Viking Jewelry
It’s no secret that Vikings loved their jewelry. History shows us that they adorned themselves with a variety of decorative personal items crafted from bronze, silver and gold. Both male and female would wear multiple pieces of jewelry bearing anything from various symbols of Odin to battle axes and the Mjolnir (Thor's hammer). This included rings, pendants and bracelets. Their jewelry was chunky and heavy, made to withstand the rigors of battle and to proudly proclaim their heritage and riches.
Crafted with masterful artistry, Viking jewelry was quite beautiful in addition to being durable. Often times, the symbols incorporated into the designs depicted stories or illustrated a particular ancestry line, religion or ethnicity. Viking jewelry was a form of self-expression and alliance, much like it is in many cultures today. It also served the purpose of portraying the strength of the wearer, such as in the case of Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir, which indicates his power over the natural forces of thunder and lightning. In addition, the craftsmanship reflected Vikings’ allegiance to their gods, beliefs and heritage.
These mystical Viking symbols weren’t just found on jewelry – they were carved on runestones, swords, and axes in the form of images, words and stories. They were designed to depict abstract patterns, to be sure, but they also incorporated images of animals, nature and mythology. Most Viking jewelry was made of silver, although there were other materials used in their creation as a way to connect them to faith, magical powers or ancestral history.
Viking jewelry has always had a strong following; however, its popularity has risen to new heights thanks to TV shows like “Vikings” on the History Channel. But no matter what popular culture dictates at any given time, it’s clear that Viking folklore has staying power.
We welcome you to come in, browse around, and see the beautiful pieces and high-quality craftsmanship we have to offer you. Whether you’re looking for the perfect Mjolnir pendant or a Celtic Tree of Life piece, we have many options to choose from.
How to make your own Viking Shield
Posted by Kurt Noer on
Four separate videos on DIY Viking Shields: This first how-to video used a stainless steel dog bowl for the center piece and used hydrocholoric acid and some hammering to give it that aged, hand-made look. This Viking shield build focused on a look to match Lagertha's shield from the TV show "Vikings". A request that came from the wife of the builder. This homemade Viking Shield required little to zero metal working. Using plywood and other easy to find ingredients to make a fully functional shield. This last video also used plywood and offers tips on how to give the plywood that plank look to is as well as how he added his hand-painted Norse graphics. About Us:SonsOfVikings.com offers...
The Danish Canadian Museum: A Viking Treasure
Posted by Kurt Noer on
Check out the Viking Ship Gokstadfæring on Display! Interested to see a detailed replica of a Gokstadfæring? You can when you visit the Danish Canadian Museum in Alberta Canada! The Freydis Joanna Viking Ship and Naust is part of the museum’s permanent collection, just waiting to be discovered by visitors who love Viking history. The exhibit tells a fascinating story. First off, a little bit about longships: Longships were a vital part of the success of Viking expansion into remote territories. They were extremely competent at navigating open waters, with this group comprised largely of skilled craftsmen and sailors. As such, the Vikings easily and swiftly claimed control over both land and sea. As you know, longships were long, narrow...
Ancient Viking Sword Revelation
Posted by Kurt Noer on
More than 2,000 swords have been found so far from the viking age (around 800 AD - 1050 AD). However, unlike most of the swords that were made for battle, recent discoveries through the use of neutron scans have proven that some of these swords may have been purely created for decorative purposes. All three of these swords (found in Denmark and pictured above) were made through pattern welding which includes using thin strips of various metals, irons and steel. They are then welded together, folded and/or twisted and then forged in various ways to produce decorative patterns. Whereas swords made for battle were typically made of pure steel. Learn more at: http://www.livescience.com/58654-viking-sword-scans-reveal-norse-culture.html Viking jewelry for sale:
Viking Horse Bridles found in Denmark
Posted by Kurt Noer on
Decorated horse bridles from the Viking era (950 ad) were recently discovered in Jutland Denmark. Sources:http://www.realmofhistory.com/2017/03/21/viking-oriented-discovery-denmark/ http://cphpost.dk/news/archeologists-make-sensational-viking-discovery-in-denmark.html And for those of you who can read Danish, here is a site that provides live updates from the dig site: http://www.vikingfregerslev.dk/Nyheder-2966.aspx?Action=1&NewsId=904&M=NewsV2&PID=7022 View modern day Viking Jewelry here:
Viking Symbols: What do they mean?
Posted by Kurt Noer on
When it comes to common symbols associated with Viking era, they all have meaning to them. Norse mythology, gods, symbols and runes make up a lot of the background to what went on in the Viking Age. We thought it would be helpful to provide a simple overview of the more common symbols associated with the Nordic and Celtic times and what they mean. MjolnirAlso known as Thor’s hammer. Thor was the son of Odin and Fyorgyn, the earth goddess. He was the god of thunder and the god of war and one of the most popular figures in all of Norse mythology. The mjölnir is known for its ability to destroy mountains. View all of our Mjolnir jewelry. ...
New Viking Theme Park in Norway
Posted by Kurt Noer on
Thor's Rike (Thor's Kingdom): Welcome Viking Enthusiasts! You’ve probably been to Disney World or Six Flags or Cedar Point. Those are all well and good, but what if you could hit a park built on the Viking theme? Well, now you can. It’s called Thor's Rike (Thor’s Kingdom in English) and it’s designed to attract Viking enthusiasts from all over the world. It’s located in the western Norwegian county of Hordaland, with the goal of putting a spin on the traditional theme park. Flume rides and roller coasters will feature “infotainment” to educate visitors about Vikings and their history. Go back 1,000 years and discover what made the Vikings so great and all-empowering. You can even experience the thrill of authentic...
10th Century Mjolnir with Rune Inscription "This is Hammer"
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This 10th century mjolnir (Thor's hammer) was discovered in Købelev, on the Danish island of Lolland.Henrik Schilling of the National Museum of Denmark stated, “This is the only hammer-shaped pendant with a runic inscription. And it tells us that (the pendants) in fact depicts the words, THIS IS HAMMER." Which proved once and for all that the many Viking amulets found with this shape was indeed a representation of the mjolnir. Below is a modern day mjolnir pendant inspired by this artifact ($20.95) SonsOfVikings.com sells viking jewelry and offers daily blog posts on all things viking related (news, history, artifacts...).
Did Stan Lee of Marvel Comics invent the word MJOLNIR? - Origin
Posted by Kurt Noer on
Mjolnir (pronounced MEE-OL-neer): Thor's Hammer. Recently I have been hearing that Stan "Lee" Leiber of Marvel Comics claimed that he invented the word mjolnir. Something about this just didn't sit right, so I did some further research. In a 2002 documentary with Kevin Smith, Lee claimed that it was actually his younger brother (and Marvel business partner) Larry Leiber who invented the word. Marvel was also using the term "the Uru Hammer" and then first used the word mjolnir in the issue "Journey into Mystery" #83 (August 1962). Others claim that the word was first invented and used by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby of DC Comics when they used the word (with a slightly different spelling: Mjolnar) in their issue "Adventure Comics"...