Viking Ships 1

Ladby Ship

Viking and pre-Viking Ships, and their impact upon the Western World -Part 1



In this series of articles, Viking and pre-Viking ships are compared, and their historical significance and impact upon the western world are discussed. With particular reference to such finds as the Heberby, Nydam, Skuldelev, Gokstad and Ladby ships, it is hoped that this series of articles will bring a number of threads together to give a comprehensive overview of this topic.

Read more »

STH 711

Sth711: Woden's Pommelcap

 Much attention has been given to the glittering gold and garnet work of the Staffordshire Hoard, but often, plainer items can be much more informative.

sth711 (nicknamed 'Dave' by conservators) is a fine example of this, foregoing gemstones in favour of fascinating images in cast relief.

What are the meanings of these images, and what can they tell us about the history of this piece, the hoard itself, and the people who buried it?

Nb. Observations herein are based on photographs and are intended to encourage debate. It is likely many of these observations have already been made by the team of conservators and historians working on the hoard, but given that, so far, little detailed analysis has been published for public perusal, hopefully this article will help encourage public interest in close analysis of the finds. 
 © Images in this article have been used with the kind permission of Birmingham Museums and are subject to strict copyright (1)

Read more »

The Deer

The Deer : “Home is where the Hart is !”


Heorot, meaning "Hall of the Hart" was the name given by King Hroðgar of Denmark to his great Mead-Hall. The Anglo-Saxon epic poem describes how the hero Beowulf comes to destroy the monster Grendel who has been plaguing Heorot. Was Heorot decorated with the antlers of a great red deer ? We shall never know but the stag had some considerable ritual significance to our ancestors. The famous Sutton-Hoo whetstone (click here) carries a terminal in the shape of a stag and stags are said to browse on the leaves of the World Tree in Norse Mythology.
In this article, the cultural significance of the deer, its history, etymology, and role in mythology is discussed.

Read more »