Viking Heritage M 2-2003
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VV king king HeritageHeritagemagazine 2/2003 DESTINATION VIKING Viking Heritage Magazine 2/03 IN THIS ISSUE The Mammen style Editorial from West Pomerania (Wolin and Kamien´ Pomorski) 3–5 The main source for obtaining knowledge of prehistoric times is from Vikings in Russia: Military Affairs 6–8 archaeology, where the use of different kinds of methods and theories DESTINATION VIKING Reunion of Tribes help us to get answers to our inquires and insight into many different Vikings and Slavs met in aspects of the living conditions at that time. Ukranenland to strengthen One method of gaining knowledge about interactions and influences alliance 9–11 among prehistoric peoples and cultures is to compare ornamental styles UKRANENLAND of objects found in excavations. This is the topic of the first article in Slavonian village 12–13 this issue. Several of the following articles deal with the theme of Ancient handicrafts part V interaction between people during the Viking Age. As travellers, the From Ale Viking Age project Vikings met people from near and far, with different manners and Raising the roof-supports! 14–15 customs. Of course these meetings had an impact on everyone involved, Philatelic Vikings 16–19 and traces can be found in the archaeological material today. A SYMBOL OF KINGS As we all know, the Vikings have also made an impression on people in The Use of Golden Vanes later times. For example, this can be seen on stamps. In this issue we are in Viking Ships 20–26 happy to present the article on Philatelic Vikings on page 16. Viking Learning Vacation 27 There are many other methods that enable us to get closer to our The Viking Village in Tofta is past, like reconstructions. As often stated previously, reconstructions are expanding 28 not a simple matter. They require both research and imagination and it Gotland University offers is important to remember that the prevailing attitudes of our time will two Viking Courses presented always influence the process. in English 29 The summer season offers us many opportunities to encounter Viking “Halfdan was here” reconstruction; by taking part in events like festivals, markets or plays, Viking exhibition in Istanbul and Stavanger 30–31 interacting and experiencing history. The Vikings still make their presence felt. Viking Forum 32–34 NEW BOOK 35 Have a really good summer and enjoyable reading! Some of the Viking events in the summer of 2003 36 Marita E Ekman Editor Heritage News Email: [email protected] HERITAGE NEWS 37–38 A guest should be courteous When he comes to the table And sit in wary silence His ears attentive, his eyes alert; So he protects himself From Hávámal (Words from “The High One”) Drawing by Lou Harrison, [email protected] Viking market. A young teenage Viking girl weighs a large chunk of amber for purchase; while in the background a Viking warrior negotiates for an axe he wants to buy. Drawing by Lou Harrison, [email protected] Miljömärkt med Svanen. Lic nr 341 487 http://viking.hgo.se 2 Viking Heritage Magazine 2/03 . By Blazej M. Stanislawski One of the most exciting The Mammen style Old-Icelandic sagas is the Jómsvikinga saga describing the history of warriors from from West Pomerania the Jómsborg fortress established by the Danish king, Harald Gormson (Wolin and Bluetooth, in the second half of 10th century. Jómsborg was situated somewhere on the Kamien´ Pomorski) Wendic coast of the Baltic Sea at the Oder river estuary. Fig. 1. The circular brooches typologically Sp2 (Terslev) Wolin site No. 4. Drawing: M. Jusza. Fig. 2. The jeweller’s vice from Wolin – Silver Hill decorated with Scandinavian symbol very popular on the picture stones in Gotland. Drawing M. Jusza. Over the ages researchers have had 11th century. Since the Polish and moulds, whetstones, game pieces, different opinions with reference to the archaeological excavations in Wolin circular brooches typologically Sp2 Old-Icelandic sagas. Opinions have began in 1952, there are an increasing (Terslev) (fig. 1), jeweller’s vice with changed from uncritical trust in sagas as number of Scandinavian artefacts visible decoration (fig. 2), bodkins, pendants, the historical source-book’s historical within the dominating Slavic context. Thor’s hammer amulets made of amber, fables. In this paper I don’t pretend to This progress is especially evident in the buckles, wood and antler decorated reinforce or deny the hypothesis about last four years. knife handles, and wooden spoons with whether or not Jómborg and the The Scandinavian artefacts from ornamentation and a lion-head stopper Jómsvikings existed. The aim of my Wolin are represented by pottery, coins, made of silver. paper is to research the specific