Double Boar Head Sword Pommel
The pommel shape is that of a Petersen type R swords, known for their round hilts as well as being imported by the Scandinavians.[1][2] The boar heads on the pommel tell a story of a warriors and myths. Often, the boars symbolized fierceness in battle.[3] Apart from that, the boar heads also played a part in mythology. The Valkyries would feed boar to warriors in Valhalla before a great battle.[4] The sword clearly invoked the spirit of the warrior and the pagan. These warrior-like features correspond with viking activity in the British Isles.
Starting in 865, the micel here, or Great Heathen Army, arrived in East Anglia. Over the next 23 years, the Scandinavians would raid and settle English towns, taking over East Anglia, Mercia, and Northumbria. In 878, King Alfred the Great made peace with the Scandinavian army and the treaty of Wedmore was drawn up. The treaty split England into multiple areas, most prominently the Danelaw and Wessex. The sword pommel, found within the Danelaw, most likely belonged to a warrior of the micel here.
This sword pommel is one of many different types of pommels. In 1911, Jan Petersen, a Norwegian archeologist, catalogued known sword pommels and came up with 27 different types and a few subtypes. His book, “The Norwegian Viking Swords: A Typological Study of Viking Age Weaponry, “is still commonly referenced today.[5] This weapon, a Petersen type R, is similar to a much more well-known brand of swords called a Petersen type S. The Petersen type S, made in Frankish country, are the prized swords of myths and legends. These two types of weapons played various roles in the Scandinavian society.
Overall, the pommel adds to our knowledge of the vikings in Britian. The double boar heads and pommel style are just a few pieces of the puzzle. This pommel, a potential relic of the micel here, elucidates the pagan worship and warrior mentality of the Scandinavians in England during the 9th century.
_thumb.jpg){kind=link}