ready to fight. Horses were also used as Such stallion fights were a draught animals during the common fertility ritual in the Viking Age. Since the few ancient Nordic culture, and existing roads were quite bad, also described in the Norse some researchers argue that mythology. Horses were very wagons were used only for important status symbols, and ceremonial purposes. the power of the horse owner Spurs made of bronze and with jointed legs, so called Charner could easily be measured in Wagon graves from the 10th Spurs, are found exclusively on Gotland. All 15–20 specimens that this way. century are common in have been found are dated to 900–1000 A.D. southern Scandinavia, Photo: Raymond Hejdström especially in Denmark. The Sacrifices deceased had been buried in a Horses had an important role carriage-body, i.e. the upper part of the literature, where horses often are in religious sacrificial worship during the wagon that could be removed from the mentioned, there is no doubt about the Iron Age. The horse was dedicated both lower chassis. The absolute majority of important role these animals had in the to Frey, the god of fertility and Odin, the these graves belonged to women from the pagan ideal world. greatest of the gods as well as the god of the warriors. upper classes. The introduction of the horse into Many sacrificed horses have been The famous early 9th century Oseberg Scandinavia must have been a revolution found in marshes together with weapons, ship burial in Norway also contains a for the prehistoric society. These fast, horse trappings and sometimes the bones complete wagon as well as sledges and strong animals could easily transport of other animals as well as humans. In textiles illustrating wagons and horses. people and goods long distances on land, Skedemosse on Öland, over one hundred Two wealthy women were buried opening up new opportunities for horses were found, sacrificed during the together with at least ten horses. Women trading, making contact with other 1st and 2nd centuries. Since only bones are obviously associated with wagons. cultures and, of course, the conquest of from the heads, legs and tails of the other territories. Contemporary pictures very seldom horses were found, it is likely that the show mounted women, and when they Objects and animals, having great rest of the bodies were eaten during ritual do, the women are riding in a lady’s importance in daily life and providing meals. saddle (side-saddle) with both legs on the the owner with power and wealth, also

7 http://viking.hgo.se Viking Heritage Magazine 2/05

Further reading Alexandersson, H. 2004: Osebergsgravens hästar – var de vägvisare till dödsriket? Populär Arkeologi nr 4. Ellegren, H. 2002: It took many mares to form the domestic horse. Trends in Genetics 18. Gjessing, G. 1943: Hesten I förhistorisk kunst og kultus. A wooden fragment of a Viking-age saddle was found in VIKING, Norsk arkeologisk årbok. the attic of the Alskog church on Gotland. The carved Götherström, A. 2002: The values of stallions and mares in ornamentation has been reconstructed. Medieval Upper Class Svealand. JONAS 13. Photo: Raymond Hejdström Jansen, T. et al. 2002: Mitochondrial DNA and the origins of Drawing: E. Fahlander/E. Nylén the domestic horse. PNAS 99, no 16. Lidén, K. et al. 1998: “Alia vero gens ibi moratur Suehans, quae velud Thyringi equis utuntur eximiis” or the excellent horses in Svealand. Laborativ Arkeologi 10-11. Lindgren, G. et al. 2004: Limited number of patrilines in horse domestication. Nature Genetics 36. Nylén, E. 1997: Den gotländska charnersporren – en fulländad konstruktion och en studie kring sannolika förändringar inom nordisk ridkonst under förhistorisk tid. Gotländskt Arkiv. Nylén, E.1983: Vendelryttaren, en länk mellan öst och väst – forntid och medeltid. Tor XIX. Staecker, J. 2002: The woman on the wagon – Pagan Scandinavian burials in a Christian perspective. Viking Heritage Magazine 1/02. Sten, S. & Vretemark, M. 2002: Hästen – storslagen följeslagare. Populär Arkeologi nr 3. Stenberger, M. 1942: En ryttargrav på Ihrefältet. Gotländskt Arkiv. Sundkvist, A. 2001: Hästarnas land – Aristokratisk hästhållning och ridkonst i Svealands yngre järnålder. Institutionen för Arkeologi och Antik historia, Uppsala universitet. Vilà, C. et al. 2001: Widespread Origins of Domestic Horse Lineages. Science 291. Östmo, E. 1998: Hester, båter og menn. En statusrapport fra bronsealderen. VIKING, Norsk arkeologisk årbok.

The last journey interpreted as the journey of the dead fastest of all horses, he ran quickly on Horses were also sacrificial gifts in many warrior to Valhalla, sailing across the sea land as well in the sky and over sea. burials. The Vendel and Viking-age ship with the ship and in the final stage riding Another horse, famous from the Saga graves often contain several horses and in on the horse, often full equipped with literature, is Grane, the horse of Sigurd many of the smaller Viking-age graves a shield, sword and spear. In front of him, Fafnesbane. It can be recognised on at single horse is buried with its master. a Valkyrie is holding a drinking horn, least two of the picture stones, The pagan ideas of after-life seem to welcoming him to Valhalla. Tängelgårda and Hammars in Lärbro, be expressed in these funeral rituals as where it is carrying the treasure in the well as on one type of the Gotlandic Ships and horses coffer on its back. On both stones one picture stones. The content of the ship The connection between ships and scene illustrates the dramatic death of burials often confirms the motifs on the horses, as we can see on the picture Sigurd; he is lying underneath his horse picture stones. The scene is mostly stones and in many graves, is also Grane, A couple of men with swords, the obvious in the where murderers, are holding the upset horse by ships are described as the horses’ the reins. counterpart at sea – seahorses. About the author The end of worship Sara Eliason is the curator and Horse heroes The importance of the horse in responsible for the biological and Another type of Gotlandic picture stones Scandinavia did not decrease with the geological collections at the County seems to illustrate different scenes in a introduction of Christianity, but the Museum of Gotland. As a palaeontologist and owner of a story. These scenes have been interpreted pagan worship of the animal was banned couple of Norwegian Fjord ponies, as being parts of myths in Norse saga of course. Even the habit of eating its she has a special interest in ancient literature. Even individual horses can be meat was forbidden, because of the horses. identified. horse’s important religious position. Even Email: The eight-legged horse on the stone nowadays, most people refuse to eat [email protected] from Tjängvide, Alskog is obviously horsemeat, which shows that Christianity Odin’s horse Sleipner. Sleipner was the really succeeded in sanctifying the horse. http://viking.hgo.se 8 Viking Heritage Magazine 2/05 Ailikn’s wagon and Odin’s warriors About the pictures on the Ardre monuments

By Thorgunn Snædal

The warrior The man runs, braces himself against the dragon’s head, his sword on his left side and his mead horn held high, but it does not help, he is trapped for eternity between the Ardre coffin’s writhing dragons (fig. 1). The mead horn shows that the man is a warrior, on his way to become or already one of Odin’s heroes in Valhalla, where all warriors who have fallen in battle since the beginning of time are gathered. He is hurrying to the war games described in the Edda saga by Snorre: “Every day when they get dressed they don their weapons and go out on the yard to fight and cut each other down. That is their game and when the day draws to a close they ride off home to Valhalla.” 1 When they get home they seat themselves at the table like close friends and drink the mead that runs endlessly from the teats of Heidrun’s goat. This practical goat stands on Valhalla’s roof Fig 5. Rodiaud Rodgairsdotter in Ardre died young leaving behind her young children. eating the needles of the Lärad tree.2 Stone erected by Simpa. Photo S. Hallgren ATA Therefore every warrior needs to keep track of his own mead horn and most of the warriors that are pictured on picture stones either have their horn ready or are is described (fig. 2): A man, armed with a swords, looking as if he is taking a met in Valhalla by a woman, probably a broad axe and surrounded by two men strengthening gulp from his mead horn. Valkyrie (see below) with a horn in hand. with helmets, is chasing another who is Next to him lies a man who has already The meat of the boar, Särimner was running for his life with out-stretched fallen and at the very top a man who has served with the mead, day in and day out: arms. On the other side stone (fig. 3), been speared through the middle by his “he is boiled every day but is whole again in dominated by two symmetrical four- Footnotes the evening and there are never so many legged animals, a man is lying at the 1. Dagvarden was the first meal and was people in Valhalla that the pork does not bottom of the picture, a fallen warrior.3 consumed either early in the morning or between 11–12 a.m. For information about life in Valhalla suffice.” On the other gable stone (fig. 4) the see Snorre’s Edda. The pictures on the coffin’s other three warrior rides into Valhalla on Odin’s 2. The importance of this peculiar name is sides confirm that our warrior is on his eight-legged horse, Sleipner. He is still unclear; possibly it means ’the one who rules over the shadows. way to the battles in Valhalla. carrying his sword and has a small 3. This kind of reclining male figures are found on On one of the gable stones knapsack on his back. Above him stands a several stones, e.g. Hammars and Tängelgårda in (unfortunately fragmentary) a wild battle fully armed warrior with his spear and Lärbro.

9 http://viking.hgo.se Viking Heritage Magazine 2/05

The Ardre coffin (G 114). All photos: S. Hallgren ATA

Fig 3. A man is lying at the very bottom of the other side stone. Such figures are common on picture stones and they probably depict a fallen warrior. The interpretation of the male-figure with a small person on his arm in top of the left corner is uncertain. It might be a variant of the snake pits depicted on several picture stones, as both figures look like they are being attacked by the snakes that are incorporated into the ornamentation. But the figure has also been interpreted as Kristoffer the Christ bearer.

Fig 4. The other gable stone. A warrior rides into Valhalla on Fig 2. One of the Odin’s eight-legged gable stones. The horse. Above him battle is going on stands a fully armed full tilt. warrior and around them the customary war games are going on.

Fig 1. The front side. The inscription begins in the bottom left corner.

