Viking Jewellery

Jewellery was not only used as an adornment but was usually functional as well - brooches were used for fastening tunics and dresses at the throat, and some of the larger items were used for fastening cloaks. These are known as penannular brooches, due to their circular shape, and som of the Irish ones found could have a pin anything up to 18 inches long. You really had to be careful how you hugged your friend in those days!

The Vikings loved bright ornaments, and valued silver more than gold. Both men and women wore jewellery: necklaces, rings for thumbs and fingers, arm rings (worn like bracelets on the upper arm), and brooches. There is mention of a Swedish prince wearing an earring in one ear, but we do not hear anything about women wearing them!

Although silver was favoured, other metals would be used, not least of which was gold, but pewter and bronze would be utilised as they were both easy to cast or carve into shapes. Other materials included glass for beads, semi-precious stones and rock crystal, bone, antler, horn, jet (a type of coal), and amber, which was believed to have magical properties, amongst which was the ability to stop wounds from bleeding.

An Arab traveller by the name of Ibn Fadhlan met some Russian Viking women in the 10th century, and described them as wearing ornaments of silver and gold around their necks. These would probably have been necklaces made of various beads, or coinage made into pendants, or neck rings of twisted or braided wires. One extremely large neck ring has been found, weighing in at 4 lbs. It measures over 1 ft across, and must have belonged to a very large man!

The Vikings really appreciated books - they brought them home with them from their raids on England and Ireland, and then turned their mounts into articles of jewellery. In time they came to appreciate the art of them and made copies, later on adapting the Anglo-Saxon jewels to create a style of their own.