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Extraordinary ‘Epic’ Viking Sword Discovered
EuroWeekly News ^ | 26 Nov 2024 | Anna Ellis

Posted on 11/26/2024 1:39:59 PM PST by nickcarraway

Archaeologists have uncovered a unique fragment of a Viking sword near Witmarsum, a village in northern Netherlands.

The find, a pommel cap from the 10th century AD, once formed part of a gilded sword hilt. It features intricate patterns in the Mammen style, a decorative art tradition that followed the Jellinge style.

The Fryske Akademy explained that the design includes depictions of wild boar heads, which symbolised strength, courage, protection, and combat.

Most Read on Euro Weekly News

Remarkable Viking discoveries in Sweden Interactions between Frisia, Scandinavia, and the British Isles Dr. Nelleke IJssennagger-van der Pluijm, director of the Fryske Akademy, noted that this discovery sheds light on the interactions between Frisia, Scandinavia, and the British Isles during the Viking era. This deepens our understanding of Viking-Frisian connections.

The pommel cap was studied by Dr Diana Spiekhout, curator of Middle Ages and Mound Culture at the Fries Museum. Supported by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), she described these swords as having an “epic” quality.

Human-Like Traits and Great Significance Such swords were seen as having symbolic human-like traits and carried great significance. They were often handed down through elite families, with each generation adding decorative features. While this tradition has been documented in Frisia, most examples date back to before the eighth century AD.

The find has sparked a collaborative study by the Fryske Akademy and the Fries Museum. Researchers aim to determine how the pommel cap ended up in Friesland and who might have owned the sword. “By combining our expertise, we can examine this artefact through Frisian, Viking, and sword tradition perspectives,” said Diana Spiekhout.


TOPICS: Arts/Photography; History; Local News
KEYWORDS: archaeology; godsgravesglyphs; jellingestyle; mammenstyle; middleages; netherlands; sword; thevikings; viking; vikings; witmarsum

1 posted on 11/26/2024 1:39:59 PM PST by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

I STILL SAY ERIK THE RED DISCOVERED NORTH AMERICA

YEARS BEFORE COLUMBUS


2 posted on 11/26/2024 1:55:09 PM PST by ridesthemiles (not giving up on TRUMP---EVER)
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To: ridesthemiles

I say the Solutreans beat the Vikings by tens of thousands of years.


3 posted on 11/26/2024 1:58:53 PM PST by Sirius Lee
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To: ridesthemiles

Pics or it didn’t happen


4 posted on 11/26/2024 2:00:37 PM PST by Palio di Siena (four fried chickens and a coke)
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To: nickcarraway

“Extraordinary ‘Epic’ Viking Sword Discovered”

Extraordinary ‘Epic’ Viking Sword HANDLE (MAYBE) Discovered

There, fixed it


5 posted on 11/26/2024 2:00:47 PM PST by antidemoncrat ( )
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To: ridesthemiles

AND I STILL SAY OBAMA THE RED RUINED NORTH AMERICA

YEARS BEFORE CRAP FOR BRAINS BIDEN


6 posted on 11/26/2024 2:02:25 PM PST by Freedumb
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To: nickcarraway

I’m not picking out the boar’s head image. Guess I’m not a Viking.


7 posted on 11/26/2024 2:10:39 PM PST by Rio
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To: Rio
Guess I’m not a Viking.

Was it just me or did it seem like you'd have to be at least half Viking to understand what the author was talking about?

8 posted on 11/26/2024 2:17:15 PM PST by CommerceComet (Re-elect Donald Trump - AGAIN)
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To: nickcarraway

Funny how quaint the hand-carved detailing with its obvious irregularities looks when your eye is used to modern production methods where everything is symmetrical and perfect.


9 posted on 11/26/2024 2:26:51 PM PST by Yardstick
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To: ridesthemiles

Irish fishermen beat Columbus.


10 posted on 11/26/2024 2:28:30 PM PST by ryderann
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To: ridesthemiles

I believe it was his boy Leif.


11 posted on 11/26/2024 4:12:06 PM PST by HenpeckedCon
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To: nickcarraway

Kinda looks like Viking knuckles.


12 posted on 11/26/2024 4:46:06 PM PST by Libloather (Why do climate change hoax deniers live in mansions on the beach?)
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To: Rio

That’s another word the libs have changed the definition on. Didn’t you get the text? Boar now means wiggly lines.


13 posted on 11/26/2024 5:07:43 PM PST by bgill
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To: nickcarraway; StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; 1ofmanyfree; 21twelve; 24Karet; ...
Thanks nickcarraway.

14 posted on 11/27/2024 7:46:25 AM PST by SunkenCiv (Putin should skip ahead to where he kills himself in the bunker.)
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