http://viking.hgo.se 10 Viking Heritage Magazine 2/05 attacker, whose powerful hands are all that church on the site, probably built at the position in the society since her is preserved. There is a certain end of the 12th century. In the ancient monument is much grander than her peacefulness about this picture of an church floor lay a magnificent picture husband’s, in whose inscription neither ordinary morning on Valhalla farm. stone and a huge number of rune-carved she nor her daughter Liknvi are stone fragments adorned with characters mentioned. The picture stones and ornamentation.5 It is difficult to determine how much For several centuries the Gotlandic When the stones had been taken up time has elapsed between the husband landscape was characterized by the picture and sorted it became apparent that there and wife’s deaths; probably it is question stones, where the ships constantly roll on were four runic monuments associated of a decade or two. The son Aivat, who is their stone-hard waves, processions of with two different families. Two tiny not mentioned on the mother’s warriors eternally wander towards new stones (75 cm high) with beautiful monument, has probably died by then. fights and the fallen ride on Sleipner to carvings on both sides were erected by a Valhalla, where the Valkyries stand ready man by the unique name of Simpa. Women and Valkyries with their mead horns and the boar The first stone was in memory of his In general coffin-shaped stones were Särimner is butchered each new day.4 wife Rodiaud who “died young leaving probably erected for women. The coffin There are about 470 known picture young children” (fig. 5) and the other in form is meant to remind us of the wagon stones from the beginning of 400-talet to memory of “his and Rodiaud’s daughter” that carried women to the realm of death about 1100 AD. Their connection with (fig. 6). These brief inscriptions describe a according to heathen beliefs. In an Edda the death cult and grave rituals is clear family tragedy. Probably Rodiaud died in poem is said that the Valkyrie called thanks to their location on or near grave childbirth and soon thereafter their young Brynhild was burnt in a wagon, dressed in fields. daughter, whose name we not know. At precious fabrics and that she went in this The oldest stones are often dominated that time it was difficult to keep a small wagon to Hel, the realm of death. by the well-known swirly wheels, flanked baby who had lost its mother alive. On the picture stone from Uddvide by figures and rowing ships. In the 500s, The third runic monument is also (Barshaldershed) in Grötlingbo parish a the stones become smaller and the ships quite a small stone (fig. 7): female figure is seen riding in a wagon are now equipped with sails. Common “Ottar and Gairvat and Aivat they with a side shaped exactly like the side motifs are horned animals, deer or elks, raised this stone in honour of their father slabs of the Ardre coffin. and duck-like birds. Liknat. Radjalv and Gairniaut made good Wagon bodies at this time seemed to In 700s the “mushroom” stones appear, monuments for a quick man. Lik(n)raiv have been designed so that they could where characters from Germanic and carved the runes.” easily be taken off, probably there were Norse mythology emerge. This type of The front side is decorated with two several different bodies for different stone was probably produced up until the beautiful dragons, with a male figure transport purposes, and the Ardre coffin end of the 11th century. between them sitting on a stool with a with its short ends reminds us of just such 7 During the 9th and 10th centuries the chest or a low table in front of him. In his a removable wagon body. occasional picture stone has runic raised right hand he has a ring. Perhaps it In front of the woman in the wagon on inscriptions and during the 11th century is Odin sitting there with his gold ring, the Uddvide stone stands a the use of runic inscriptions and Draupner, which propagated itself into woman/Valkyrie ready with mead horn, traditional runestone ornamentation eight new rings each as heavy as the which shows that after death women also gradually usurps the pictures, first in a original every ninth night.6 came to a place where they were received mid-Scandinavian style and towards the Far down in the left corner stands a just like men with a swig of mead. end of the century in Urnes style or man, whose right leg is fettered by a chain Perhaps it was imagined that dignified Upplandic runestone style. that stems from the beginning strands of women could become Valkyries after Many images can be interpreted with the inscription; possibly it is the fettered death and serve the fighting warriors at the help of the Edda poems, Snorre’s Edda Loke who is portrayed here. the same time as they were given the or other stories from ancient Norse Other stone slabs form the coffin- power to decide which warriors were literature while other motifs have baffled shaped monument, whose scenes I have permitted the honour of falling in battle, all attempts at interpretation. already described, according to the runic thus qualifying to become heroes. But it is clear that narratives of Valhalla inscription that it was erected in memory and life there were particularly popular. of Liknat’s wife: Footnotes 4. The slaughter of Särimme is depicted on at least No one can mistake Sleipner with his “Liknat’ sons (had) a good monument two picture stones: Lärbro, Tängelgårda I and VI, eight legs, which can be seen both on the made in honour of Ailikn, a good woman, possibly even on the picture stone from Ardre. above-mentioned Ardre coffin and the (Ottar’s) and Gairvat’s and Liknvi’s mother. 5. Possibly there had been an older wooden church on the same site towards the end of the 11th or well-known picture stone from the same God (and the mother of God) save her and beginning of the 12th century and the stones were parish despite the fact that the stone is those who made it [the memorial]. The originally erected adjacent to it. Exact description th of the find and the rune inscriptions are given in probably from the 10 century, or even biggest (?) memorial, that one can see…… Gotlands runinskrifter volume 1, p.199ff., where older, and the coffin is from the first half in Garda, which was at Vive’s (?).” indications of a wooden church are reported. of the 12th century. Unfortunately important parts of the 6. Possibly Odin is portrayed here as the wise man, sitting in the sage’s chair in the hall of the high inscription are missing so the connection (i.e. Odin’s hall) beside Urd’s well giving good The finds from Ardre between the ending and the other text is advice to people: “It is time to speak at the sage’s In the summer of 1900, Ardre church was lost. Who was in Garda at Vive’s remains chair, beside Urd’s well …” (Havamal, verse 111). 7. A wagon body could obviously be constructed restored. When the church floor was therefore unknown. so that it could be lifted down into a boat, as part removed remains appeared of an older Ailikn must have held a significant of the Oseberg queen’s burial attribute.

11 http://viking.hgo.se Viking Heritage Magazine 2/05

Valkyrie, the word means “those who Gotlandic merchants had learned about not be buried at home. Instead, a choose who will die on the battlefield” Christianity on their trading travels and memorial stone was erected on the family were to be partly serving maids in Valhalla even brought priests to the island, the hill or in a public place along main roads and ”to lay and decorate the tables and to conversion in faith was no walk-over or at thing sites in order to announce the look after the beer vessels”, and partly to victory for the Christians. The death and to keep alive the memory of the ride out and decide which men were to Gutasagan’s dramatic account of how deceased. fall on the battlefield. Gotlanders burnt down the first churches Christians could not be buried in their In certain Edda poems dignified makes this quite clear. family’s unhallowed ground among women stand out as Valkyries even while The same struggle was taking place on heathen ancestors either so they were still alive8 and some sources imply probably buried in special that heathen female priests could Christian burial grounds, possibly be named Valkyries or angels of adjacent to the oldest wooden death while still living. churches. Even in these cases it According to the monument was natural to erect a runestone so Ailikn belonged to a dignified and that the dead person’s name would respected family and can very well not fall into oblivion in an have had some religious function, unmarked grave. By inscribing a prior to her conversion, which can cross or a prayer for the soul of the explain the choice of pictures on deceased on the runestone, the her coffin, while, at the same time, family indicated that they had they reflect the uncertainty about converted to Christianity. religious beliefs that lingered on However the people in Svitjod the island some time into the did not become totally Christian th 1100s. until towards the end of the 11 Simpa’s stones bear no explicit century. According to an Icelandic symbols of Christianity while the source, this came about thanks to small crosses that begin and end King Inge Stenkilsson, who the text on Liknat’s stone and the became king about 1080. He was prayer in the coffin’s inscription a Christian and when he refused testify to the family’s adherence to to make a sacrifice at the thing, Christianity. This kind of small the Swedes thought that he was crosses dos not occur in breaking the country’s laws. They inscriptions from 11th century and expelled him and took the beginning of the 12th century but, heathen, Blot-Sven, as their king as a rule, begins inscriptions on the instead. After three years in Medieval grave slabs and is thereby Västergötland, Inge returned, an indication that Liknat’s stone is killed Blot-Sven, regained power younger than the traditional and introduced Christianity. runestones. Probably the heathen temple at Uppsala was destroyed in The language used also indicates connection with his return. that the Ardre monument is When the new religion became younger than the traditional the norm and its new organization runestones raised at the end of 11th Fig 6. The carvings on the small stone that Simpa had made and rituals were established, the and the beginning of 12th centuries in honour of Rodiaud’s and his daughter is only 35 runestones had had their day. Now but older than the grave slabs and centimetres high. Photo S. Hallgren ATA. the Viking Age was also over and baptismal fonts attributed to the the need to erect monuments in stone masters Sigraiv and honour of men who had died far from Majestatis who begun their work during the Swedish mainland. Admittedly, their home country had ended. the second half of the 12th century. This runestones there provide proof that To some degree runestones were still sets the time frame for the Ardre Christianity had been widespread in the erected during the first decades of the 12th monument to the first or second quarter Mälar valley area as early as the beginning century, but openings for a dexterous rune of the 12th century.9 th of the 11 century. At least 60% of the carver ought to have decreased drastically runestones in this region are clearly towards the end of the 11th century. The change of faith Christian, but the old religion did not A hundred years after the dethroned finally lose its grip on the Swedes until its Footnotes Norwegian king, Olaf Haraldsson, visited foremost symbol, the heathen temple at 8. Den poetiska Eddan, The first and second the island and the Christianisation of Uppsala, was levelled to the ground poems about Helge Hundingsbane. Gotland was seriously initiated, the around 1080 AD. 9. For the dating of the Ardre monument see Snaedal 2002 p 93ff. Compare, however with heathen faith and its myths have not yet Runestones were erected during the Thunmark-Nylén 1991 p.190f. Therefore the lost their grip on the Gotlanders. Viking Age, which was also a mission era, coffin has not stood outside for more than 6 to 8 decades and had time to weather noticeably. The According to the Gutasagan, despite of course. Many men died on Viking severe damages are quite normal considering the the fact that even before Olav’s visits, expeditions in remote countries and could material’s susceptibility and the short base sections. http://viking.hgo.se 12 Viking Heritage Magazine 2/05

Possibly that is why the Upplandic churches was begun during the latter part approximately the same time as Snorri runestone style becomes prevalent on of the 12th century, concurrent with the Sturluson wrote his Edda on Iceland, Gotland just then. Unemployed carvers growth of the ecclesiastic organization, thereby saving many of the old myths were looking for a new market and found that Christ finally defeated the old gods. from oblivion. His stories show that it during the period when the Gotlanders However, their presence is still mentioned heathen mythology was still so alive on were completing their transition to the in the introduction to the Gutalagen: “this Iceland at this time that it is easy to new faith. That these monuments were is first of our laws, that we will deny recognize many of the scenes and figures strongly connected to the mission era and heathen beliefs and recognize on Gotlandic picture stones as far back as the oldest churches on the island is Christianity…”. the 8th century with the help of Snorre’s evident from the fact that of the 50-odd Gutalagen (and Gutasagan) were descriptions. And judging from the well-known rune stones from that time 30 probably written down in the 1220s at continued vivid interest in them, the old have been found in or near churches. gods have still not released their grip on The Ardre monuments show that the the Nordic soul, not even after almost struggle between the religions was not completed on Gotland until a few Footnotes decades into the 12th century. 10. The oldest known coffin-shaped monument is dated to the 7th century. Despite the crosses on Liknat’s stone and the prayer on Ailikn’s This article was first published in Swedish coffin, their children have by the County Museum of Gotland in the designed the monuments annual book Gotländskt Arkiv 2004, this according to ancient year called Gotland Vikingaön (Gotland Gotlandic traditions10, Viking Island). perhaps because Liknat and Ailikn, who must have been born at the latest about Literature: 1080 AD, could have been Böttger-Niedenzu, Beata: 1982: born and raised in a Darstellungen auf gotländischen heathen environment Bildsteinen, vor allem des Typs C und D, and, at least partly, und die Frage ihres Zusammenhangs mit clung to the old faith Stoffen der altnordischen Literatur (Typed thesis in Vitterhetsakademiens library). even though their Ellis Davidson, H. R. 1988: Nordens gudar children had become och myter. Stockholm Christian. Fornaldarsögur Nor∂urlanda, volume 1, It seems that Reykjavík 1952. heathen and Gutar och vikingar, Historia i fickformat. Christian beliefs Statens Historiska Museum 1983. continue to live Stockholm. GR = Gotlands runinskrifter 1, 1962, side by side all reviewed and interpreted by S. B. F. th through the 12 Jansson & Elias Wessén (SRI 11) century. This is Holmbäck Åke & Elias Wessén, 1943: evident in that Svenska landskapslagar. Fjärde serien. throughout the Skånelagen och Gutalagen. Stockholm. whole century there are Kumlien, Kjell, 1967: Biskop Karl av Viking-age-type graves both Västerås och Uppsala ärkesätets flyttning. Stockholm. in cemeteries and grave fields Lindqvist, Sune, 1941–42: Gotlands and both heathen and Christian Bildsteine 1–2. Stockholm. objects are intermixed in the graves. Ljungberg, Helge, 1938: Den nordiska It was first when the building of stone Fig 7. Perhaps it is Odin who is depicted religionen och kristendomen. Stockholm. here between the dragons on Liknat’s Nylén, Erik & Peder Lamm, 2003: memorial stone, with the ring, Draupner, Bildstenar. 3rd ed. Visby. About the author in his hand. The fettered figure in the Snædal, Thorgunn 2002: Medan världen very left bottom might be Loke, who was vakar. Studier i de gotländska Thorgunn Snædal is a Senior fettered in a cave because of his runinskrifternas språk och kronologi. Executive Officer at the National treachery, and above his head the gods (Runrön 16) Uppsala. Heritage Board in Stockholm. As a had placed a venomous snake, whose Snorres Edda. Translation and introduction linguist and runologist she has poison was dripping down in a bowl that by Björn Collinder. Forum 1978. published a large number of books his faithful wife Sigyn was holding. But Thunmark-Nylén, Lena, 1989: Samfund och and papers on runes and runic from time to time she has to empty the tro på religionsskiftets Gotland. inscriptions and on the culture and poison bowl. Then the poison drips down Medeltidens födelse Symposier på literature of the Scandinavians during Krapperups borg 1. Lund. on Loke who is twisting in pain so the Viking Period and Middle Ages. In _ 1990–1991: Vikingatid eller medeltid? Tor. violently that the whole earth is shaking. VHM 4/04 she contributed with the Vikingen 1967. Göteborg. There Loke is lying, on his way to article “No Gute by the name of Wilson, David M, 1995: Vikingatidens konst. Ragnarök, the end of the world. Photo S. Sven”. Signums svenska konsthistoria 2. Lund. Hallgren ATA.

