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For Additional Prehistoric Art See:
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NORTHERN EUROPEAN IDOLS
of the Bronze and Iron Ages
While such objects cannot be positively identifed,
scholars have made tenative identifications.
My thanks to those who have contributed. |
Thor
Eyrarland, Iceland
Discovered 1815 |
Freyr
Rällinge, Sweden
Discovered 1904 |
Freyja Amulet
Aska in Hagebyhöga parish
Östergötland, Sweden
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Odin on Hlidskjalf
Lerje, Denmark
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Freyja
Tissø, Denmark
Iron Age |
Valkyrie conducting a fallen
warrior
Tissø, Denmark
Iron Age |
Freyja Amulet
Danish National Museum
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Thor's Goats
Tissø, Denmark
Iron Age |
Human figure on wheel
Bronze bed Support
Hochdorf, Germany
6th century BC
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Man with
horned helmet
and woman with cord skirt
Grevensvænge,
Zealand, Denmark
Bronze Age
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Female figure
Kalleby, Timmele parish,
Västergötland, Sweden
Bronze Age |
Female figurine wearing cord
skirt
Fårdal near Viborg, Jutland,
Denmark
Bronze Age
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Odin and Ravens
9th-10th century AD
Hammond, B. British Artefacts
vol.2
Middle Saxon & Viking
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The Alcis or Twins Horse
Collar
Fogdarp in Scania, Sweden,
Late Bronze Age
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Man with Drinking horn
800 AD |
Frigg or Valkyrie
Tuna, Alsike, Uppland, Sweden |
Woman with Drinking Horn
Öland, Köping, Sweden |
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Bronze Figure
Western Norway
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Freya amulet
Revninge, Denmark
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Valkyrie
Suffolk, England
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Thumb-sized 3-D Valkyrie Figurine
Hårby, Denmark |
Völund the Smith
wearing his feather guise
Uppåkra, Skåne, Sweden
7th to 10th
century
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Dagenheim Idol
England,
2459 - 2110 BC
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Odin
Loshult, Skåne, Sweden |
Odin
Lindby, Skåne, Sweden
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Odin Figure
Uppåkra, Skåne, Sweden
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Odin Figure
Levide, Gotland, Sweden
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Odin Figure
Staraya Ladoga, Russia
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Thor
Bronze idol from
Chernaya Mogila, Ukraine |
Thor, Amber Figure
Probably a Chessman
Feddet, Zealand, Denmark
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Thor the
Wind-Raiser
Whalebone idol
from
Lund, Skåne, Sweden
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Male Figure
Gamla
Uppsala
660-750
AD |
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6th c. wooden idol
(2 views)
from
Rude Eskildstrup, Sjællund, Denmark
found in 1880 |
6th century gold idol
Slipshavn skog,
Nyborg, Denmark
Discovered 1981 |
Vendel Bronze Figure Kungsängen, Uppland
Iron
Age |
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Three male
figurines
Lunda,
Sörmland, Sweden.
Iron Age |
Female figurines
Skåne, Blekinge and Västergötland, Sweden
Bronze age
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Vikso Helmets, Veksoe-bog,
Denmark
Late Bronze Age (800-400 BC)
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6th C. Helmet matrix
Bjornhouda, Torslunda parish,
Oland
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Nerthus
Foerlev Nymølle,
Denmark
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Wooden figure over
9' tall found lying under a bed of flax
atop a heap of stones, together with bones from
an ox, goat, sheep, dog, horse and hare, and a
damaged human scapula. Her gender is emphasised
by carved rounding of the hips and an incision
where the fork begans. |
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Freyja
Rebild Skovhuse,
Denmark
Discovered 1946
wrapped in cloth
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Freyr
Wooden Idol
Broddenbjerg, Jutland (535-520 BC)
Discovered 1880
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Freyr and Freyja Wooden Idols
Oberdorla, Thuringia, Germany
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Freyr and Freyja
5th century pairs of male and female wooden idols
Wittemoor Timber Trackway,
Berne, Lower
Saxony
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Female Figure
wearing cord skirt
Sacrifical Knife Handle
Itzehoe
in Holstein |
Braak Bog
Figures
Schleswig-Holstein,
Germany
(2nd-3rd Century BC)
Discovered 1947 |
Ballachulish Goddess
Oak Female figure
with quartz pebble eyes
Argyll,
Scotland (730-520 AD)
Discovered 1880
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Male Figure
Odense,
Funen, Denmark
Iron Age |
Rögubben, "Red Chap"
1st
recorded in the 14th century Östgoterland |
Stone Phallus
Tylön,
Halmstad, Halland |
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MYTHS IN METAL
WOOD, STONE, CLOTH and
BONE
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Trundholm Sun-Chariot,
Denmark
1800-1600 BC
Discovered 1902
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The Sky-Disc of Nebra
Nebra,
Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
c. 1600 BC
Discovered 1999 |
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Odin
Ribe, Jylland,
Denmark
It has been
deliberately damaged in one eye
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Odin
Sutton Hoo Purse
Lid
One eye has been
removed
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Tjängvide
image stone
Odin on Sleipnir
at Valhalla on a Memorial Stone
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Vendel Royal Helmet Plate
(900 AD)
Odin and his
ravens
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Fenrir swallowing Odin
with Raven
(Top Right)
Thorwald's Cross,
Andreas, Isle of
Man
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Gosforth Cross
Various Mythological Scenes
(See vignettes in surrounding images)
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Gosforth Cross
Vidar battling
Fenrir |
Loki and Sigyn
The Gosforth Cross
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Loki in Chains
Kirkby Stephen in Westmoreland
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Loki with his lips sewn shut
On a hearthstone called the Snaptun
Stone,
Recovered in Denmark and on display at
the Moesgard Museum
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Odin (in eagle guise), Gunnlöd
and Suttung
Götlands Bildsteine
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Runestone G 81, Sweden
A Religious Scene: The
three figures at the top have been identified as Thor, Odin and
Freyr. |
Reproductions of the Gallehus
Horns found in Denmark
The Horns may depict mythic
scenes, note the three-headed figure in the 2nd panel down on
the left
and figures with animal
heads or bodies in the 3rd panel down on the right.
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Evidence for
Thor's fishing expedition
on four Viking Age pictorial stones:
Andre VIII stone (8th century)
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Hørdum stone (8th - 11th
century)
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Gosforth Cross (10th
century) |
Altuna stone (early 11th
century) |
A Modern Reconstruction of
the Large Tapestry
by Mary Storm, 1940.
Sacrificial Tree with hanging
Human Sacrifices
One of two so-called "Buddha" figures found
on a bucket in the Oseberg Ship find
The Franks' Casket
(10th century)
Scenes from the legend of
Völund the Smith and his brother Egil the Archer
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Men attack Egil's house as he defends a woman
(his wife?) inside.
The name "Egil" is written in runes above the archer.
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Skog Church Tapestry
12th Century
Figures identified as Thor (center, with hammer),
Odin and Freyr
The Lewis Chessmen
12th Century
Discovered 1831 on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer
Hebrides, Scotland
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Odin
Hegge Stav Church Pillar
13th Century
For a List of Surviving
Stave Churches
see
VisitNorway
Heddel Stave Church
Telemark, Norway
Early 13th century |
Borgund Stave Church |
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