Metal Detectorist Finds Viking Hoard With Link to Norse God
In Germany, a metal detectorist has unearthed a 1,000-year-old Viking hoard which contains more than 200 artifacts, including what may be the remnants of Thor’s hammer, Live Science reported.
The cache, discovered by Arjen Spießwinkel in the northern city of Haithabu, contained an assortment of items from across Europe, including pure metal ingots, Arabic and silver coins, and a whetstone for sharpening weapons and tools. But the pièce de résistance was a pendant which scientists believe could be a cross, or “an unfinished Thor’s hammer.” Birte Anspach, a spokesperson for the State Archaeological Office of Schleswig-Holstein, said that if the item does prove to be a cross, it could be "an early sign of the onset of Christianisation" in the area.
Haithabu was a port city and an influential trade hub during the Viking Age, and Christianity began to spread around the ninth century when St. Ansgar, then Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen, came to the community. "However, it was not the case that Ansgar came and suddenly everyone turned away from the old gods and followed the Christian faith," Anspach explained. "Christianisation was a long process that spanned several generations."
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But the mysterious item could also be an unfinished Thor’s hammer, as it was common prior to the spread of Christianity to wear pendants which symbolized ancient Norse gods. In mythology, the hammer, Mjölnir, was used by Thor to battle giant deities. Researchers will conduct further analyses to determine what exactly the pendant is, as well as where and when it was constructed.
"These finds offer fascinating insights into the history of the 10th century—a time of intensive trade, cultural exchange and religious change," Anspach said. "It is therefore not surprising to discover a hoard near the Schlei. Whether it is actually a hidden depot or whether there was a settlement nearby cannot be said for certain at this stage."