Chapter 7 279 CHAPTER 7 JEWELLERY AND NEGOTIATIONS OF IDENTITY IN SCANDINAVIA, C. AD 400–650/700 7.1 DISTRIBUTION PATTERNS AND SOCIETY characterized by all-embracing social changes in the What social context did the costume manifestations establishment of the earliest European kingdoms, and of the Migration Period and the Merovingian Period eventually also the emergence of Frankish overlord- that have been revealed above pertain to? What sort ship in western Europe (Brown 2001; Geary 2003; of society ought we to understand to have been the Hamerow 2005; Hedeager 2011; Hedeager and Tvarnø basis of this sort of signalling, and what influenced 2001:138–91; Hills 2003; James 1991; 2001; Todd the changes in the manifestations demonstrated? The 2004; Vallet 1995; Yorke 1990). Both archaeologi- marking of group identity does not take place in a social cal and historical research has shown that the eth- or historical vacuum: ethnic or cultural categories are nic situation in this period was extremely complex. formed, maintained, negotiated and transformed in Conventionally, early Germanic peoples such as the opposition to specific ‘cultural others’, and the social Franks and the Goths have been understood to have context in which cultural meetings take place will be been fixed and one-dimensional ethnic entities whose determinative of the form of cultural manifestation (cf. migrations across the continent of Europe can be Ch. 2.1). Immediately below, therefore, I investigate traced (cf. Ch. 1). More recent research has, as noted, what premises underlie the various significant cultural demonstrated that one strand in the development of manifestations that have been reviewed above (cf. Ch. the early European petty kingdoms was the formation 6.1–6.5). This will be done through an assessment of of new ethnic and social groupings as populations social organization and the course of history in the from different groups conjoined and created new period in question. In this context, the power rela- confederations or ‘tribal bands’ (Stammeverbände). tions between different cultural, ethnic and/or social On the basis of both documentary and archaeolog- groups who participated in the cultural meetings are ical sources, historically known peoples such as the also assessed, as this is considered significant to how Alemanni, Franks, Saxons, Visigoths, Angles, Jutes and cultural and ethnic manifestation is expressed (cf. Ch. Danes can be said to represent new confederations 2.1). The following factors will be highlighted in this of this kind. The confederations were dynamic, and context: 1, the political power relations; 2, ongoing, such bands were formed and dissolved according to broader, ethnic discourses in the context of northern need and dependent upon how social circumstances Scandinavia where the relationship between Germanic/ changed. It has been argued that the ‘tribal bands’ are Norse and Saami cultures will be investigated in fuller to be understood first and foremost as multi-ethnic detail; and 3, an assessment of extra-Scandinavian war bands: a political and military leader with his cultural connections and in particular areas of con- own, culturally composite retinue which was inde- tact with Anglo-Saxon England in respect of the pendent and free of tribal or kinship ties. The new manifestation of cultural affiliation and distance. group identities were actively formed and reinforced in a political context (see, e.g., Geary 1988; 2003; Halsall 1998; Harrison 1991; Hedeager 1992a; 1993; 7.1.1 Jewellery and centralization: power, politics 2000; 2011:33–50; Hedeager and Tvarnø 2001:143–4; and cultural identity James 1991; Pohl ed. 1998; Wolfram 1970). In this A question that it is natural to pose in this context reality or setting, Germanic culture assumed a new, is why there was a need to signal ethnic or cultural identity-forming function. It became a symbol of identity by means of female costume in this period. In the new social structure consisting of political ‘tribal’ the European context, the Migration Period stands out bands or ‘nations’ (Hedeager 1992a:282; 2011:48–58; as a period of conflict with major social and political see also Härke 1992:155; Näsman 1998:274–8), with convulsions, involving migrations and wars, as the ethnicity functioning as a political factor (Hedeager Roman Empire in the West collapsed. This period is 2000; Pohl 1998b:1–2). 