The Viking World: A History in ObjectsMain MenuGallery viewA galleryTag Cloudtag cloud pageThemesA path of thematic categoriesAuthor IndexExplore the collection by authorWorks CitedReferencesAdam Bigelow3afa9c7ecebf516bba6609664b1b12f79c54bf77Caitlin Donahue61b7e986e7c71d400e5c803912ed83c0cf65252fCaroline Harvey1783f21a5882b5b4d3d0b6c174d058052a5ff7eaEdward Hershewee701ef220480b51ca728fc9c719bc094cf813655Martin Hoffmana1fd203afd9a84ee8db567e188cf6ed1d269386eTyler Hruby23493f763b312110686cfafc62578fd0ab5f3833Brittany N. Johnsonc1c1763339f8fa953e3c907c6bb8a3bad0c28b2cCarlos Lua Pineda0a28cc23b0aa00b4f24a9e205aeb57fbdb07ff01Moira McConnell710633400590ea38533ea3412c01fc5056288180Clara McCurdy9aec76477d0b55f9c685c47330d6786ec98182e1Elise McIlhaneyef48481634ff342c8b43c9d56f678b2d3562fb69Cameron Meikle669a5682bfbfd603130a26e25628f24eb07e6295Alexander Christopher Newkirk019c2f5b38c043507251d1789e2fdf47e61c3b7fBenja Reilly816c23aa0d444213fb2d1ef33555a15617e08228Oliver Statenc625ae8c3926f5e1a4268bc91d6a6f4cdb1e7fb6Liam Sullivanaa3a1dccb90c7fe4646b61c4af594abbb0c5574aRead Wilder31bf4715220144a665996f2e6cae80a1a8611eadAliza Yazdanicd49f227d88c72331226ddf574bf56c37308cd10Austin Masonf6137011c68eb792c6e14634815583b15e707dea
Backplate to a Knife
12017-05-19T14:09:40-07:00Read Wilder31bf4715220144a665996f2e6cae80a1a8611ead164562A copper-alloy knife covering with Latin inscriptionplain2017-05-19T15:13:55-07:00Hinds, Katie. Knife. Still Image, 10–1, 2009. WILT-219C11. Portable Antiquities Scheme. https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/282178.1000-1100 ADWILT-219C11CC BY51.10505, -1.758566Copper AlloyPortable Antiquities SchemeWinterbourne, EnglandEarly MedievalRead Wilder31bf4715220144a665996f2e6cae80a1a8611ead
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12017-05-24T10:09:20-07:00Austin Masonf6137011c68eb792c6e14634815583b15e707deaMap ViewAustin Mason2An interactive map of all the objects in the collectiongoogle_maps2017-05-24T11:39:30-07:00Austin Masonf6137011c68eb792c6e14634815583b15e707dea
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12017-05-19T21:56:42-07:00Backplate to a Knife8Object Pageplain2017-09-21T21:46:41-07:00Knives were common tools during the Viking Age, serving a variety of purposes for the everyday wielder. Beyond their use for self-defense, they were capable of whittling wood, skinning animals, and cutting through ropes, all necessary for the self-sufficient life of a farmer or mariner.
The object featured here dates to the 11th century and was discovered in Wiltshire, Britain by means of a metal detector. It would not have been the knife itself, as it is made from a copper alloy, a much weaker alternative to the common iron tools of the period. Instead it appears to be a decorative backing, bearing inscriptions in Latin. The writing was produced through the punching of small circles into the malleable surface. One side reads “HOKI ME FECIT,” translated to “Hoki made me” in Latin. Alternatively, the Latin could be read as "Hoki had me made," in which case the inscription signals ownership instead of craftsmanship with Hoki as the commissioner of the piece. In either case, the inscription is intriguing because it suggests a degree of Latin literacy in a lower-class individual, like a smith, who presumably was not formally educated in the language. Even if his familiarity with the language is highly limited, he is still familiar with characteristics of Latin epigraphy, as many Roman monuments bear similar marks of agency by their creators.
The account of Ibn Fadlan, a Muslim diplomat to Norsemen stationed on the Volga, mentions the prevalence of knives within Norse society. He mentions that every Scandinavian carried a dagger, even the women.[1] Thus, knives for the “Vikings” were clearly important aspects of their lives and had general utility to both men and women as domestic tools. Although distant from England, his account suggests that throughout the Norse diaspora such attitudes towards knives might have been carried.
