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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12017-05-22T09:45:42-07:00Hammer Pendant9object pageplain2017-09-21T16:59:38-07:00When the Micel Here arrived on the shores of England in the 800s,[1] they did not simply bring warriors. They brought aspects of their culture that never would have reached England without their arrival. One such aspect that they likely brought would have been their religion. This would have been natural to the Norse, as religion was very important to them. They would have brought symbols of what they believe.[2] One major aspect of the Norse religion is the god Thor, famous for wielding his mighty hammer. This hammer pendant shows that the Norse brought aspects of their religion and culture wherever they settled.
This small pendant was found in North Lincolnshire, a region in northern England. This region was occupied by the Norse during the time of Danelaw (880 – 950),[3] which is approximately when this pendant is dated. It was discovered in February of 2013, and was likely originally in circulation around 850 AD. The pendant is believed to be in the shape of a hammer, and is composed of silver. Many such pendants have been found in Scandinavian graves. The hammer is a symbol of the Norse god Thor, who wielded a battle hammer and controlled lightning.
The finding of this pendant does not seem to change or challenge any descriptions of the Norse people that historians have. It serves to confirm the presence of Norse culture, influence, and people in the British Isles during the time of Danelaw. The Scandinavian people would have brought a symbol of their religion with them from their homeland. The finding of this hammer pendant is important because it shows that religion was important enough to the Norse, that they brought it with them when they left their home.
