Viking Heritage3/2000
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VV king king HeritageHeritagemagazine 3/2000 NORTH SEA VIKING LEGACY Viking Heritage Magazine Editorial IN THIS ISSUE Fine prehistoric optics Chilly winds, the colourful leaves of autumn and the growing darkness or just finery? 3–4 here in the North, all remind us of the approaching winter. What we need New Discoveries in Norwich 5 this time of the year is a warming fireplace and some good reading. And here you are dear readers – all over the globe and in whatever climate Thor’s Hammer you are living in – a new well-filled issue of Viking Heritage Magazine! – on the Viking-Age amulet- Let’s start with the two articles dealing with archaeological finds from pendants in Scandinavia 6–7 the Viking Age, one about the rock crystal lenses found on Gotland and the other about the popular Thor’s hammer pendants. It is really amazing Viking folklore 8–9 how much knowledge of the past we can get by doing extensive research on just one type of artefact. Norse Mythology: Plundering Many times we can see that mythology is involved in the practical use the Vikings for Centuries 10–11 of an artefact, as is the case with the Thor’s hammer. As a continuation of Sagas and society I. the article about Nordic religion in the last issue of this magazine, we are About slavery on Iceland 12–14 happy to present an article about Viking Folklore in this issue. Throughout the ages folklore has been a way of interpreting reality and Midgard – Historical Center making it understandable. in Vestfold Norway was officialy In this issue we also take a closer look at some of the people of the opened May 27th 14–15 Viking Age who are rarely mentioned, the thralls or the slaves. This is the first of two articles, presenting the living conditions for slaves on Iceland. The next article will be published in 4/00. As usual there is information about how the Vikings’ heritage is dealt with in different places. The past summer has seen so many kinds of events regarding Vikings, that we cannot begin to mention them all. All these highlights and the growing interest in Vikings and the Viking Age make it even more important to keep up this opportunity for spreading North Sea Viking Heritage the results of different kinds of scientific research and investigations as Fifth Board Meeting held on Shetland, well as an insight into what is happening in the Viking world of today. July 2000 16–17 So, feel welcome to contact us with your news, ideas, and suggestions! Viking exhibition in Com0, Italy 16–17 I hope you will have a relaxing reading! A ship comes a-sailing Marita E Ekman The story behind the Editor ”Viking Ship” find in Nattviken, Härnösand, Sweden 18 E-mail: [email protected] The Braid – A Unique Manx Farmstead 19 Reflections upon the Vikings! Words of 1000 Years event 20–21 New Viking-age presentations Wisdom in the Netherlands 22–23 To a false friend the foothpath winds Though his house be on the highway. To a sure friend there is a short cut, Heritage News Though he live a long way off. Heritage News 23–26 From ”Hávamál” (Words of ”The High One”) Viking Viewpoints About the front page: Viking Viewpoints 27 Rock crystal lenses from the Viking Age, found on Gotland. Read about them on page 3. Photo: Raymond Hejdström. © Gotlands Fornsal. Miljömärkt med Svanen. Lic nr 341 487 http://viking.hgo.se 2 Viking Heritage Magazine The Krasse find, Guldrupe, Gotland. Rock crystal lens, tweezers, punches, scrap metal and animal teeth. 9th century. Photo: Raymond Hejdström. Gotlands Fornsal. Fine prehistoric optics or just finery? By Malin Lindquist these crystals. A proposed hypothesis about Christian empire of Byzans, were the most the Vikings having used them in telescopes or important marketplaces. To these lively and binoculars has prompted an intensive international centres the Vikings arrived via Unique for Gotland discussion in the mass media. the Russian rivers, loaded with goods to sell. On Gotland some 30 so-called lenses of rock But let us start from the beginning. How An Arabic author Ibn Rustah, (around 950 crystal from the very late Viking period have did these very special objects end up on AD) tells that ”they live exclusively from trade been found. Some of them are round or oval and slightly convex, others are spherical. Some Gotland in the first place and where did they with slaves” which might not be quite true. of them are mounted in beautiful silver come from? They also brought weapons, especially swords, settings and used as pendants. All of them are wax and furs, highly appreciated by their of a very high quality. Until recently these Slaves for silver customers. In return they received the coveted