A 1000-year-old Thor’s hammer amulet discovered in Sweden shows the enduring popularity of the ancient Norse deity, which has now conquered a new audience with Chris Hemsworth’s portrayal of the Viking god of war in Marvel films.
Thor has been a popular figure, perhaps because he cared about humans, Carolyne Larrington (opens in a new tab), a professor of medieval European literature at Oxford University, told WordsSideKick. com.
“Of all the Norse gods, Thor is the one who is most interested in humanity’s plight,” Larrington said, of the upcoming e-book “The Norse Myths That Shape Our Way of Thinking (Opens in a New Window)” (Thames and Hudson Ltd). , 2023) who was not interested in the recent discovery. ” Their main task was to patrol the east and keep the giants [the Jötnar] out of the lands of humans and gods with their hammer. “
Archaeologists unearthed the amulet during summer excavations near the southwest town of Ysby, Per Wranning, chief of archaeology at the Halland County Museum of Cultural History (opens in new tab), told WordsSideKick. com in an email.
Related: 2 Viking Swords Buried Standing May Have Connected the Dead to Odin and Valhalla
The region faces Denmark across the strait between the North Sea and the Baltic, which for centuries has been the Kattegat, “the cat’s passage,” because it is dangerously shallow.
Archaeological excavations of the site, which has been reserved for new houses, have also revealed several hearths, post holes, and pieces of pottery and steel that would possibly date from before the end of the last Viking Age to the mid-eleventh century A. D. . Said.
Thor’s hammer amulets have been discovered before in Scandinavia, but this is the first discovery in Halland, said Wranning, who led the excavation.
It is cast in steel and has intricate embossed patterns on top; And it could have been gold (decorated with gold) or silver, but archaeologists wouldn’t be sure until it’s well cleaned and preserved, he said.
A hollow in the stem, the back of the hammer’s “handle,” indicates the amulet hangs from a ring or strap and suggests it is worn around the neck, but may have shaped another type of jewelry, he added.
“The discovery dates back to the 900s or 1000s, i. e. the end of the Viking Age, and appears to be made of lead,” Wranning wrote in a translated blog post (opens in new tab).
It is possible that such amulets were used during the region’s devout transition at the end of the Viking Age as a symbol of adherence to the old Norse gods, rather than the “new” faith of Christianity.
“One theory is that those gigantic ornate Thor hammers were a transparent marker for those still worshipping the [Norse] gods when Christianity began to take root in Scandinavia,” he said.
Preliminary dating of the most recent discoveries at Ysthrough suggests that they date to the Viking Age, which historically begins in 793, the date of the first Viking raid into England, at a monastery on the sacred island of Lindisfarne off the coast of Northumberland, and ends with the Battle of Stamford Bridge in September 1066, where an English army led by King Harold Godwinson defeated an invading Norwegian army near York.
Related: A 1,200-year-old pagan temple dedicated to Thor and Odin discovered in Norway
The divine hammer depicted through the amulet is the Mjölnir war hammer, which legend has legend made by dwarves for the Valhalla gods at a festival to create the ultimate glorious treasure, Larrington said.
Although other treasures included a ship that can be folded and placed in a pocket, and the golden-haired and dark boar called Gullinbursti that can be placed in battle, Mjölnir was considered the most glorious and won Thor for his opposing wars. to the giants, she says.
“It has destructive force and sacred force,” he said. It turns out that it was used to sanctify things, to make them sacred. “
When used as an amulet, representations of Mjölnir may have been noted as a non-secular form of defense: “It protects you, in a very positive way,” he said.
Thor is also a god of time, and through this association, he is a god of navigation. “If you’re sailing from Norway to Iceland, you need decent weather, you don’t need a typhoon, and Thor is very connected to that. ” Larrington said.
Another 17 people discovered in a medieval well in England were victims of an anti-Semitic massacre, DNA reveals.
—Small reptile named after Thor’s archenemy who ends the world
—The ruthless Australian “killer flies” named after Thor, Deadpool and Stan Lee
He noted that Ysby, where the amulet was found, is only a few miles offshore. “So I guess it’s about traveling,” he said.
According to Wranning’s blog, the remains of two old Iron Age “longhouses” have been found in Ysby, as well as the walls of a Christian church built in the 1100s or 1200s.
Early maps also show a ford crossing the nearby Lagan River: “This may have contributed to the fact that the site was attractive in ancient times,” he writes.
Tom Metcalfe is a freelance journalist and regular contributor to Live Science in London, UK. Tom writes primarily about science, space, archaeology, the Earth and the oceans. He has also written for BBC, NBC News, National Geographic, Scientific American, Air.
24 unmarked graves possibly belonged to the victims of the 1921 Tulsa massacre
A medieval fighter may have died with an awl “stuck in the face”, reconstruction shows
Best Allergy Air Purifiers 2022: Highest-Rated Purifiers to Help You Breathe Better
Stay up-to-date with the latest clinical news by subscribing to our Essentials newsletter.
Thank you for signing up for Live Science. You will get a verification shortly.
There’s a problem. Refresh the page and check again.
Live Science is part of Future US Inc. , a leading foreign media organization and virtual publisher. Visit our company (opens in a new tab).