13 http://viking.hgo.se Viking Heritage Magazine 2/05

This map is an outline of the runic inscriptions of thegns and drængs in south Scandinavia. Map by Carl Löfving and revised by Dan Carlsson.

By Carl Löfving

Since the middle of the 1980s Who were the thegns I have proposed that the persons who are mentioned on runic inscriptions from of Cnut the great? Western Sweden and Denmark with the formulas After two decades of fighting and several people, at least in the beginning, Cnut took ”har∂a go∂an thegn” *, forces led by the Danish king, possession of the well-developed English Swein Forkbeard, managed to conquer administrative system. In AD 1018 he respectively ”dræng” were England in AD 1013. Swein died at the demanded a final of 80,000 members of the so-called beginning of the following year and his son pounds, corresponding to almost 40 tons of thingalid of Cnut the great, Cnut was elected king by the naval forces. silver. This sum is considered to equal the king of England and Denmark The English resistance become so strong entire income of England that year. that Cnut had to leave England with his Among other things, this huge capital between AD 1017–1035. navy. King Ethelred returned to England was used to settle up with most of the and one of his moves was to outlaw all mercenary troops who had taken part in the The thingalid was Cnut’s bodyguard and Danish kings. conquest. Cnut kept 40 ships and he also elite troops. I have also proposed that the However Cnut managed to organise had at his immediate beck and call the Scandinavian kingdoms did not emerge as more forces and returned to England where thingalid which, at a guess, consisted of territorial units until the ecclesiastical they were victorious. Cnut was crowned 1000 warriors. They were used as organisation was completed in the middle of th king of England in AD 1017. His brother bodyguards and to execute Cnut’s decisions. the 12 century. Since I recently observed Harald seems to have succeeded Swein as that there are regulations concerning Danish king of Denmark but Harald died in AD In the thingalid the thegns and drængs thegns in the laws of Cnut, I consider my 1019 and Cnut became king of Denmark as held important positions. A thegn, or thane, argument to be even stronger. A short well. Cnut resided mostly in England and has been known in England since the 7th description follows. visited Denmark on only a few occasions, so century as the title for members of the * The name generally given to the payments made it is unclear to what extent he exercised territorial nobility. A king’s thegn was a in England to the Viking armies at the end of the power in Denmark. person of great importance and he held 10th and beginning of 11th century. (Eds. note) In spite of obviously very hostile English certain special privileges. No one but the http://viking.hgo.se 14 Viking Heritage Magazine 2/05 king had the right of jurisdiction over him. flood, wells or stones or any kind of forest 10th century anyhow In their turn the thegns had followers, trees, or practises witchcraft or involving We may assume that Wulfstan organised the undoubtedly men they knew from their death in any way, either by sacrifice or baptism of all the members of Cnut’s native lands or as brothers-in-arms. Drængs divination, or takes any part in any such retinue. Those who returned to are known from late Anglo-Saxon sources delusions. Västergötland, perhaps the thegns and those in runic inscriptions are accompanied by English missionaries, found interpreted as being young unmarried This is a description far from the a German bishop in Skara. warriors, perhaps corresponding to the Scandinavian heathen Pantheon who is We know that the English had a strong housecarles in England. described by Snorre Sturlasson but reminds influence on the early Christianisation of The thingalid was crucial at the us of what the Byzantine commander Västergötland. ”Har∂a go∂an thegns” or beginning of Cnut’s rule because of the Procopius writes after AD 500 in his ”drængs” were in control of four out of five hostility of the local people. The conquest account about the manner and customs in main roads through Västergötland. We also resulted in decades of long and brutal Scandinavia. know that the German and English churches fighting and the English people endured Apparently Wulfstan found it necessary competed there and that the Germans unspeakable suffering. According to the to set down these regulations because of the finally organised the church until the Icelandic historian Snorre Sturlasson, who spiritual state of the warriors in the thingalid national archbishop sees were established in wrote his famous Heimskringla in the and other units belonging to Cnut. Similar the middle of the 12th century. beginning of the 13th century, Cnut had a minute regulations cannot be seen in earlier hard time getting people to accept him. codes even though England had been In Cnut’s law there are also regulations Everything would indicate that Cnut was Christianised for 300 years. The Danish about “heriot” which originally entitled a obliged to resort to mainly Scandinavian king Harald Bluetooth, grandfather of Cnut, lord to seize equipment or money of a warriors who came from regions with former boasts in the famous runic inscription at deceased vassal so that his descendants could Danish connections and perhaps warriors Jelling in Jutland ca AD 970, that he won succeed as fiefs on the landed property from the Dane law, an area in north-eastern all Denmark and Norway and made the (taken from Whitelock): England, in order to get trustworthy Danes Christian (DR 42). troopers. According to an agreement A bishop’s see had been founded in Skara 71. and heriots are to be determined as between the English king, Alfred the Great, in the nowadays Swedish province of befits the rank: and the Danish chieftain Guthrum in ca AD Västergötland in AD 1015, in addition to 71a. an earl’s as belongs thereto, namely 880, Danish people were allowed to settle the four already established in Denmark eight horses, four saddled and four there. However their loyalty to Danish kings from AD 948. There were ambitions of unsaddled, and four helmets and four coats more than 100 years later may have establishing a common Christian of mail and eight spears and as many shields changed. organisation with its centre in and four swords and 200 mancuses of gold; Among the officials who remained in Hamburg/Bremen in Denmark and 71.1. and next, the king’s thegns, who are service with Cnut was the archbishop of Västergötland in the beginning of the 11th closest to him: four horses, two saddled and York, Wulfstan, who had a determining century. two unsaddled, and two swords and four influence on legislation. Perhaps he spears and as many shields, and a helmet considered that he could reduce the misery The extent of the new faith among the and coat of mail and 50 mancuses of gold; of the English people in this way. population in Västergötland is not known. 71.2. and of the lesser thegns: a horse and According to personal communication with its trappings, and his weapons or his As early as the beginning of the 1020s, Claes Theliander, the pre-Christian healsfang in Wessex; and two pounds in law codes were issued in the name of Cnut. cemeteries had ceased to be used during the Mercia and two pounds in East Anglia. They contain both church and secular regulations. The church laws are almost identical with the laws of earlier kings but the secular regulations (Cnut II) contain some important new features. They begin by explicitly prohibiting heathen practices (taken from Whitelock):

5. And we earnestly forbid every heathen practice. 5.1. And it is heathen practice if one worship idols, namely if one worships heathen gods and the sun and the moon, fire or

Main roads and areas controlled by ”har∂a go∂an thegn” and ”dræng” (crosshatched) and one area with early churches (grey).

15 http://viking.hgo.se Viking Heritage Magazine 2/05

71.3. and the heriot of the king’s thegn among the Danes, who has right of jurisdiction; four pounds. 71.4. and if he has a closer relation with the king: two horses, one saddled and one unsaddled, and a sword and two spears and two shields and 50 mancuses of gold. 71.5. and he who is of lower position: two pounds.

From these regulations it appears that a King’s thegn ranked next to an earl and that there were Danish thegns close to the king. Since there are no regulations about seizing equipment from ordinary Danish thegns we may perhaps conclude that they had not This inscription is from the church in Ås parish, Västergötland (Vg 112). After a wood- been granted any land by the king in engraving. England. Of the existing documents issued by Cnut in England, several are attested by king and may be translated as “utmost”. The most important discussion about persons with Scandinavian names. The As usual in prehistoric conditions you thegns and drængs is the one made by the documents are mostly written in Latin and may find other connections with those scholars, Sven Aakjaer and K.M Nielsen, a the title of the attest ant is “minister” which words in runic inscriptions. However the few decades ago. After examining corresponds to thegn. The title thegn is also combination ”har∂a go∂an thegn” Scandinavian, English and North European to be found on runic inscriptions in respectively ”dræng” is never found outside sources, the former concluded that the Denmark and Sweden. the regions mentioned above. Scandinavian thegns and drængs become My interpretation is that warriors from followers of the king and were members of In three distinct areas in parts of Jutland, Jutland, southeastern Scania and central his hird. Nielsen did not agree because of southeastern Scania and central Västergötland applied for membership in the fact that the titles were not known from Västergötland in Sweden the epithet ”har∂a Cnut’s forces and managed to join the the hird of the Danish king. go∂an” thegn respectively dræng occurs. The thingalid with Cnut as their lord. They However the extract of Cnut’s law above formula appears occasionally in adjacent received no grants of land but kept their is evidence of the occurrence of thegns, and areas. Those “har∂a go∂an” inscriptions may native landed property and their even Danish thegns, in the retinue of the be dated typologically to the first half of the descendants boasted about their belonging English/Danish king, Cnut the Great. 11th century. to the thingalid on their memorial stones. I am quite convinced that if the According to the typology, which has This suggestion is contrary to a traditional inscriptions were found only in the realm of been worked out by Professor Anne-Sofie belief that there was a King in Uppsala who the medieval Denmark, nobody would have Gräslund, they are classified as “Rak” ruled Västergötland. There are further denied their connection with the Danish (unornamented), “B-e-v” (i. e. the head is indications that show that Cnut had king Cnut. It is the inscriptions from the seen from a bird’s-eye-view) and “Pr 1” (i.e. influence even in the Mälar region. Swedish province Västergötland of today the head of the rune animal seen in profile). that pose problems. According to personal information from Cnut’s forces had won the battle of Helgeå Among scholars of early medieval Professor Gräslund the unornamented style in AD 1026 against an alliance led by the Scandinavian history, quite a number today may have still been used in the 1020s, and Swedish king Anund Jacob, the Norwegian agree with me about the Danish connection the Pr 1 and B-e-v flourished from the king Olav Digre and Cnut’s brother-in-law, in Västergötland during the Viking Age and 1010s for a generation. The runic Ulf from Denmark. Many scholars now early Middle Ages. A king of Uppsala had inscriptions are similar both regarding to consider the battle to have been fought in the no means of ruling distant Western Sweden content and style. Helgeå in Uppland close to Uppsala. In a in those times. There are even two stones with identical letter AD 1027 Cnut declared that he was inscriptions, one in Jutland and one in Ås, “king of all England, and of Denmark, and of Summing up, I stress the following: Västergötland (DR 127, Vg 112) raised over the Norwegians, and of part of the Swedes”. • Thegn is a honorary title in England the same person. The titles occur in the There are also several runic inscriptions both during Anglo-Saxon time Mälar region but never with the epithet in the Mälar region and in other parts in • In Cnut’s law of AD 1022 there are ”har∂a go∂an”. Instead Thegn is used as a Scandinavia that commemorate warriors who detailed prohibitions of heathen proper name and the title is used in have been in England and shared the gelds, practices and Danish thegns are connection with the epithet “trottar”. even Cnut’s geld. mentioned among his closest retinue. The connection between the inscriptions Even now there is a runic inscription just • Those thegns as well as their followers and the English king is in the epithet ”har∂a west of Sigtuna mentioning a man named must have been baptised but their go∂an”. “Go∂an” has nothing to do with Gere “who in the West sat in thingalid”. Christian temper may be questionable. “goodness” but indicates some sort of This implies that Gere had joined the • Some twenty documents from Cnut relation. Most scholars agree in that the retinue of Cnut, which had defeated the are attested by persons with “good” apposition only refers to the king’s Uppsala king Anund, and that the Scandinavian names of which some good men, his “hetwarthæ mæn”, his descendants of Gere boasted about this on were thegns. dependants and his vassals. Good thegns are his memorial stone some 20 km from • Statements of Cnut’s thingalid are mentioned in English charters. ”Har∂a” is Uppsala. found in chronicles and on a runic meant to highlight the relationship with the inscription from Uppland. http://viking.hgo.se 16 Viking Heritage Magazine 2/05