280 Chapter 7 As in large parts of western and central Europe, the The question we must ask is whether the polit- situation in Scandinavia in the Migration Period and ical and economic entities that were the various the early Merovingian Period was also suffused with Scandinavian chieftainships or petty kingdoms reflect an increasing centralization of political and economic ethnic and/or cultural regional groupings. According power, and the establishment and consolidation of the to Knut Odner (1973:158) it is likely that economic earliest petty kingdoms.1 The warrior retinue was also and social groups were coincident in the Migration seen as a contributory factor in the centralization of Period. Myhre (1991:15) has also argued that people political power that took place in Scandinavia. With the within the individual political and economic units introduction of this social institution, a social mobility had a ‘social association and connection with the that had not been available under the earlier clan- leaders in the central settled areas’. He was also of based society became possible. This resulted in the the view that this social organization might have its formation of a new warrior aristocracy with control roots in an earlier clan-based structure, and refers to over landholding, which in turn laid the foundation Jordanes’s list of names of Scandinavian peoples of the for the establishment of central kingships.2 The estab- 6th century (see also Myhre 1987a:186–7). He further lishment of the warrior aristocracy was a process that postulated that early forms of state-for mation take started back in the 2nd century AD but sped up from place through the conglomeration of several minor around the year 200 (Hedeager 1990:134–45, 183–94; territorial units of similar social structure, language, 1992a:280; Hedeager and Tvarnø 2001:104–7, 113, culture and ethnicity (my emphasis) (Myhre 1991:10). 144; Näsman 1998:277; Steuer 1982:55–6, 522–3; Is it, however, unproblematic to juxtapose politico-eco- 1987). A society which develops from chieftainships nomic groupings and cultural/ethnic categories, and to petty kingdoms will often be affected by profound to regard them as two sides of the same social block? changes and continuous conflict between social and The contemporary state of affairs on the Continent political entities. The struggles usually end up with is distinguished especially, as has been noted, by the one entity having to submit to the overlordship of emergence of new ethno-political units. At one level, another. The boundaries between the political and these can be claimed to represent the merging of economic power centres were probably fluid, and access political and ethnic groupings, yet at the same time to resources in surrounding or adjacent areas must have they were founded upon multi-cultural/multi-ethnic been a cause of conflicts and competition between the constellations or confederations. This makes it relevant centres. Chieftainships and petty kingdoms therefore to investigate the relationship between ‘tribal’ groups or cannot be counted as geographically fixed and rooted political confederations and cultural/ethnic groupings entities at this time; political links were dependent in Scandinavia at this date. rather upon alliances, ties of loyalty and personal con- A comparison of the distribution patterns that have nections between the leader and his retinue, between been revealed by the evidence of the jewellery against different leaders, and between the chief and the rest the economic and political territories that have been of the population. This was a system with an inbuilt, identified, will be able to provide a signpost to what flexible structure, in that the political units underwent relationships existed between cultural and/or ethnic continuous change through fluid power-alliances: the entities and units of political power in Scandinavia latter were continuously negotiated and redefined. throughout the period. This comparison will be able Political development was, accordingly, probably not to show to what extent there was correlation or linear but instead marked by the construction of larger coincidence between cultural and politico-economic political and economic units with constant reversions groupings, or to what extent they diverged from one and collapses and dissolution. All the same, grad- another and/or exercised mutual influence. The com- ual centralization did take place in the latter part of parison of the distribution patterns of the jewellery the Migration Period, as power fell into fewer hands with defined political centres does, however, bring (Hedeager 1990; 1992a:291; 1992b:91; 2011:49; Myhre with it a risk of drawing conclusions from circular 1991:18; 2002:160–1, 168–9, 185–6; 2003:76–7, 82–93; argumentation, because some of the items of jew- Näsman 1998; 2006; Storli 2006:45–6, 151). ellery could have served as part of the fundamental 1 Farbregd 1980; 1986; Hedeager 1990; 1992a:286–7, 289–91; Jensen 2004:52–71, 178, 193–204; L. Jørgensen 1991:122; Myhre 1987a; 1987b; 1991l 1992a:308–13; 1992b; 2002:160–213; 2003:69–90; Näsman 1998; 2006; Odner 1973; 1974; Ramqvist 1991:305–6, figs. 1–2; Ramqvist and Müller-Wille 1988:104–6, 133–4; Ringstad 1992:115–17; Särlvik 1982:102–12, 119–25; Stenvik 1996; Storli 2006:129–53; Watt 1991:105; Wik 1985:231–8, 247; Ystgaard 2014:52–3. 2 The kin-group nevertheless retained its significance within the retinue (Evans 1997:51–2, 69–70; Kristoffersen 2000:42). Jewellery and negotiations of identity in Scandinavia, c.