THE IMPORTANCE OF JEWELRY IN VIKING CULTURE

1. THE IMPORTANCE OF JEWELRY IN VIKING CULTURE We are guilty of seeing the viking wedding rings as bloodthirsty murderers and their lust for carnage is certainly not exaggerated. Besides being warriors, the Vikings were also skilled artisans and merchants. You may also not realize the fact that the Vikings also take pride in their appearance. In Wood Quay, combs were found among the artifacts, suggesting that grooming was a very important part of the Viking lifestyle. Another important aspect of the Viking life was the representation of the state, wealth and power. Jewelry and status In many ways, the reasons why Vikings wore jewelry are no different than why we do it today. The use of luxurious bracelets, rings and earrings was a means to show one's wealth with the material used in jewelry, an indication of where a person was in Viking society. Those below in the social chain carried bronze and pewter items, while the Viking elite used gold and silver, just as people do today! Jewels as currency At the beginning of the Viking era, Scandinavia was not familiar with the minting of coins, but once the Vikings came into contact with Western European civilizations. The weight of the metallic products was the common currency, but also once again, the jewels also came into play. Excavations at Wood Quay uncovered a series of broken pieces of jewelry in piles along with coins. Beauty and crafts It is clear that the gold viking jewelry are showing their status and wealth. It is equally evident that the Viking craftsmen had extraordinary abilities, as well as those found in the artifacts found in Wood Quay and other Viking sites in Europe. Much of the jewelry was crafted by making a wax shape before pouring the liquid metal into it. Once the metal cooled, the wax broke and the item was polished and polished until it shone. Occasionally, punches were used to make certain designs and precious stones looted from the unfortunate natives who were also used as ornaments. In the Viking culture, the silversmiths were highly respected by the artisans employed by the kings and counts. Viking ship craftsmanship The exceptional skills and craftsmanship of the vikings rings were not limited to armor and jewelry, but they built sophisticated long ships that were used to navigate the open sea and loot remote areas such as the United Kingdom and later, Ireland. The History Channel is currently showing a television series called The Vikings. Although there are many artistic licenses taken, some of the scenes show a wonderful image of life. If you want to learn more about the Vikings, APPRECIATION OF THE VIKING TRADITION Until the 1960s, we did not know that Dublin was once a vikings armbands stronghold and it was not until 1974 that the full extent of Viking influence was known. The massive excavation that followed found an incredible amount of artifacts more than 1000 years old. The archaeological team was surprised by the beauty of the Viking jewelry they discovered and now we can use the modern jewelry found in the original Wood Quay jewelry. We hope you enjoy our collection and share our appreciation for Viking craftsmanship.