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
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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12017-05-21T18:45:53-07:00Double Boar Head Sword Pommel7object pageplain2017-09-19T19:14:51-07:00Thissword pommel, a copper alloy, metal-detecting find, was found in farmland in eastern England near Bedford. With its boar heads and style invoking the pagan society as well as warrior society that made up the Scandinavians during the 9th and 10th century in England, the sword hilt is a small leftover from the micel here: a large army/raiding party that took over parts of England in the late 9th century.
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.
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