part of wooden staves with runic inscription, In this collection are numerous archaeological evidence of Danish open-work scabbard chapes decorated objects of Scandinavian art and local presence in the Oder estuary in the end with birds, combs and comb-cases made (Slavic or Scandinavian) artistic of the 10th century and the beginning of of antler, spindle whorls, soapstone pots creativity with foreign Borre-style 3 http://viking.hgo.se Viking Heritage Magazine 2/03 influences (fig. 3). The Borre-style twice, in 1124 and 1128 A.D. & 1010 A.D.) to the end of 10th or . objects are the most common, next to According to a second version the rather the 1010s (Wazny & Eckstein the Ringerike-style and Mammen-style Kamie´n casket could fall prey to the 1987). finds. The Mammen-style artefacts from Slavic war campaign against Since the number of surviving Oder river estuary are the main subject Konungahela in 1136 A.D. According Mammen-style objects is extremely few, of this paper. to another view the casket come to the new Mammen-style find from the Kamie´n in the period 1176–1188 A.D. last archaeological excavations in Wolin The Mammen style is dated to 960- as a gift for the new Cathedral in has an even greater importance. It was 1020, named after a grave in Mammen, Kamie´n. In another hypothesis worthy found in 2002 during archaeological Jutland, and identified by the famous of notice, the Kamie´n casket could have excavations on the Wolin Gardens site silver-inlay design found on an iron axe. been made in a local West Pomeranian situated between the Old Town and Mammen style is characterized by the workshop. early medieval Wolin’s production- double contour line, spiral-shaped The last hypothesis is especially commercial district at Silver Hill. This shoulders and hips, and by the interesting in the presence of numerous excavation was next to one of the earlier development of neck and tail lobes into objects decorated with a Borre-style main excavations in this area revealing luxuriant acanthus-shaped crests the remains of the next (Fitzhugh & Ward 2000). harbour and wooden buildings Apart from the axe-head Fig. 3. The collar made of antler decorated in Borre-style from and a lot of Slavic artefacts. from Bjerringhøj in Mammen, Wolin-Old Town. Drawing M. Jusza. It was within this context the main Mammen-style that the wooden disc monuments are the Thorleif interpreted as the sun-compass stone cross from Kirk Braddan (see VHM 2/02), the on the Isle of Man, the King dragonhead in Ringerike-style, Harald memorial stone at the objects with Borre-style Jelling in Denmark and two decoration (Stanislawski 2002) caskets from Bamberg in and the circular brooches Germany and Kamie´n typologically Sp2 (Terslev) Pomorski, situated about 30 were discovered (fig. 1). km from Wolin in Poland. The Kamie´n casket, which The new Mammen-style find disappeared in the Second (fig. 5) can be connected with World War from the treasury the settlement level from the of the Kamie´n Cathedral in neighbouring excavations Poland and of which only dated on the basis of copies are preserved, is unique dendrochronology (dates: 935 and the best example of +x\-7 A.D and 995\6 A.D. Scandinavian art. This and 996 +x\-7 A.D. and Trelleborg house-shaped 1005\6 A.D. and 1011 +9\-8 th reliquary of Saint Kordula was richly ring-chain ornament probably made in a A.D.) to the end of 10 or the th decorated with plant and S-shaped local workshop in Wolin, too (Duczko beginning of 11 century. animals, semi-naturalistic lion, bird and 2000). However at present there are This artefact is cylinder-shaped and mask motifs in the typical Mammen only a few Mammen-style objects from empty inside with cutting at the wall. It style, a widespread form of West Pomerania able to support this measures 4,9-5,1 cm in length, 2,7-3,5 ornamentation in Scandinavia from the theory. cm in width. It is decorated on the faces close of the 10th century. It measured 63 with the carved ribbon-shaped bodies of cm in length, 34,5 cm in width and 22 Within this theory the close three snakes in different sizes forming cm in height and was made of wood morphological parallels between bronze loops, which belong to the most typical covered with 22 carved elk-horn plates beast heads on the Kamie´n casket and Mammen-style motifs (Fuglesang 1991). held together by bands of gilt bronze the small wooden beast’s head On the surface between the snakes the tipped with casts of beasts and birds’ discovered in the harbour of Wolin are big bumps very popular in Mammen heads. very interesting (fig. 4) (Duczko 2000). style are visible. The body of the biggest The Kamie´n casket was made before It measured 5,0 cm in length and 2,3 snake isn’t complete and the middle part the year 1000 A.D.