Item #3: A Mold of Religious Amulets

This item, a mold for religious amulets, provides a closer look at the coming of Christianity to the Viking World. The mold in question was discovered at the site at Trend in Himmerland, presumably used by the community there. Interestingly, the mold does not exclusively create Christian symbols, like the cross. Instead, the mold can not only be used to make crosses, but also amulets of the traditional Norse religion, such as Thor’s hammer. In fact, many Thor’s hammer amulets have been found with cross decorations themselves.¹

This would seem unusual from a modern Christian point of view, but this item is actually fairly representative of Scandinavian religion. The period of Norse conversion to Christianity was often characterized by syncretism, or the mixing of religious traditions. There were exceptions. For example, in the Saga of Erik the Red, a woman named Gudrid refuses to participate in a traditional ceremony, because she is a Christian.² But for many, both religions could be practiced together. For example, Helgi the Thin, one character in Old Norse literature, worships the Christian God, but calls for Thor’s help when he encounters a storm at sea.³ In fact, this syncretism may explain a discrepancy in the accounts of medieval historians, such as Adam of Bremen. In these accounts, Sweden is depicted as one of the last strongholds of Norse paganism until the twelfth century. However, archaeological digs, such as those at Birka, have established that Christian influences were there long before. One explanation for this, according to some historians, is that perhaps the twelfth century was when Christianity became an exclusive faith.⁴ The fact that such an object exists in the Viking world is simply physical evidence of such a syncretic culture.

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