A gold pendant found in a treasure hoard in Denmark now holds the oldest known reference to the Norse deity Odin, who was often associated with war and poetry.
Oldest Reference of Norse Deity 'Odin'
According to Live Science, archaeologists think that this gold pendant dates to 500 A.D. This makes the pendant 150 years older compared to the previously oldest known reference for Norse mythology.
Before this recent discovery, the oldest known reference to Norse mythology was a brooch spotted in southern Germany. CBS News reports that the artifact dates to the second half of the 600s.
As per the Guardian, the gold artifact was found in 2020 as part of a treasure hoard that had around 1 kg worth of gold and several other huge jewelry medallions. The trove was found in Vindelev village and has been referred to as the Vindelev hoard. The trove is now on display.
Specialists think that the trove was buried around 1,500 years ago. It may have been kept to hide it from opponents or to serve as a tribute to deities.
Lisbeth Imer, a writing expert and runologist at the National Museum of Denmark, mentioned to Live Science that this is the first time in global history for the name of Odin to be mentioned. Such findings imply that Norse mythology could be dated to as early as the fifth century.
The gold pendant, or golden bracteate to be exact, had an inscription that read "He is Odin's man." The Guardian reports that this could have referred to an unknown overlord or king.
Earliest mention of Odin, 'king of the gods,' found in treasure hoard from Denmark https://t.co/EFP36LfcKH
— Live Science (@LiveScience) March 11, 2023
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Runic Inscriptions
Imer says that the pendant is one of the best runic inscriptions that she has seen. Runes serve as early tribal symbols across Northern Europe that were used for written communication.
According to Krister Vasshus, who is a specialist in ancient language, each one is important to understanding the past. because of the rarity of runic inscriptions Vasshus says that an inscription with such a length is already amazing in itself. It offers interesting information regarding past religion, which, in turn, reveals information about historical societies.
As per CBS News, the researchers mentioned that it took them quite a while to decipher the words because the runes were worn out and old. The text was also inscribed without any spaces in a language that was over a thousand and five hundred years old.
Vasshus says that the language structure has greatly evolved and that several words have stopped being used. In most cases, they find rune inscriptions that are short and similar. However, this one was particularly long and filled with unfamiliar words.
Norse Mythology
During the Viking era, which is thought to be from 793 to 1066, Norsemen called Vikings embarked on large-scale conquests, colonizing, raiding, and trading across Europe. They also went all the way to North America.
These ancient Norsemen worshiped several deities, with each one harboring various qualities, attributes, and weaknesses. CBS News reports that according to rune stones and sagas, these deities could have harbored human traits and acted like humans.
Imer says that such Norse mythology may take them even further back and enable them to look into the other 200 inscriptions on bracteates that they have found.
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