Rus' Axe Pendant
Item Name Rus' Axe Pendant
Period 11th - 12th century
Culture Viking, Rus - Medieval Russia
Discovery Site Novgorod
Country
Novgorodskaya oblast, Russia
Dating 1000-1050AD
Reference
N.I. Astashova, etc. (1996). Put' iz Variag v Greki, i iz Grek… (The road from the Varangians to the Greeks, and from the Greeks…), cat. no. 82. State Historical Museum: Moscow.
Description
Bronze pendant shaped like a miniature Slavic axe with hooks and punched and engraved decorations, original excavated in Novgorod by A.V. Artsihovsky. Axe-shaped pendant amulets are a relatively common form in Rus' and are thought to be symbols for Perun, the Old Russian storm god (equivalent to Viking Thor) favoured by the ruling elite in their last days of paganism.
Dimensions
Width: 5.5cm
Weight:
20g
Material/s
Bronze
No reviews found