![]() In this text, Andrén ( Citation2014) uses pictorial depictions and a thorough theoretical understanding of the mythological cosmologies of both periods to show that several Bronze Age icons (including solar, dual figure, and ship symbolism) endured and were given new contexts in the Norse system. For example, Anders Andrén performs a comparative analysis of Norse and Bronze Age iconography in his 2014 book Tracing Old Norse Cosmology. Over the past twenty years several archaeologists have presented arguments suggesting key Norse religious elements-including symbolism and ritual practice-may have been shaped by enduring symbolic structures of the Bronze Age (e.g., Ahlqvist & Vandkilde, Citation2018 Andrén, Citation2014 Fredell, Citation2003, pp. Increasing academic attention is being directed towards the potential continuity which may exist between Bronze and Iron Age Scandinavian belief systems. Current arguments: Bronze and Iron age connections Before beginning, however, it is important to understand current views regarding possible continuity between Iron and Bronze Age Scandinavia.Ģ. Specifically, it seeks to underline the long-standing importance of the signalling of a warrior identity in Prehistoric Scandinavian communities. By examining the potential similarities and differences of these depictions, this paper aims to emphasize the endurance of Prehistoric Scandinavian symbolic structures. While there are similar depictions of possible weapon dancer imagery on figurines, for the sake of time this paper will focus on rock art. It then proceeds by analysing examples of similar-looking motifs found on Bronze Age rock art (1700 BC-200 AD) using three case studies. It first introduces weapon dancer iconography and its use during the Norse period (AD 400–800). ![]() Do they represent the same symbol?ĭefining “weapon dancer” imagery as Norse depictions of anthropomorphic figures wielding weaponry, posed in a dance-like stance, the following paper examines the possible use of this motif in both periods of prehistoric Scandinavia. For example, weapon dancer imagery-iconography commonly attributed to the Norse Scandinavian belief system-seems to have several correlations in Bronze Age rock art. Yet when examining the iconography linked to this Indo-European system and that of the Norse Iron Age, respectively, it becomes clear that there may be possible overlap. By examining different forms of material culture-including rock art and metalwork-and using allusions to texts such as the Vedic Rig Veda, the existence of a shared Bronze Age southern Scandinavian belief system with an Indo-European solar focus has come to be suggested by several scholars (e.g., Kaul, Citation2017 K. The past fifteen years have witnessed increasing efforts to study and understand Bronze Age Scandinavia (1700–500 BC). In doing so, it also emphasizes the endurance of Prehistoric Scandinavian symbolic structures overall. Could this represent a case of prehistoric continuity? By presenting and comparing the Iron and Bronze Age evidence, this paper suggests a possible continuity in representations of warrior rituals on figurative material, underlining the importance of advertising a warrior identity and mentality in Prehistoric Scandinavian communities. Several examples of Bronze Age rock art display scenes of weapon-bearing figures, performing ritualistic motions that some have interpreted as dancing. Yet certain symbols attributed to this Indo-European system seem to have striking parallels in later Norse religious iconography-symbols such as weapon dancer imagery. Different forms of material culture-including rock art and metalwork-and allusions to texts such as the Vedic Rig Veda, have led many to suggest the existence of a shared belief system with an Indo-European solar focus. The past fifteen years have witnessed increasing effort to study and understand the belief system of Bronze Age Scandinavia.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |