Before the rise of popular TV series such as History Channel’s Vikings, many of us might not have considered Viking jewelry a thing. Yet, since this magnificent drama series appeared, we’ve seen countless other incredible Viking-focused shows and movies appear with stunning visuals and styling.
As you may have noticed, the costume departments for many of these on-screen efforts put loads of thought into recreating original-looking Viking clothing, styling, and some exquisite jewelry pieces. In this post, we’re going to focus on some of the ancient traditions associated with Viking jewelry.
Read on to learn more about the fascinating history of Nordic jewelry culture.
Viking Necklaces
When it comes to Viking necklaces, this hammer of Thor necklace stands out for us. When you wear such a pendant, you can imagine embracing the sheer power of the thunder god Thor close to your heart.
Before Christianity became prominent in the Viking world, Vikings may often have worn a hammer of Thor pendant. Norsemen especially like the hammer symbol, known as Mjolnir. So this style is a great modern Viking jewelry for men option.
Other pendant styles include Yggdrasil and Valknut pendants. A Yggdrasil pendant shows the image of a tree. It represents the cycles of life, death, and rebirth.
In terms of women’s Viking jewelry, Yggdrasil is popular. However, many men opt for the symbol too.
Valknut pendants are associated with Odin. People might refer to it as “Odin’s knot.” As you will see when you research this item, it has a triangular bound shape to it.
Other Viking Jewelry Types
Other prominent Viking jewelry types include:
- Beads
- Rings
- Brooches
- Earrings
- Bracelets
Beads were often made from glass or amber in Viking times. They were and still are excellent additions to necklaces for a more decorative look and feel. It was more typical for women to wear beads.
Viking rings were common, just like in most civilizations throughout history. Many Viking rings had an open end. This may have been so that people with different size fingers could wear the ring over the years with little effort needed to change the ring.
Brooches were essential for daily life in Viking times as people used them to hold clothing items together. Penannular brooches were only worn by men. Oval brooches were and still are what women tend to wear.
While bracelets were super common in the Viking era, earrings were the opposite. It may have been the case that earrings entered Viking civilization later than many of the other jewelry types.
Viking Jewelry Explained
We’ve delved into the world of Viking jewelry and the main focus was on necklaces and pendants since there are very popular now. Viking beads are also a nice consideration to add to necklaces and bracelets can look great on men or women.
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