• Runic inscriptions from the first decades of the 11th century, with the distinct formula ”har∂a go∂an thegn” respectively ”dræng” exist only in three areas: in Jutland, south-eastern Scania and central Västergötland. • The inscriptions commemorated the thegns and drængs of King Cnut who originated in those areas. • Several other inscriptions from Sweden nowadays and occasionally from Norway commemorate participants in the conquest of England.

In the Viking Age there were no means of compelling warriors to take part in offensive warfare. Instead warriors from all over Scandinavia applied to serve the chieftains and kings who offered the best conditions for glory and booty. In the decades after the year AD 1000 it was undoubtedly the chieftains of Danish extraction who could offer the best conditions when they conquered England while, at that time, being the most powerful in Scandinavia. Viking Market in Slite, Certainly there were no states in Scandinavia at this time. Kings had no nation- wide realms – only followers but Gotland their loyalties shifted. Only when the diocesan organisation, with the archbishop’s see in Uppsala, was completed in AD 1164 The weekend of May 14-15 marked was it possible to try to govern the area of another milestone in the Gotland Viking medieval Sweden. In Denmark and Norway Island celebrations with a Viking market this occurred some decades earlier. This is an in Slite to celebrate the annual send-off of example of heterarchy, which I have the Viking fleet. The students, parents discussed, in my previous work. and teachers at Slite elementary school had worked all winter planning and preparing for the market day. The Viking market in Slite. The market was held on the shore of Further reading: Vägume bay, a good hike from Slite perfect authentic backdrop to the event. English Historical Documents I. c. 500-1042, These festivities were complemented ed D. Whitelock, London 1979 centre, but offering plenty of room for on Saturday by an open house at the Gräslund, A.-S. 1994. Rune stones - On the crowd of about 2000 who attended. ornamentation and chronology. In: We were able to browse among the stalls archaeological site of Spillings and the Ambrosiani, B. & Clarke, H. (eds) offering the traders’ wares; everything Viking farm under construction on the Developments around the Baltic and the from Viking toys made by school children western outskirts of Slite, near Bogeviken North and exquisite jewellery, knives and felted bay, which was quite probably an active Sea in the Viking Age. Birka studies [3] The woollen articles, to fresh bread and lamb Viking harbour in olden times, as well as Twelfth Viking Congress. Stockholm. pp. roasted on a spit. the official opening of the Spilling hoard 117-130. exhibition at the County Historical Williams, Ann. 1999. Kingship and The sight of the four Museum in Visby on Sunday. Government in Pre Conquest England, c. moored along the beach and the 500-1066. London 1999 excitement of the Icelandic pony race, with riders in period costume, provided a Text and photos: Luella Godman

About the author Carl Löfving is a PhD and a lawyer. His dissertation Gothia som dansk/engelskt skattland. Ett exempel på heterarki omkring år 1000. (Gothia as Danish/English tributary land. An example of heterarchy around the year 1000 AD) was presented in 2001 and a summary was published in VHM 2001/4. E-mail: [email protected]

17 http://viking.hgo.se Viking Heritage Magazine 2/05 DESTINATION VIKING Destination How to make an Viking early lute and rebec Destination Viking is a concept for presenting the Vikings and the Viking By Michel Bach, Ukranenland been cut down about 5 month previous Age. It includes museums, visitor centres, prehistoric villages, re- and were spit up only 2 months earlier. That’s why it was easier to work with the enactment groups etc., and is In March 2003 an instrument- working with research, presentation wood but we had to be careful so it didn’t and the development of a trans- making workshop was break during the process. We had this national tourist destination. organized and carried out by problem especially with two instruments, Destination Viking includes a the musicians at the but it wasn’t very difficult to repair them number of separate projects, currently with glue. the Destination Viking Living History Ukranenland prehistoric Unfortunately we only had a very small (former Baltic Stories), funded by the village in Germany. number of special tools for the task, but Interreg IIIB Baltic Sea Region programme and the Destination thanks to good organisation and plenty of Viking Sagalands project, funded by The idea of having a workshop had been patience we were able to avoid problems. the Interreg IIIB Northern Periphery growing for a long time and Ukranenland Some days we worked for 10 hours and programme. An application for offered an opportunity to make it happen. everybody was very tired by evening, but Interreg IIIB Region funding Five musicians from different countries, we had a lot of fun. The last day entailed for a Destination Viking Waterlinks the greatest effort and everybody was project was submitted in March. for instance Poland and Chile, took part. They play mainly medieval music but had dying to hear the first sounds of their The Destination Viking projects are instrument, but there were still a lot of co-publishers of Viking Heritage no experience in constructing small time-consuming tasks before we Magazine, and Viking Heritage is a instruments. partner of Destination Viking. The workshop lasted for five days and could tune the strings. almost the whole time we worked out of We were all proud to be able to finish Project consultant for Destination doors in the museum. The visitors and our instruments. The man from Chile Viking projects: people from the daily newspaper thought even made two instruments, and he Mr Geir Sør-Reime, Senior Advisory it incredible that instruments could be worked very quickly. They are not master Officer, Rogaland County Council made that way. The weather wasn’t the instruments, of course, but they do look [email protected] best with wind and rain, but everybody like original early instruments. We are was inspired enough to finish his sure that this won’t be the last Project manager Destination Viking instrument. construction course and are now Living History: The tree trunks used, of birch - and collecting ideas for the next one. Mr Björn Jakobsen, Director, poplar, weren’t very dry. The trees had Fotevikens Museum [email protected]

Project manager Destination Viking Sagalands: Mr Rögnvaldur Gudmundsson, Director, Tourism Research & Consulting [email protected]

Co-ordinator of Destination Viking + Viking Heritage partnership: Mr Dan Carlsson, Associate Professor, Gotland University [email protected]

These projects are co-financed by the EU Interreg IIIB Baltic Sea Region programme and Northen Perihery programme and NORA. Still a lot of work needs to be done before the rebec is playable and looks like a music instrument. Photo Ukranenland. http://viking.hgo.se 18 DESTINATION Viking Heritage Magazine 2/05 VIKING

Here we can see the outline of a rebec take form. Photo Ukranenland. The quinterna is under progress. Photo Ukranenland.

Viking-age music instruments cherry are possible as well as poplar or the last moment. The top will be made in Most of the musical instruments from the birch. The last two require less effort. pine, 3–5 mm thick. Don’t forget to make Viking Age found in pictures and as A piece of tree trunk approximate 60 the sound holes before gluing it onto the excavation artefacts are bone flutes. We cm will be carved and the inside must be body.... don’t know that much about string flat. There we make a pencil drawing to I’m sure the music played during instruments. The Norwegian musician, trace the rough outline of the instrument. Viking Age sounded richer using these Karl-Johan Gundersen from the Viking Now we can hack out the outline with an instruments and not just bone flutes and museum of Karmøy, made a very fine lyre, axe until it looks like a club. drums. modelled on the one portrayed on the Now it is time to make the resonance stave church portal of Hylestad*. It space inside the club. We can use a Anyone who wants exact info about sounds great! wooden hammer and a chisel, or, for the making the rebec can find it by visiting Some pear-formed instruments like the first big steps, a special axe (called tjäxlor the following website: rebec (an early fiddle) and the quinterna in Swedish), which is quicker. Before you www.crab.rutgers.edu/~pbutler/rebec.html (a small lute) are also known. The earliest try to make an instrument this way, I representation of the rebec can be seen on advise carving at least one or, even better, the stave church portal. The lute was several wooden bowls. Contact: found as an origin 12th century artefact After you have more experience you Email: [email protected] during excavations in Elblag near Gdánsk will not be so likely to destroy the body at (Poland). Several pictures illustrating ancient times show similar instruments. An image on a portal from the stave church How to make a fiddle and a lute of Hylestad served as a Both instruments are made the same way. model for this round- There is a wide choice of wood: maple or lyre, made by Karl- Johan Gundersen in * The stave church portal of Hylestad was located Norway. Unfortunately in a valley called Setesdalen in Norway. this instrument was Unfortunately the church was demolished but the stolen in Oslo earlier portal with the carvings is preserved and exhibited this spring. in the Historical Museum in Oslo. (Eds. note) Photo KJ Gundersen.

19 http://viking.hgo.se Viking Heritage Magazine 2/05 DESTINATION VIKING

The “Nordvegen Visitor Kings and warriors centre” at Avaldsnes, Norway, was officially opened by Queen Sonja, History and science Friday the 29th of April.

Queen Sonja of Norway opened the Nordvegen Visitors’ Centre in Avalsdsnes.

From the exhibition.

The Centre seen from above.

The Nordvegen Visitors’ Centre.

http://viking.hgo.se 20 DESTINATION Viking Heritage Magazine 2/05 VIKING

“A fantastic and exciting area” said the Queen, and she continued: “The history of Norway starts at Karmsound, and Nordvegen is a good base for future research and excavations”.

The Nordvegen Visitor centre is situated not far from the medieval church at Avaldsnes, but it is “hidden” in the ground to prevent it from disturbing the church and the historic landscape. The entrance is made to symbolize Mimes brønn or “The well of knowledge” in Norse mythology and you will go down into the “well” to seek that knowledge in the exhibitions below. The centre tells the story of Avaldsnes, the oldest Royal seat of Norway. Harald Fairhair, the king who unified Norway around 870, will be our guide through history. He will allow us to meet the chieftains, princes and kings who ruled at Avaldsnes from the In front of a reconstructed Iron-age house in the prehistoric village of Stavgard. Bronze Age to the Middle Ages. Some of these rulers we know from burial mounds, others we know from the Norse sagas and The final partner meeting of the skaldic poems. The exhibitions focus on communication, Destination Viking Living History Project international contact and cultural influences from abroad. The archaeological material from Avaldsnes shows that contact with foreign people and countries has been a main DANCING INTO feature for this area through the ages, and that the centre of power at Avaldsnes suffered alternate periods of prosperity and decline due to conditions in Europe. THE FUTURE

Text: Karl Johan Gundersen Text: Geir Sør-Reime strong focus on summing up the activities and Marit Synnøve Vea Photos: Björn M Jakobsen carried out throughout the project period. Photos: Ørjan Iversen Partners agree that the project has The final meeting of managed to address and develop a Destination Viking Living number of important issues concerning History ended with a cheerful dissemination and marketing of Viking Viking dance – symbolic of history and attractions around the Baltic Sea. the will of the partners to The project had as its main objective to carry the network into the establish a Viking Route around the Baltic future. Destination Viking and Sea. The partners participating in the its partners will survive and project represent destinations along this take on new and exciting route. All partners have gone through a quality assessment and development tasks in the future! process to improve the quality of their Destination Viking Living History is contribution to the route. almost history – the final ordinary partner The prime focus has been on living meeting was held on Gotland, the Viking presentations of history and archaeology Island 2005, on April 20-24. by re-enactors in direct interaction with Hopefully, this is not the end of the their visitors. Much attention has Baltic Viking network, and plans for a therefore been paid to didactics and to the continuation of Destination Viking are quality of the environment surrounding already in place and will be discussed in the presentations: reconstructions of more detail at a November meeting at buildings, replicas of clothing, artefacts, Gunnes Gård, north of Stockholm. jewellery, weapons etc., and the skills and The final meeting naturally had a conduct of the re-enactors.