lenses were only known from Gotland but Särkland, the Norse name for the Arab silver. Most of it was brought home and today we know of a few finds from the Caliphate, was the most powerful state during hidden in the Gotlandic soil. Surely some of it Swedish island of Öland as well as from the Viking period, politically, economically was used for buying the tempting luxury of Finland, Latvia and Estonia; an eastern and culturally. It stretched from Spain in the the Orient such as silk, multicoloured glass- extension. west to India in the east. This enormous beads and semiprecious stones. This is were The lenses are mostly found in pure empire with Baghdad as capital was held the lenses fit into the context. jewellery hoards or in ”normal”, ie mixed, together by common religion, Islam. silver hoards from that very period. If found in Especially during the 7th and 8th centuries Persian crystal graves, they originate from the so-called silver mines in Tashkent and Afghanistan Rock crystal was quarried in Persia during ”churchyard finds”. During the transition provided the market with silver. In the form of prehistoric times. The town of Basra was a between the Viking period and the Middle coins, dirhams, jewellery, and raw material as well-known centre for rock crystal grinding. It Ages, there were some very rich Viking graves bars and rods, silver started to flow into north- is a colourless, water-clear, well-crystallized in the churchyard, north of the church. Under east Europe and became the most valuable kind of quartz which occurs quite commonly protection of the church, Christian women metal used as means of payment. in different kinds of rock, where it is formed were buried but in a pagan way with their Bulgar at the bend of the river Volga, Atil in cracks and cavities. In Europe larger personal belongings, among those silver- in the land of the Chazars and Miklagård, deposits have been found in the Alp regions. mounted rock crystal lenses. (”The big city ” – Old Norse for However it is more likely that the Gotlandic Lately a great interest has been focused on Constantinople/Istanbul) capital of the lenses originate from ancient Persia and 3 http://viking.hgo.se Viking Heritage Magazine reached Gotland in the pockets of the Viking of Gotlandic goldsmith work during the beauty brought them home. They may also tradesmen. On the other hand - since they Viking period: the goldsmith used a magnifier! have served as a kind of payment to the appear very suddenly at the end of the 11th It has even been suggested that children with Emperor´s Varjagirgard in Miklagård/ century and disappear just as suddenly some their tiny fingers carried out that kind of fine Constantinople. The question of where the hundred years later they may have been art. silver settings were made can not be answered, arrived in one lot and at the same time. even if it seems most likely that they were The question of where the silver settings A Viking-age telescope? made on Gotland. The discovery of the were made is a bit of a problem. The The Icelandic sagas tell about a ”sun-stone” magnifying effect became very useful while ornamentation has a Slavonic character, and made of some clear material – maybe rock making the exquisite work of the gold-smiths. might have been created in Russia. As no such crystal – which was used to find the position The mere existence of these luxurious pendants have been found there, they might of the sun when sailing in cloudy weather. objects points out the important role Gotland even have been set in silver here on Gotland, This idea has been discussed very much. played within the world-trade by the end of inspired by other Russian items. Neither this theory nor the one about the the Viking period and the possibilities it gave Vikings using lenses as telescope or binoculars Gotlandic merchants to make a fortune. Luxurious jewellery is very likely. There were easier ways of Wealthy women could only make a big show navigating: the sun and the stars, flight of About the author: of magnificent necklaces. Just a few examples: birds, clouds and streams. Malin Lindquist is senior curator and A beautiful set of seven lenses and silver pearls responsible for exhibitions at Gotlands comes from a hoard at Hejslunds in Havdhem Conclusion Fornsal (the Historical Museum of parish hidden only shortly before 1100. From I think the most probable conclusion is that Gotland). As an archaeologist, she has Lilla Rone in Lye parish a necklace could be the rock crystal lenses originate from Persian worked many years mainly on Gotland. created from 11 round or oval lenses and 10 mines. Even if one can not reject the She has contributed to Viking Heritage silver beads.