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
12017-05-21T12:19:56-07:00Thor's Hammer Pendant15object pageplain2017-09-21T22:43:04-07:00This simple-looking pendant shows how the Norse brought their pagan religion to the lands they conquered. It was found with a metal detector in November of 2011 in Lincolnshire, England, an area that once belonged to the Danelaw. The pendent dates to around 850–1050 CE and seems to represent Mjölnir, the hammer belonging to the Norse god Thor. It falls into a grouping of similarly shaped pendants found throughout Scandinavian-settled areas including England, Scandinavian, and Russia. These types of pendants have been discovered in hordes and in both male and female graves. Over twelve other pendants of Mjölnir have been unearthed in England alone that are, like this one, mostly silver and plainly decorated.[1]
The shaft of the pendant seems to have been heavily manipulated during the pendant’s life. Cracks have formed on the shaft from it having been bent back on itself, apparently in an attempt to form a loop on which a string could be attached. However, the head of the pendant itself shows little wear besides file marks on the faces of the hammer head.
The simple make of these types of pendants, their widespread placement, and fact that they have been found buried with both men and women suggest that they may have served as religious objects for ordinary people. Much like how Christians often wear crucifixes on necklaces, a Norse person may have worn this pendant as a devotional piece or even as an amulet to ward off evil. Unfortunately, the imprecise dating makes it difficult to say if this pendant was found before or after most Scandinavians in the Danelaw converted to Christianity. If it was made after, it may indicate a Scandinavian refusing to convert to the new dominant religion. Either way, the presence of the iconic image of Mjölnir in England supports the claims that the Scandinavians were pagan and illustrates how they brought their religion with them to the lands they conquered and settled.[2]
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