21 http://viking.hgo.se Viking Heritage Magazine 2/05 DESTINATION VIKING

For this purpose, quality assessment Tofta is situated just south of Visby. manuals have been developed, and all Further south, we stopped at Paviken. partners have done a self-evaluation of Here, a number of Viking-age trading their quality status. ports have been uncovered, and it also The Baltic Sea Viking Route will be seems that a larger city was being marketed through a brand new book soon constructed there when the Danes to be published. It will also be available invaded and took over Gotland in AD on the project website: 1288. The city wall surrounding the www.destinationviking.com. projected city is still visible, as are the foundations of the defence towers. The The Viking route on Gotland small church at Paviken is really only the Gotland is well known for its medieval chancel of a huge church that was being heritage, and the wonderful dinner hosted planned. Ruins of an older church are also by Gotland Municipality was done in visible close to the present church. medieval style in a cellar at the backyard We continued on to Fröjel, where of the old Bishop’s residence in Visby. archaeological investigations of a large and Now, Gotland wants to focus more on its important Viking-age trading place have Viking heritage. been going on for several years. The choice of venue for the final From Fröjel, we headed eastwards to partner meeting of the project was not the prehistoric village of Stavgard. Here a coincidental. On the contrary, this year number of buildings have been Gotland is promoting itself as Gotland reconstructed to offer schoolchildren Viking Island 2005. A strong focus has hands-on knowledge of history, crafts and been placed on Viking-age remains and Alma from the Middle Ages is welcoming other skills. Viking-age history on Gotland this year. A Jörgen from the Viking Age to the Not far from Stavgard, we visited the Medieval dinner hosted by the Gotland number of very instructive and Municipality, by inviting him to wash his community of När, where the local informative leaflets and brochures have hands. The dinner took place at inhabitants have decided to launch a new been produced to ease access to the Kapitelhusgården (The Chapter House historical play based on the ‘snake woman’ numerous Viking attractions and events courtyard) which is a living medieval motif found on several Gotlandic picture on Gotland. courtyard in the centre of Visby. stones. They have built a large outdoor We had the opportunity of testing a theatre with all facilities needed for a small but important part of the Viking professional play. The play will be a co- route on Gotland. We visited the Viking Village at Tofta, a site where the production the professional theatre of presentation of history is coupled with Gotland, a local theatre group and the practical hands-on experiences of local history and folklore association. A handicrafts and skills, accompanied by Viking market will also be held near the The meeting’s host Dan Carlsson relating exciting Viking food, of course. theatre site. the prehistory of Västergarn and Paviken. In the middle of the island, the deserted farm of Fjäle has undergone a thorough excavation. At the farm there are ruins of Iron-age houses, but even Viking- age and Medieval houses. The complete cultural landscape of the farm is very well preserved, and replicas have been made of the medieval houses. The area also includes a pre-Christian cemetery. The study tour was rounded off with dinner at the small village of Herrvik. Our partners from Ukranenland, this time a whole small band of Viking musicians, entertained both us and all the other guests at the cosy inn, and most guests joined in a cheerful dance to end the evening. This dance into the bright Nordic night could also be symbolic of what we want to achieve in the future: a more or less eternal Destination Viking network. Hang on fellows!

http://viking.hgo.se 22 DESTINATION Viking Heritage Magazine 2/05 VIKING

When two sailing ship meet on collision courses and they have the wind in Tiller thriller from different sides, the ship with the wind from port (A) shall give way to By Jörgen Johansson the other ship (B).

Steering a Viking can be very demanding, requiring you to be constantly alert for backing winds and to parry walls of waves threatening to end your voyage. But when a gentle breeze plays in your hair, and the sun burns your cheek, A B then your thoughts start to wander away over glittering waves on a blue sea. You ocean-going merchant ship). Bungy-jumping is peanuts compared to begin to understand aspects The reconstruction is based on the thrill of feeling your 17-ton ship of Viking-age seafaring, and observations by Åkerlund 1947 and Leiro rushing at 11 knots directly towards solid get an insight into life 1977. Vidfamne behaves differently rock 100 meters ahead. There is only one depending upon which tack she sails - in thing to do: reduce speed immediately by onboard. What comes to mind other words: from which side the wind letting the wind out of the sail (let the at the tiller? blows. sheet go and back the sail). This behaviour is important to learn When the wind pressure eases, the ship On which side the wind blows and remember when sailing such replicas. will slow down and right itself, and the It is generally accepted that Viking ships The phenomenon described below applies steering-oar will again take charge. had their steering-oar mounted on the when sailing into the wind, or when the starboard (right) side, hence the name. wind comes straight from the side. When Port tack Later developments in shipbuilding sailing before the wind, there is negligible When tacking with the wind from port, list and therefore no problems. the ship will list to starboard. The steering oar will therefore be lowered and go Starboard tack deeper into the water, thereby becoming When sailing with the wind from more efficient. Viking Forum starboard, the ship will list to port (left). There will be no turbulent water due This causes the steering-oar to be levelled, to leeward drifting. The rudder goes lifted higher up in the water. It will deeper than the keel so there will be only replaced the steering-oar with a rudder, therefore be less efficient due to the less very little water jet hitting the aft part of and this rudder was placed on the water pressure on the blade at a shallower the keel when turning to port. sternpost, where it has been ever since, depth. albeit with a few exceptions. Furthermore, the steering-oar will be Not all of those sailing Viking ship A rudder placed on the sternpost working in turbulent water from the long replicas may have observed the above operates equally well irrespective of which keel, due to the ship’s leeward drifting. difficulties. The levelling effect on the side the wind blows. A steering-oar placed Finally, when turning to port, the steering-oar depends on the width of the on one side of the ship will, however, steering-oar works to some extent against ship where the steering-oar is placed. The operate differently when sailing into the itself: the water jet from the steering-oar wider the ship at this point, the greater wind, depending upon which side the hits the far aft part of the keel. the levelling. wind is blowing from. In certain circumstances these factors The Äskekärr ship was a cargo ship, Let us look for a moment at a Viking cooperate and can cause the ship to be being proportionally wider towards the ship’s ability to steer when sailing into the very difficult to steer. In fact, the crew ends, than the . Smaller ships are wind. I will elaborate on this based on 11 should always be aware that the ship, narrower, and should not be running at seasons of practical experience of sailing a sailing on the starboard tack, might full sail anyway in a rising wind. larger Viking ship replica, the Vidfamne. simply refuse to alter course. This is very Thus, we see that a larger Viking ship Vidfamne is an interpretation of the likely to occur when sailing on the replica sailing with the wind from the Äskekärr ship, a knarr (a Viking-age starboard tack at some speed. starboard side can under certain

23 http://viking.hgo.se Viking Heritage Magazine 2/05 DESTINATION VIKING circumstances be expected to manoeuvre poorly. The same ship, when sailing with the wind in from port, has excellent manoeuvrability. This fact must have been very clear to the Vikings as well.

Navigation rules Today’s international navigation rules state, amongst others, that when two sailing ships meet on collision courses, with the wind from different sides, then the ship with the wind from the port side shall give way for the other ship. The other ship, the one with the wind from the starboard side shall retain its course. This is an old navigation rule known by all sailors all over the globe. One might wonder why it was once decided that the ship with the wind from port was chosen to give way in order to avoid collision. Why not the other ship, the one with the wind from starboard? Is it farfetched to suggest that the Vikings, when sailing with the wind in from the port side, gave way to a meeting The ship’s list will cause the side-rudder go operate at different depths (note arrows) ship with the wind from starboard side? with different efficiency. Ship A has the wind at port, ship B has the wind at starboard. And if so, would it be unrealistic that such a habit spread among the British Isles, and became a rule, a law? steering-oar could be loosened, and backwards without getting stuck on her The British Commonwealth grew, the periodically mounted diagonally. Thereby deepest part. British Navy and merchant fleet came to the steering-oar will come higher up in dominate the world, and English the water, allowing passage in extremely Judging Viking-age shipping maritime law began to influence local shallow water. Today, when we judge Viking-age laws. Is it possible that such a local Practical tests have shown that it is shipping, we believe that cargoes have navigation rule thereby became possible to sail in this way. Voersaa’s been transhipped from smaller coastal internationally accepted? steering-oar has two different holes for the boats to ocean-going ships. If this is at all I know that the above is only a tiller. These holes are made with different true, then how was the ownership of the thrilling theory. But there are two facts in angles, possibly to allow sailing in very cargo regulated? it that cannot be denied: the large Viking shallow water. The steering-oar can also Imagine the benefits of sailing, and ship manoeuvred better when sailing with be loosened and will then be hanging towing the ocean going ship as far up a the wind in from port side, and - horizontally on the ship, out of the water. river as she can be safely afloat, load or incidentally - today’s navigation rules state This is done just before landing on a unload, and then towing her backwards that the sailing ship with the wind in beach, or when rowing in shallow waters. until she can be turned around for sailing. from the port side, shall give way to the A Viking ship can, with her To conclude: to my mind, the reasons other. lightweight, flexible and relatively strong for choosing the steering-oar before the Does anyone out there know the hull, thanks to the steering-oar easily load rudder, were the ability to access shallow history of laws, and can elaborate on this? or unload cargoes on a riverbank, or sail and narrow waters, and the handiness of onto a sandy beach at high tide. the ship when NOT sailing. This ability The steering-oar As the tide goes out, the ship will rest reduces, or excludes, the need for piers From a nautical point of view, a steering- on the bottom, loading or unloading her and quays, i.e. what we call ports oar mounted on the side is inferior to a cargoes. At next high tide, the ship can nowadays. rudder mounted on the sternpost. Then leave again. Furthermore, a ship with her why did the steering-oar survive as long as steering-oar hanging horizontally (or it did? removed, for that matter) can be rope- About the author No doubt the Viking shipbuilders towed far inland in very narrow rivers, Jörgen Johansson is one of the could have made iron hinges for a load or unload, and then be towed founders of Sällskapet Vikingatida sternpost rudder if they wanted to. BACKWARDS back to open water Skepp, who have built the Viking-ship replicas, Vidfamne (the Äskekärr ship) Instead they chose the steering-oar, without having to be turned around. and Starkodder (Fotevik 1). He is also hanging on a tiny shaft. Why? This has been tested practically. one of the captains on these ships. The steering-oar was mounted more or Remember that the steering-oar always Professionally, Jörgen is the site less vertically, extending deeper into the goes with a nicely rounded-up keel and manager of Ale Vikingagård. water than the ship itself. However the stern, allowing the ship to be towed http://viking.hgo.se 24 Viking Heritage Magazine 2/05

