Finnish Bear Tooth Amulet Kalvola, bronze

Product description

This amulet in the shape of a stylized bear's tooth is a replica of a Viking Age find, excavated from a body grave in Kalvola, Häme (Finland), and dating between the 9th and 11th centuries. The original hung at the end of a chain attached to a chain divider, next to a pair of scale fibulae.

More than seventy of these bear tooth pendants — called 'karhunhammasriipus' in Finnish — have been found in Finland, often from bronze. It amulet reflects an early, pre-Christian worldview in which nature and culture were closely intertwined; the bear played a prominent role in Finnish mythology, including in the national epic Kalevala, and was considered a sacred and feared totem animal.

Archaeological finds from Finnish and Latvian burial grounds suggest this amulet was mainly worn by women, possibly in connection with fertility. An attractive accessory for those who want to portray the Viking Age or Finnish culture.