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
This page is referenced by:
12017-05-21T17:48:05-07:00Twisted-Rod Gold Finger Ring7object pageplain2017-09-19T19:26:21-07:00Thisgold finger ring, found in southwestern England, dates from the late 9th century to the early 12th century.[1] A metal detecting find without other associated items, it is built from three separate strands of gold that are intertwined. Rings, such as this one, played a multi-faceted role in the Scandinavian world and came in all shapes and sizes.
The majority of gold finger rings are from finds in the British Isles. Currently, 81 finger rings have been found in Britain and Ireland alone.[2] These gold rings can be made of one strand of a metal or various strands, like the one above. These rings also come from various manufacturing methods: band, single rod, coiled rod, twisted rod, and plaited rod.[3] There was even variation in the how the rods were shaped. This specific ring is abnormal as it is built with rectangular rods and not cylindrical rods.[4] Often, rings, found in both gold and silver, were coiled around a dowel and then the hammered together at the end. After the rings were produced, they entered the Scandinavian world to play a slew of roles.
Since the rings were being used for currency, costume, and gift, the fashion of the rings was ever-changing. For example, by the 12th century, the twisted-rod rings, similar to this ring, fell out of fashion and were replaced with plaited-rod rings.[5] The rings also were being dispersed between small kingdoms and islands as markers of trust and trade. In one example, the Saga of Egil Skallagrimson, the British king, Aethelstan, gives Egil, a Scandinavian, a golden ring as a reward for fighting for him.[6] The ring in this story functions not only as a trade for Egil’s services but also a sign of trust between Egil and Aethelstan.
Overall, rings were in constant motion. A single ring may be used for currency in one area and a gift in another. The dynamic function of the rings helps establish the role of wealth, trust, and currency in Scandinavia and the British Isles. This ring is just a single example of the different shapes, sizes, and parts a ring could be in Scandinavia.