New Saga book! A novel of Medieval Iceland

The “Saga of the People of Eyri”, on which the novel Saga is based, was first recorded around 1270 AD, by an unknown author. Like the other sagas, this novel mixes facts with elements of fantasy, such as the ghosts and elves that were a part of the early settlers’ pagan life. Saga is a rich historical novel about the first Icelandic Written by Catharina settlements and tells the story of the savage rituals of Ingelman Sundberg feud and sacrifice brought by the settlers from their Published by Bokförlaget Norwegian motherland as well as their new, competing Prisma beliefs in a democratic legal assembly and a code of ISBN 91-518-4393-5 restraint. When Thorleif, the Viking, trades his family lands to spite his son Arnkel, the ruthless Norse chieftain vows to regain them at all costs. Robbed of his rightful inheritance, Arnkel begins a venomous feud with his Boken om neighbours and with rival chieftain Snorri, a lawless dispute destined to end in betrayal and death. Janoda´s characters are eloquently depicted by their passions and pagan beliefs brought to life in a tale over Vikingarna a thousand years old. The author, Jeff Janoda, has spent nearly a decade (The book about the Vikings) researching the medieval period in and this is his first novel. Archaeological excavations during the last 20 years in CC Russia and Ukraine have increased the scientists’ knowledge. These new observations as well as thrilling facts about the Vikings’ colonies in Greenland and Written by Jeff Canada are popular scientifically presented in Boken om Janoda Vikingarna. The book is based on archaeological and Published by historical facts as well as research about Vikings. Academy Sometimes the Viking astonished their surroundings with a democratic form of government and with Publishers women in strong positions. The Vikings were good organizers, a pre-condition to succeeding with the wide- ranging expeditions. Furthermore they were good engineers and incredible shipbuilders. How did the people from other cultures respond to Vikings? Some of them wrote it down. Read their own words! Boken om Vikingarna was first published in 1998 and is available only in Swedish.

The author Catharina Ingelman Sundberg is a historian and journalist.

CC ISBN 0-89733-532-5

25 http://viking.hgo.se Viking Heritage Magazine 2/05

Ragnarók Special Exhibition at Silkeborg – Odin’s Museum, Denmark World on Norse Mythology In all societies and at all times, religion has – Idea and played an important part in the way the surrounding world is understood. This Background exhibition may give the visitor an insight into and understanding of what it means to a person’s life to belong to a culture with a Housewife with different world-picture and concept of life. drinking-horn.

The most visible religious manifestations make the inaugural address, and Queen and Lund, assistant professor Jens Peter are the daily acts and the celebrations Margrethe of Denmark will grace the Schjødt, Institute of Comparative taking place during the year. But religion opening with her presence. The exhibition Religion, University of , and with is also an important basis for the will be open to the public daily from 10 the National Museum of Copenhagen. A structuring of society, for the perceptions a.m. to 3 p.m. from Saturday, July 2 until large number of treasures are on loan of right and wrong, and for an individual’s Sunday, October 30, 2005 (last opening from Statens Historiska Museum in understanding of himself and his day). Stockholm and the Nationalmuseet in surroundings. The special exhibition at Copenhagen. Lunds University’s Silkeborg Museum focuses on the religion Partnerships Historiska Museum, Archäologissches and beliefs of the Iron- and Viking Ages; a Silkeborg Museum is setting up the Landesmuseum Schleswig, Manx National period in history which we today see as exhibition in co-operation with various Heritage, Isle of Man, Kirkby Stephen our roots, peopled with our ancestors. researchers, among others, Professor Dr. Parish Church, Cumbria, St. Andrew’s This exhibition will allow us to sense Torsten Capelle, Universities of Münster Church, Middleton Yorkshire, and a the pagan world, a world spiritually number of Danish museums are co- different from ours. Today there is a rising operating with loans from their interest in pagan religion. As collections. archaeologists, we believe we have an obligation to inform the general public The Purpose of the Exhibition of what is known about pre- The exhibition will be built up Christian pagan religion in order to around archaeological, original prevent false myth-making and artefacts: representations of the misunderstandings. gods; artefacts thought to be attributes to individual gods; The opening remains of cult buildings and The exhibition will open on cult activities; picture stones Friday, 1 July 2005 with the and runic stones; as well as attendance of an invited graves illustrating religious audience. The Irish poet practices and beliefs and Nobel laureate The artefacts vary in Seamus Heaney will size from miniatures and small jewellery to large picture stones. The interpretation of these finds are supported by Odin brakteat. written sources, which – all http://viking.hgo.se 26 Viking Heritage Magazine 2/05

source critical questions considered – are Loke with his an invaluable help to understanding the mouth bound. pre-Christian religion and concepts. Sacrificial deposits reflect religion; the large weapon sacrifices and the finds from pagan cult houses immediately come to mind, but there are also the less spectacular finds from everyday life: offerings made for the construction of a house, placed under doorsteps, house sills, or laid down at fords and bridges, or beside roads. Apart from the many original artefacts, tensions between heathens the museum will construct a copy of a and Christians, not just in the ship setting in the garden to show an society, but also within families. example of an important type of grave The outlooks on life embraced by from the Late Iron Age and Viking Age. paganism and Christianity are widely Today we know about the conversion to different. The pagan concept of soul, the Christianity and Norse mythology from ideas of justice, of the importance of remains of the Viking Age and from family and lineage, and the individual’s Norse sagas and poetry transmitted obligations towards his family and society skill. There will be activities for children through the Icelandic texts. The were quite different to what we regard as during the exhibition. exhibition will trace Odin/Wotan and the natural and self-evident today. other named gods back in time as far as Three Exhibitions we believe is possible. The geographic Target Group The coming exhibition is a follow-up on extent outside Scandinavia and northern The exhibition addresses itself to the the two previous international exhibitions Germany goes west to the British Isles and general public, that is, to those who are at Silkeborg Museum: ”Face to Face With Iceland and north to the Viking interested in religion and history and Your Past” in 1996 and ”Gods of the Bog settlements in Greenland. Today we perhaps already have a certain knowledge – Facing Wood” in 2001. The sequence of recognise and still use the names of the of prehistory as well as to visitors who exhibitions will thus be a trilogy – not gods in the names of the days of the week, come in search of an aesthetic experience. just due to their number, but also with a a loan from the classical world made by The visitors who come in idle curiosity view to their subjects. comparing and translating the will be able to profit from the exhibition, The first exhibition showed the people Greek/Grecian and Roman gods to the as will the youngsters whose interest in of the bog and gave an explanation to the Norse and Germanic gods. We still use mythology is based on Warhammer games reasons behind them becoming ‘bog personal names and place names that even and The Lord of the Rings. people’. The second exhibition showed today refer to the ancient gods and their This is a unique chance for everybody the gods of the bog, those gods to whom cult. who is interested in archaeology, history, many of the bog people may have been For centuries Norse and Christian mythology, or simply interested in looking sacrificed. Some of these gods showed religions were practised side by side. Many at beautiful artefacts crafted with great characteristics pointing towards named archaeological finds gods known from late Iron Age and point to this fact, Viking religion. The exhibition received the runic the prize of ‘Museum of the Year’; the first inscriptions bear time the prize was awarded. witness to it, This third exhibition will show the and the sagas religion, the cult of which ended at the tell us of the conversion to Christianity, but whose beginning we sense in the presence of the Valkyrie bog people and their gods. horse. For further information visit the website: www.silkeborgmuseum.dk

All photos credit to Silkeborg Museum and the National Museum of Denmark.

27 http://viking.hgo.se Viking

Viking festival and play, Hafnarfjordur, Iceland 2005 will be the Year of the June Just 1150 years ago, Viking settlers came to Iceland, making it the last country in Europe Viking on Gotland, Sweden, to be inhabited by man. During this annual festival at the Viking Village, modern-day here are some of the events: Icelanders and visiting Vikings celebrate their Viking heritage with feasts, arts and crafts. Fröjel An historic journey in the Viking Village Phone: +354 565 18 90 June 27 - August 13 July 22–24 Email: [email protected] International courses with archaeology Experience an environment of the Viking http://events.britishairways.com students from all over the world. Guided Age, Middle Ages and modern artisans tours of the excavations. Café and and salesmen. Challenge your family in exhibition of the finds that have been different Viking-age games and sports, Hafrsfjordspillene, Viking Festival, Stavanger, discovered in recent years in Fröjel. enjoy a good meal, listen to legends and Norway Children’s archaeology. myths or try your hand at different June 2 – 5 Don’t miss the exciting theatre “The handicrafts. With operas like Rygekongen, a Viking-age Crystal Eye” about uniting the gods in village with market, historical food, Viking the year 1005. A Viking-age market The Medieval Week ship activities and historical seminars, this begins two hours before the August 7–14 will be a Festival for a large audience, performances. This year the internationally famous paying special attention to children and Medieval Week will focus on the young people. The Gotland Althing transition between the Viking era and the www.hafrsfjordspillene.no July 2–3 Middle Ages. This transition will also be At the Gotland Althing in Roma the theme of several lectures, as well as Kungsgård you will meet Vikings from theatre and musical performances. Viking Market, Årsunda, Sweden near and far and find Viking-age glass, June 4 – 5 pottery, handicrafts, textiles and more. Tor, Freja and the others At the Viking farm in Årsunda, in the heart Children’s theatre at the County Museum of the province of Gästrikland, the land of The Snakewoman’s Child of Gotland. iron, you experience cultural history in an Opening night July 14 exciting, informative and living way. The drama is performed in När parish at For further information: Phone: +46 26 29 01 16 the mouth of Närsån stream, and takes Phone: +46 498 299 834 Email: [email protected] www.arsundaviking.se place in the mid-900s at a time of www.vikinggotland.com transition between belief in the Aesir Viking Festival, Karmøy, Norway cult and Christianity. June 8 – 12 On historic ground you can visit the Viking market at Bukkøy, take part in Viking celebrations, attend concerts and theatrical plays and participate in historical marches and Viking processions. Phone: +47 52 85 75 00. Email: [email protected] www.vikingfestivalen.no Photo: Helga Jonsson

http://viking.hgo.se 28 events in summer 2005

Viking Market, Krunderup, Holstebro, Viking Ship Battle, Isle of Man Denmark July 1 – 3 June 17 – 19 Magnus Barelegs, King of Norway ousts Traditional Viking Market with camp, Goddard Crovan and claims the Isle of Man. handicrafts, musicians, Viking-age food and There is a rebellion in the south of the battle drills. Reconstruction and Viking era island during his absence. He returns from re-enactment. Norway and re-takes the island. Email: [email protected] www.vikingsonline.org.uk www.hartr.dk

