The Portable Antiquities Scheme

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A copper-alloy mount, 37mm in length and 24mm in width with a thickness of 6mm. On the front face grooves depict a horse and its rider, the horses head is bent and its reins are clearly seen, open work circular perforations highlight its legs and neck. The rider and the folds of his clothes can be seen, the knees are bent, the arms are raised and bent and perhaps a drinking vessel is being held in the hands. The head is worn but complete. The back face of this mount is flat and undecorated. Barry Ager, at the British Museum, was consulted about this interesting mount and he believes that it clearly belongs to a small group of Viking-period dress or belt fittings found both in England and Scandinavia/North Germany. They often include a 'valkyrie' figure holding a drinking horn up to the rider and usually with a round shield. They may be further connected with simpler horse brooches, such as examples from Kaupang. Bronze examples may have been gilded. Two silver horse-and-rider figures probably of the late Vendel period have been found at Birka, Sweden (G. Arwidsson [ed.], 1989, Birka II:3, Abb. 9.1.) They also occur on symbol stones of similar date from Gotland, e.g Lillbjars (J. Graham-Campbell, 1980, Viking Artefacts, no. 480). It has been suggested that the figures are amuletic and connected with the cult of Odin. The group scenes probably represent valkyries welcoming fallen warriors to Valhall and Hayo Vierck has plausibly argued that they go back to Roman iconography, e.g medallions showing the Emperor on horseback being welcomed by Victory figures (H. Vierck, 2002, "Zwei Amulettbilder als Zeugnisse des ausgehenden Heidentums in Haithabu", Berichte ueber die Ausgrabungen in Haithabu, vol. 34, 9-67). Separate figures such as this one may represent one half of a group scene. Examples of these group figures are known from Hedeby (Vierck, op.cit, Abb. 6, 6) and from Stentinget and Ribe in Denmark (By, Marsk og Geest, 5 [1992], figs. 3-4 on pp. 42-3. The BM has a bronze one said to be from Peterborough (reg. no. 1988,4-7,1) and there is a gilded silver one illustrated in N. Mills, Saxon & Viking Artefacts, (p. 56, no. V120) presumably from Britain, although as no provenance is given there is no guarantee of that.

• Graham-Campbell, J, 1980. Viking Artefacts. A Select Catalogue : British Museum, pp.
• Arwidsson, Greta, 1984. Birka II:1,Systematische Analysen der Graeberfunde Stockholm : Birka, pp.
• H. Vierck, 2002 Zwei Amulettbilder als Zeugnisse des ausgehenden Heidentums in Haithabu, , pp9-62..

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Created: Thursday 6th March 2003
Updated: Thursday 24th February 2011