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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12017-05-17T16:22:38-07:00Horned Figurine14object pageplain2017-09-17T13:48:42-07:00Thisfigurine, possibly a cult charm or amulet depicting Odin, is an important artifact that confirms contact between Norse cultures and England prior to the Viking Age.
The figurine is just over five centimeters long with a square hollow base.[1] There is a rib running down the length of the figure on each side, but the front and back are undecorated. The head of the figurine is a little more detailed, but is still not elaborate featuring a simple three-dimensional head with eyebrows and a nose. There are two horns that come from the top of the figure’s head, but only one has remained intact. It is made from a cast copper alloy. In general, the piece is simplistic, not well finished, and not adorned with any decorations. The figurine was discovered using a metal detector in Suffolk on the east coast of England.
The exact use of this figurine is uncertain; however, it may have been owned by a member of the Cult of Odin (who thought of Odin as their patron god) as a charm, amulet, or possibly a pendant. A similar figurine was discovered on the Swedish island of Öland helping to strengthen the object’s connection to Scandinavia. In this figurine, the horns end in two bird’s heads which could represent Odin’s two Ravens Huginn and Muninn. He and his two ravens are mentioned in many Norse stories including “Life in Valhal” in the Prose Edda.[2]
The figurine also holds value as a historical artifact because it is thought to have been made in the seventh century before the start of the Viking Age. This date is not totally secure, partly because this is a metal detector find and there is no context to date this artifact, but the discovery of parallel objects that also seem to date to this period gives a strong indication that the date is relatively accurate. It seemed to come as a surprise to people in England when viking raiders began to attack coastal monasteries starting with Lindesfarne in 793 CE, but objects like this one show that there was some prior interaction between the two cultures. This interaction was most likely more related to trade, but it does indicate that viking raiders did not appear out of thin air as the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles seem to suggest in the year 787 CE.[3] The figurine provides an example of Norse artistic skill in the seventh century, but also indicates that there were interactions between the Norse and English prior to the Viking Age.
