Bringing Viking Objects to Life: The Art of Personification

Many objects from the Viking Age had a deeper meaning than they do today. This blog focuses on the special significance of objects that can be seen as having their own material identity.

Naming Objects

It's widely known that Vikings sometimes gave names to their weapons. This can be seen further in things like jewelry.

Many objects that someone owned probably had their own story, sometimes a name and magical power. This was even more the case for völvas and aristocrats who emphasized their authority through their possessions.

Religious and Secular Objects

Scandinavians from the Viking Age made no distinction between the secular and sacred world – both were intertwined. So it can be said that decorative motifs usually had a deeper meaning that escapes us today. For a culture that used almost no writing, this was an important way to bring the myths to life.

Animism

The Vikings believed that spiritual forces were present everywhere. They guided mortals in their daily lives. Animistic spiritual forces inhabited mountains, springs and marshes. This worldview wasn't limited to nature, but was also found in objects.

Objects Bestow Power

Often in Viking tales, objects provided people with skills or authority they otherwise didn't possess. Objects could also be lent out, passing their power or authority to the person who borrowed them. A modern example: your neighbor lending you a Mercedes for your job interview. This approach to material culture also changes the interpretation of grave goods. Furthermore, these were later excavated and reused, which increased their magical power.

Objects with Rune Carvings

Jewelry, amulets, weapons and many other objects were sometimes inscribed with runes. Sometimes it was the name of the object or its owner, but sometimes the runes didn't form words. In that case, they were usually carved in groups of nine, probably by a religious specialist or a völva. This gave the object properties like love or protection. In the Volsunga saga, things go wrong. An amateur carves the runes and the female victim doesn't fall in love – instead she becomes sick. A specialist is needed to break the spell. In the Sigrdrífumál, there's a warning against carving runes carelessly.

Völva Objects

Objects used in a völva ritual had both symbolic and magical powers. Some of the objects were historical, like Neolithic hand axes or exotic objects from Russia. These objects emphasized the status and magical power of the völva. It's quite common for these objects to have been given as grave goods to the völva.

Grave Goods

A large part of archaeology focuses on the dead and particularly the graves of people who walked this earth long ago. Grave goods tell us a wealth of information, but we also need to watch out for misinterpretations.

Objects could be given during the burial ritual to pass on their magical power or symbolic meaning. For example, axes can be associated with domestic crafts, handicrafts, war, fertility or magic. While spindles symbolize the feminine virtue of textile work, the economy, and also the magical role of weaving the threads of fate and life itself. Young children were sometimes buried with weapons they clearly didn't use during their own lifetimes.

Weapons in women's graves can sometimes be associated with domestic crafts, magic or war. Sometimes they only represented the identity of the deceased, while in other cases there's a clear connection to warfare. In the Ljósvetninga saga, a völva crossdresses as a man with helm and axe. She uses these to make a prophecy.

Regularly, alongside material grave goods, animals and servants were also given in rich Viking graves. This tradition was also practiced by the Celts, Germans and Scythians, and dates back to their ancestors, the Proto-Indo-European steppe herders.

Retrieving Grave Goods

The magical role of grave goods is emphasized by the fact that objects were sometimes also retrieved from the graves of ancestors. Sagas like the Volsunga saga and the Hromundar saga mention that these objects often contained magical powers and helped the new owner fulfill their quest. It can also go wrong, and the (un)dead owner curses the person who takes the object.

Similarly, grave goods were sometimes added long after a person was buried, such as in the 11th-century grave of Suantaka.

Names of Weapons

The most common object known to have received both magical power and names were weapons. Primarily spears and swords, but other weapons were suitable for this too. Here are some famous named weapons:

Gram (Volsunga saga)

The sword of Sigurd, forged by dwarves and originally owned by Sigmund. Odin himself places it in a tree and says that only a worthy warrior can draw it. Sigurd later uses Gram to slay the dragon Fafnir.

Tyrfing (Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks)

A cursed sword, forged by dwarves. It's always razor-sharp and can kill with every blow, but also brings misfortune to its owners. It plays a major role in the tragic fates of different generations of warriors.

Skofnung (Laxdæla saga)

A magical sword said to have belonged to the legendary king Hrólfr Kraki. It has unparalleled sharpness and is guarded by the spirits of Hrólfr's warriors. It's said that it cannot be drawn from its sheath without the proper rituals.

Clothing with Magical Meaning

Clothing was generally received from the woman. It was improper to receive clothing from women other than your wife. Clothing could be given between sisters, but it was a disgrace if your wife gave clothing to another man. The gift of clothing and the role a woman played in it already had symbolic meaning in itself. But not all clothing was new. Sometimes secondhand clothing was given, especially if these garments had belonged to a king – these had a magical charge. As mentioned in the Volsunga saga, Njals saga and the Hervarar saga.

Magical Jewelry and Amulets

Other objects that we dive into in another blog are the symbolism in jewelry, the protective power of amulets and the function of the völva magical staffs.

It's known that jewelry like necklaces and brooches sometimes had their own identity. The Brising necklace worn by the goddess Freyja, made by dwarves, is the most famous example of this.

Magical Viking Objects in Mythology

The dwarves in Old Norse mythology were master smiths and created some of the most powerful magical objects used by gods and heroes. Here are some of the most famous:

Mjölnir – The hammer of Thor, forged by the dwarves Brokkr and Sindri. It always returns to Thor's hand and can hurl lightning bolts.

Draupnir – A magical golden ring, made by Brokkr and Sindri for Odin. Every nine nights, eight new rings drip from it, making it a symbol of wealth and abundance.

Gungnir – Odin's spear, also forged by the dwarves. It never misses its target and symbolizes the invincible power of the gods.

Conclusion

When we look at Viking objects, both everyday items and weapons, we need to be aware of their symbolic and magical power or meaning. The Viking world was a society where far more attention was paid to details than today. There was no distinction between the religious and secular world, which meant that objects played a role in both. Even after death, possessions continued to play a role, or new charged possessions were given to the deceased.