This piece, discovered in Norway, is called Ranvaig’s Casket. It is a small container beautifully crafted in the Insular style, and it is made out of yew wood covered with copper plating and a red enamel. It receives its name from a runic inscription on the bottom of the casket, which states simply, “Ranvaig owns this casket.”

It was likely produced in the late 8th century / early 9th century in an Irish or Scottish monastery¹, and either traded or plundered in the early 9th century. It is unclear which is the case. It may have also been given as a gift by a Christian missionary aiming to convert the Pagan Norse. While many similar objects would likely have been destroyed for the value of their raw materials, this casket was preserved likely due to its attractiveness or perhaps due to its symbolic importance.

The casket likely served as a reliquary before it arrived in Scandinavia. It was most likely then emptied by Ranvaig, who proceeded to store personal possessions in the casket. In an ironic twist of fate, it was again used as a reliquary in the late middle ages². As its usage shifted from an ornamental trinket into a reliquary once more, it exemplified the increasing Christianization of Scandinavia, and the growing importance of Christian faith. Once upon a time, the people of the region paid no heed to its religious value, but as their Christian faith deepened, so did their appreciation of the casket. Ranvaig’s Casket also signifies the value of foreign luxury goods in Norse culture. Great lengths were obviously taken to preserve the casket, even before it held relics once more.

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