Viking Market, Høvåg, Lillesand, Norway Viking Play and Market, Frederikssund, July 1 – 3 Denmark An annual Viking Market at Bronseplassen June 17 – July 3 From the Viking week on Birka. where the Vikings will sell their wares and a The Viking play’s story builds on Danish Photo by: Jonas Eriksson lot of activities will happen in the folklore, where more than 53 years of longhouse. experience has given Frederikssund a good Email: [email protected] reputation. This year’s performance is called Midsummer for Vikings, Foteviken, Sweden www.bronseplassen.no Gorm & Thyra. The market will be open June June 24 18 – 19. Midsummer celebrations for Vikings. The Phone: +45 47 31 06 85. Viking reserve will be closed for the public Jels Viking Play and Market, Jels, Denmark Email: [email protected] during Midsummer’s Eve and open only for July 1 – 17 www.vikingspil.dk Vikings. All Vikings from near and far are Every summer for 27 years a Viking play has welcome! been performed in Jels. The chronicles are Phone: +46 40 45 68 40 enacted in Denmark’s most beautiful open- Viking Play and Market, Lindholm Høje, Email: [email protected] air amphitheatre with a view of the Jels Denmark www.foteviken.se lakes. This year’s performance is called June 21 – July 3 Hoder & Balder. The market will be open An outdoor performance on the currently July 2 – 3. biggest Viking burial ground in Scandinavia. The traditional Viking Week with Market, Phone: +45 74 55 21 10 This year the Viking Play at Lindholm Høje Foteviken, Sweden Email: [email protected] is called Blod, Sv´ærd & Tårer. The market June 28 – July 3 www.jelsvikingespil.dk will be open June 25 – 26. This is the biggest Viking market arranged Phone: +45 96 310 410 in Scandinavia. You will find entertainment Email: [email protected] by musicians, dancers, storytellers and high Sigtuna Medieval Days, Sweden www.geocities.com/vikingspil/ quality handicraft products. The market will July 2 – 3 be open July 1 – 3. In Sweden’s first town, founded in 980, you Phone: +46 40 45 68 40 can enjoy medieval atmosphere and meet Scandinavian Midsummer Festival and Email: [email protected] rune carvers, find out about calligraphy or “Living History”, Barnaby, BC, Canada www.foteviken.se learn how to become a great acrobat. You June 22 – 23 can also listen to ancient music and Enjoy the Midsummer Magic and celebrate performances, participate in historical the longest day of the year in Burnaby, BC. Herøspelet, Sagaøya, Herøy, Norway guided walking tours and buy handicrafts. In Entertainment by music, dance, storytellers, July 1 – 3 the museum, visit the Röde Orm exhibition. magicians and Vikings. Family days June 17 Love and conflict, the rivals meet in armed Phone: +46 85 94 80 650 – 19 theme “Living History”. combat in the Viking play, The King’s Ring. Email: [email protected] Phone: +1 604 294 2777 Bold men and fair maidens in a pageant www.sigtun.se/turism Email: [email protected] about the Viking Møre-Karl, Olav Haraldsson www.scandinaviancentre.org and Unn, the girl from Herøy. Email: [email protected] www.heroyspelet.no

29 http://viking.hgo.se Viking

Viking Week, Adelsö, Birka, Sweden Viking Raiders, Lindisfarne, Northumberland, July 7 – 10 England Welcome to the demesne of Hovgården on July 23 – 24 Adelsö and re-live the Viking Age! Viking-age The peace and tranquillity of Lindisfarne market, ancient music and performances, was shattered by Viking invaders in the 8th historical guided walking tours, theatre, century. The famous Viking stone carving on handicrafts and much, much more! display in the Visitor Centre depicts Phone: +46 8 560 514 45 fearsome Viking raiders. See the Viking www.vikingaveckan.se camp and warriors for yourself. Displays of combat skills and battle tactics. www.english-heritage.org.uk Viking Market, Gudvangen, Norway July 8 - 10 The Viking market and Nordic Summer Viking Market, Lejre, Denmark Games is located in a historic area were July 23 – August 7 you’ll find a grave mound and the remains Anglo Saxons visit the Viking marketplace. of a stone circle. UNESCO describes the Experience the christened English Vikings; place as one of the most attractive nature see their beautiful handicrafts and see their resorts. During July 5 – 7 the market place humoristic and lively meeting with will be open only for Vikings. The market Denmark’s own non-Christian Vikings. lies at the head of the fjord, where you Phone: +45 46 48 0878 might see dolphins, seals and, if you’re Email: [email protected] lucky, even killer whales! www.lejre-center.dk Phone: +47 57 63 37 07, +47 92 86 29 28. Email: [email protected] A young girl enjoying time on Adelsö, Birka. www.vikingvalley.no Photo by Ove Westerberg Jorvik Viking City, York, England Jorvik in the Square – Viking heroes and warriors The battle at Järnlucka, Eketorps Borg, Viking Festival Egge, Steinkjer, Norway July 23 – Sept 4 Sweden July 14 – 17 July 23 – 31 July 9 – 10 The festival is located on historic Viking Mini Vikings can learn the secrets of Viking The castle will be under siege by ground at Egge, the home of Saint Olav´s warfare from Jorvik´s warriors in battle drill. Scandinavian warriors. Meet the Vikings in defeaters. The festival especially wants to August 1 – 26 their camp and try out their weapons. communicate with children in order to The Viking challenge! Have a go on one of Phone: + 46 485 66 20 00 encourage their interest in history and their our giant games in the square. Email: [email protected] roots. August 27 – 29 www.eketorp.se Phone: +47 93 06 10 91. Vikings camp out in the square and Email: [email protected] demonstrate crafts and cooking. Listen out www.vikingfestival.no for a story of the heroes of the high seas! The Vikings are coming, Oerlinghausen, Phone: +44 1904 66 30 15 Carnyx, Germany The Saint Olav Festival, Stiklestad, Norway Email: [email protected] July 10 July 22 – 31 www.jorvik-viking-centre.co.uk A Celtic living history group visit the Stiklestad is best known for The Saint Olav museum, free edmission. Drama which is dedicated to St Olav and Phone: +52 02/22 20 the introduction of Christianity in Norway. The Olavs-Festival in Torshavn, Faroe Island Email: [email protected] The medieval market during the festival is July 29 www.amf-oerlinghausen.de an experience for all ages and includes A genuine Viking Festival held every year on theatre, musical games, archery and physical July 29th, and attended by people from all activities for children. eighteen Faroe Islands. The market and Phone: +47 74 04 42 00. games take place just as it did 1000 years Email: [email protected] ago with a variety of events. www.stiklestad.no www.faroeislands.com

http://viking.hgo.se 30 events in summer 2005

Saltvik Viking Market, Åland, Finland Viking Market, Borg, Lofoten, Norway Viking Festival Vilkatlakai, Kovarnis, July 29 – 30 August 3 – 7 Lithuania Festivities with handicrafts, food, axe- The northernmost Viking market with 24 hrs August 13 – 14 throwing, singing, acting and much more. of sun every day! We tempt you with The Rimbert Chronicle tells us about a great Phone: +358 1824259. incredibly beautiful scenery, the longest battle, which took place on the Apuole Email: [email protected] reconstructed Viking longhouse in mound in the year 854. The king of Sweden www.aland-vikingar.com Scandinavia, no market tax and much more! Viking Olaf gathered a great army and Phone: +47 76 08 49 00. attacked the Apuole castle. Apuole is Email: [email protected] located in the very north-western corner of Viking Market, Eidet, Norway www.lofotr.no Lithuania, surrounded by two streams and July 29 – 30 swamps and vestured by a wall of century- A traditional Viking market in the area called Viking Market at Hornebore Ting, old oaks and maples. Everything is like it “Borg i Viken”. Hamburgsund, Sweden was 1050 years ago, no sign of modern Phone: +47 69 28 58 38 August 5 – 7 civilization will be seen. Email: [email protected] A Viking thing (a local council and court) is Phone: +37 06 01 60 840 www.borgvikinglag.no again taking place inside the mighty castle Email: [email protected] rock in Ranrike. Craftsmen, merchants, www.bagrit.ires.pl musicians and storytellers from near and far. Viking Market and St Olav Days in All at a typical market where Viking re- Sarpsborg, Norway enactments and festivals are mixed for three Viking Market, Hobro, Denmark July 29 – August 8 unforgettable days. August 13 – 14 For the fifth year in a row Borg Viking Club Phone: +46 52 53 41 555 An old Viking town with a Viking fortress, a will host its popular Viking Market. Email. [email protected] Viking village and a copy of a longhouse, so Scandinavia’s top artisans will be at the http://hornboreting.se Hobro has a lot of exciting Viking facilities! event selling their wares. There will be an This year the event will be held on opportunity to take part in competitions, Viking Market, Hemmet, Denmark Slidehagen, a very beautiful area with and the Market will be open July 30 – August 6 – 7 surrounding hills. August 1. The main attraction on the St Olav The Vikings from home and abroad camp in www.run-vikingar.dk Days will be a new version of The Sword, a Bork Viking harbour where they exhibit their new attraction this year is a “minifestival” in skill in weaponry and celebrate with Viking June, with activities for and with children. food, handicrafts and activities for children. Viking Market, , Denmark Phone: +47 95 93 19 95 Phone: +45 97 36 23 43 August 20 – 21 www.visitsarpsborg.no Email: [email protected] A Viking market will be held at www.skjern-egvad-museum.dk Vikingskibsmuseet in Roskilde. Phone: +45 30 02 00 Viking Market and Moot, Moesgaard, Århus, Email: [email protected] Denmark www.vikingeskibsmuseet.dk July 30 –31 The traditional and impressive Viking Market takes place during the last weekend of July. Vikings return to Serebrig Old Sarum castle, From the booths they sell Viking-style Wiltshire, England jewellery and handicraft products as well as August 22 – 29 different types of food and refreshments. A journey back to the Dark Ages. Explore an Visitors can try their skills in archery and authentically re-created Viking longhouse other activities. and living history encampment. Experience Phone: +45 89 42 11 00. the past with crafts, cookery and combat Email: [email protected] demonstrations. The week culminates with a www.moesmus.dk spectacular battle displaying the might of the Vikings on 28 and 29 only. www.visitsalisbury.com Vikings are building a boat on Birka. Photo by Bengt A Lundberg

31 http://viking.hgo.se Viking Heritage Magazine 2/05 Heritage News

A sailing tour with Viking Plym On July 3 the Viking ship replica Viking Plym will sail from Fårösund on the north of Gotland, Sweden to Nynäs on the mainland. In their wake, around 300 participants in the Gotland Runt sailing race will join them. Viking Plym was built in 1912 as a replica of the famous Norwegian and is made for ten rowers. August Plym, the shipbuilder, constructed the ship for the sailing events in the Olympic games in Stockholm the same year. Viking Plym was one of the ships participating in the Leif Eiksson Millennium Celebration in New York on Labour Day, 2000. This year will the 90th anniversary of its construction.

The world’s largest Viking-age hoard on display on Gotland

The find of the world’s largest Viking-age silver and bronze treasure, the so-called Spillingskatten, was made on Gotland, Sweden in 1999. The unique hoard consists of 14,300 coins, 486 arm rings, 25 fingerings, necklaces, a drinking horn and much more, weighing a total of 67 kg. It is dated to 870 AD. After restoration in Stockholm, the treasure is back on the island for the first time on exhibit at the County Museum in Visby. The exhibition called Vikingarnas skatter, was opened on May 15 and will continue all year. Besides Spillingskatten you can also see about 200 coins from a new Viking-age hoard, which is still under excavation, and other Viking-age silver finds from Gotland. You will also have the opportunity to visit Vikingarnas världar, an exhibition where the visitors learn about the ordinary life of the Vikings and follow in their footsteps on trading journeys around the world.

Sweden returns Viking-age treasures In the 19th century Sweden saved a lot of over Scandinavia to make it possible for Most of them dating from 600–1050 AD Norway’s cultural heritage by collecting a researchers from all over the world to have been photographed so they can be number of Viking-age treasures. Viking- come to the Historical Museum in used for scientific purposes. age swords, other weapons, weaving Stockholm to study the Scandinavian More than 9000 objects have already equipment, sleighs, furniture and much culture. His plans came to nothing when been shipped to Norway and now another more were brought to Sweden. the Second World War begun. 2500 objects will be returned to the Artur Hazelius, the man in charge of It is very rare to find objects in such good Cultural Historical Museum in Oslo. the operation, collected objects from all shape today, says the curator Ulrik Skans. Source: Svenska Dagbladet 2005-04-26

http://viking.hgo.se 32 Viking Heritage Magazine 2/05 Heritage News

Ireland Campaign victory to re-route Waterford by-pass away from Viking site

The The Save Viking Waterford Action Group (SVWAG) finally succeed: in Map. February Minister for the Environment, Dick Roche, published his intention to re-route the Waterford by-pass to preserve the Woodstown Viking site in The Vinland Map to be Ireland. This decision marks the first time in the history of the NRA that a Danish experts have recently returned road will be re-routed in the interest of from Yale University in the hope of studied again heritage concerns. shedding more light on the Vinland Map. Since Sept 2004, SVWAG has The map, showing the part of North Forgery or not? The researchers from worked hard to make the re-routing America believed to be what is today the Danish Royal Library and School of come true and now they want a full Canadian province of Newfoundland, Conservation hope that modern research excavation of the site, where the were found in the early 1960s. It seemed techniques developed in Denmark will priorities will be based on academic to be a map drawn from Scandinavian finally be able to expose the truth. grounds rather than road-building discoveries between 800 and 1100 and Source: Svenska Dagbladet 2005-03-07 schedules. dating from 1434. Some people believe it If you want to know more about is evidence that Vikings were the first to A tip from the editor: Read more about Woodstown Viking site visit their land in the Americas. the Vinland map in VHM 2/2000 and in homepage www.vikingwaterford.com Experts agree that the parchment dates the book Maps, Myths and Men. The Story from 1400s but in the 1970s some of the Vinland Map, written by Kirsten A. specialists began arguing that the ink used Source: Socialist Worker Seaver and published by Stanford contained ingredients that were only University Press. developed in the 20th century.

Archaeologist may have found the “High status” Viking former citizens of Trelleborgen, Sweden site in Cumbria What originally thought was a Viking Six graves with seven intact frameworks were found during an excavation in burial ground in Cumbria, near Barrow, Trelleborg fortress in Scania in the south of Sweden. Experts believe that they have (see VHM 4/2004) may actually have found the fortres’s Viking-age inhabitants. The area is a well-known grave field and been a 10th century market. excavations have been made there earlier. The remains are well preserved mainly Steve Dickinson, the man in charge of because they have been buried in extremely calcareous soil. the excavation, says that after a month of Besides the frameworks the archaeologists also found iron knives, a comb, a study, experts have a new theory that the bronze needle, a whetstone and clay vessels. site wasn’t a burial site after all. The dig th Trelleborgen is believed to have been built during the second half of the 10 has unearthed several metal objects, which century, when Harald Bluetooth ruled Denmark and the south of Sweden. Six indicate the site was used as a market similar fortresses have been found so far, four in Denmark and two in Scania. place. More time is needed to determine its exact purpose and use and the British Source: Ystad Allehanda 2005-03-05 Museum has offered to help the local teams. Source: BBC News 2005-02-01

33 http://viking.hgo.se Viking Heritage Magazine 2/05

V king Heritage Heritage News magazine

The ultimate forum for all those Sangerfest in The warriors of interested in Vikings and the Viking Age! Viking Heritage Magazine, Gotland University, Mount Vernon, the Iron Age at Cramérgatan 3, 621 67 Visby, Sweden. Tel. +46 498 29 97 43, +46 29 98 29, Fax +46 498 29 98 92 Washington, USA Gamla Uppsala, [email protected] • www.hgo.se/viking Gotland University: www.hgo.se Scores of Norwegian-American singers will descend on Mt. Vernon this summer Sweden Publisher and Editor-in-chief th Dan Carlsson, [email protected] for the 96 Annual West Coast Gamla Uppsala is one of Scandinavia’s Sangerfest. The festival is to be held on most remarkable sites of prehistoric Editor July 1, at McIntyre Hall, Skagit Valley remains. Since the building of the three Marita E Ekman, [email protected] Community College and a dozen choirs royal mounds 1500 years ago, the site has Editorial assistent Christel Carlsson will participate. fired people’s imagination. This is the Language and translation check Mont Vernon is a small city in the place where the Kings of Svea ruled and it Luella Godman, middle of a very large Norwegian is the realm’s most distinguished cult [email protected] community, which encompasses four place. In the shadow of the majestic Subscriptions counties in the northwest corner of mounds we can glimpse ancient figures Washington State. The Viking influence is Subscription rate, four issues and events. The theme in Gamla Uppsala Sweden 250 SEK found all over the area and several small this year is the Iron Age’s war ideal. – Denmark, Finland, Norway and the Baltic replicas of Viking ships have been made. Welcome to where Vikings, kings, guards, countries 260 SEK Other countries 300 SEK Every year people gather to celebrate artisans and common folk from Iron Age the fellowship of their cultural heritage are given new life! As a new subscriber you will receive the and enjoy songs from the old county. The museum will be open daily from May guidebook, Follow the Vikings. Highlights of the Viking World, as a special gift. This book 1–August 31 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. contains 50 of the most important For further information: destinations in different countries, selected by an international group of archaeologists and www.raa.se/olduppsala is richly illustrated in full colour. …and once Email: [email protected] Phone: +46 18 23 93 00 Subscription conditions For orders outside Scandinavia we can again, a silver only accept payment in advance by credit card (VISA, Mastercard, Eurocard). Within Scandinavia orders can be sent hoard is found by mail order or payment in advance by Århus older credit card. on Gotland, NEW! Digital subscription than believed A digital version of Viking Heritage Sweden Magazine is now available at reduced Excavations in the city of Århus, price! See: www.hgo.se/viking Denmark show that Aros – the town by Archaeologists have recently found the river mouth – was founded around Subscription information another Viking-age treasure on 850, almost 100 years earlier than [email protected] Gotland. So far about 200 Arabic Tel. +46 498 29 98 29, +46 498 29 97 43 previously believed. New finds show that, coins have been found, but it is Viking Heritage webshop from having been a seasonal market place, possible that the treasure may be www.hgo.se/viking the town grew and became a permanent much larger. A metal detector search Advertising town by the end of the 10th century. of the find site produced promising Luella Godman, The man in charge of the excavations, results. [email protected] Lars Krants Larsen from Moesgård As soon as the authorities get Viking Heritage [email protected] Museum, relates that they found remains permission a full excavation of the Layout and printed of a two-meter wide ditch, dated to 850, area will be carried out. The site still by Godrings Tryckeri, Visby, along the river. The ditch was refilled in remains a secret due to the danger of Sweden 2005 870 and the area was then used for illegal treasure-hunters operating on ISSN 1403-7319 settlement, with all the house gables the island. facing the river. A similar ditch has also been found in Ribe. Source: Gotlands Allehanda in May 2005 Source: Århus Stiftstidende 2005-04-20 This project is co-financed by the EU-programme Interreg IIIB Baltic Sea Region.

http://viking.hgo.se 34 We offer Viking Age replica artifacts from Denmark and Sweden. TURM A/S, distinguished Danish silversmiths, makes our jewelry from moulds provided by the Danish National Museum. Our glass is from Scanglas AB of Sweden and is also in replica, made with 1000-year old glass blowing techniques. These pieces are in many Nordic museum gift stores and, owing to their authenticity, have been selected by the Smithsonian and other major U.S. museums for their Viking exhibits. We ship worldwide. A sketch of a runestone in the Moesgard Museum, Aarhus, Denmark, depicting a fearsome 1420 NW Gilman Boulevard – No. 2105, - Issaquah, Washington 98027-5394 USA mask to frighten evil spirits from a fallen Viking. We offer this dramatic Please visit our Website: www.vikingtrader.net * Email: [email protected] piece as a brooch or pendant. Toll free phone in U.S. 1.800.842.1676

35 http://viking.hgo.se 9

9

9 1 -

7

9

9 1

m

o 1/2002 2/2002 3/2002 4/2002 r f Viking-Age women in runes pictures Vikings on Saaremaa (Ösel) In the footsteps of the Vikings • New excavations in Sweden and

s • Freyja, a goddess of love and war • Schleswig and Haithabu • Destination Viking Baltic Stories Russia • Imaginary Vikings e

u • The women in wagon burials • Wooden disc • Woolen sail • The game of Knátteleikr • The • Dublinn’s Vikings • Fortresses s s • From Viking Age to the Middle Ages • Neighbourhood of Trelleborg cult site of Rösaring • Filthy in and Latvia i • Mjöllnir, Thor’s hammer • Viking movies Vikings? • Vikings in Flanders • Gunne’s gård k

c

a

b

e l

b

a l i

a

v

A 2/97, 4/98, 5/98, 1/99, 2/99, 3/99, 4/99 also available 2000 and 2001 are All issues from s n o g i … t n i i e r r k b i i o V h

x m

e e

h h , t c s

u t c

m 1/2003 2/2003 3/2003 4/2003 m e o

j

r Golden Vanes • The North Atlantic The Mammen style from West Viking Age glass beads (five Vikings in – New and Old f d o

r n Viking Heritage Resources • Masculine Pomerania • Vikings in Russia: articles) • Cultural transmission • The Kensington Runestone • s p a

w , – Feminine – Human – about a Viking- Military Affairs part 1 • Ukranenland • Children’s graves • Destination • L’Anse aux Meadows and Norstead • t e s n e n age grave-field • Transvestite Vikings? • Philatelic Vikings • Golden Vanes Viking Saga Landscapes and Saga • An early Norse farm at Narsaq, e t

i e s

m • A Viking-age Tumour • Kaupang • Vikings in Melbourne Routes • Trondarnes • The Orkney Greenland • Diet and tableware in Wolin t

d r c

u Islands • Tablet Weaving l o a t c i n n s e i i -

v e o

r , s

l s , s a n t

o o s n i i t e o a u v p s a s w i c

e x i e e v h

f t g

o s n

i e s l k i n t i V o t i

t , n s a i t k a n o e m o

s b e e

r Destination Viking.

h 3/2004 4/2004 1/2005 t p w

Western Viking Route.

e • Viking-age Sorcery • • Gotland Viking Island • • The building of a boathouse • , s n d

e Inspiring guidebook to Viking places

l Viking festivals in Adelsö, Karmøy, ”Should a man commit adultery” • Casting trefoil brooches • r d d i in the west. Richly illustrated in full o Foteviken • International volunteers Gold and silver hoards • Paviken • The Gotlandic Althing • Vestfold n s a e w • Gisla-Saga project, Iceland • No Gute by the name of Sven – the history that disappeared • colour, 184 pages. • Battling for beer • • Viking Age sorcerers • • Braslav Lake District in Belarus • Price: SEK 100 per copy L’Anse aux Meadows and Vinland Exploring the Viking heritage • The Viking ship Icelander • B Now you can also order and pay from our website www.hgo.se/viking

Prices: Issues from 2004 SEK 60 per copy All prices include taxes. Postage will

For orders that include be added. We can only accept Issues from 2000-2003 SEK 50 per copy payment in advance by credit card. all available back issues ✄ Issues from 1997-1999 SEK 25 per copy we offer 25% discount. Checks are not accepted.

COPIES 1/2002 2/2002 3/2002 4/2002

1/2003 2/2003 3/2003 4/2003

3/2004 4/2004 1/2005 Destination Viking I would like

to order Other issues Subscription to VHM

, Subscription of VHM, 4 copies per year. (For rates, see page 34) Name

Address

Visa/Mastercard/Eurocard number Expiry date Gotland Heritage, Viking to this order Send Sweden Visby, SE-621 67 University, +46 498 29 98 92, Fax: E-mail: [email protected] Yes