Some plots of Scandinavian mythology in metal plastic found on the territory of Ancient Russia

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Influence of the Scandinavians on Russia in the 10-11th centuries - a topic that attracts attention over a long period of time. According to most researchers, the Swedish Vikings were the most successful in this. Judging by the treasures found on the island of Gotland, extensive trade was conducted both with the West and with the East, which confirms the existence of two trade routes: from the Varangians to the Greeks and from the Varangians to the Persians.

True, there was only one path from the island itself: along the Baltic Sea and further along the Neva to a settlement near Old Ladoga, from there along the Volkhov to Novgorod. Only after that did it branch out into western and eastern. The first one ran along the Lovati River, then dragged to the Western Dvina, then again dragged to the Dnieper (in the Gnezdovo region) and along it to the Black Sea. The second went to the sources of the Volga and along it to the Caspian Sea. Of course, there were a lot of varieties and other, secondary routes. Dumb witnesses of the Varangian presence in these places - finds of Scandinavian imports along them, for example pectoral crosses of Scandinavian origin.

I wonder what many items of Old Russian metal-plastic there are plots that are bizarre and incomprehensible at first glance. Most of them, in one way or another, are associated with Scandinavian mythology. Let us dwell on only two of them.

The first thing I would like to focus on is a pendant with images of Odin and the ravens sitting on his shoulder: Hugin and Munin. According to legend, in the morning he let them fly around the world, and by lunchtime they returned and reported to the owner everything they saw and heard. The study, including these attachments, is the focus of the work of G. F. Korzukhina (2). In it, the author singles out six appendages known at that time, identical in plot and dating from the 10th century.

They come from: 1) a kurgan group near Sednev, Chernigov province and district; 2) Gnezdovsky hoard of 1868; 3) the village of Vasilki, Vladimir province; 4) the city of Birka (Gotland, Sweden), burial 762; 5) Segista, Barva parish, Sedermanland, Sweden, burial; 6) the city of Prenzlau, Northern Germany. Somehow this list did not include a pendant from the burial mounds near the Nikolaevskaya Belogorskaya desert (now the village of Gornali) in the Sudzhan district of the Kursk region, found during excavations by D. Ya. Samokvasov back in 1872 (3). The discovery of such a pendant in the Vitebsk region, made in 2009, looks all the more significant. It should be noted that the pendant is made of silver and gilded.

I would also like to mention one more interesting observation made by V. Birlov. In the plot of a belt lining he found on the river Vele, an analogy with a picture on a stone, in the city of Birke (Sweden). The stone most likely depicts the path of the war to Valhalla. The rider is depicted sitting on a horse with a sword in his hand. He is accompanied by two wolves: Geri and Freki. Slightly higher is Odin's ship Skidbladnir, above which two more of his companions are visible - the crows Hugin and Munin. All this is crowned with the image of Valhalla, which is depicted in the form of a tent. As you can see, the image of Valhalla matches the pattern on the overlay.

In this article, the geography of such finds has been somewhat expanded. Studies have revealed that similar overlays were found: at the site of the former village of Kurov, Moscow district, at the site of the summer town of Torchesk, Rakityansky district of Kiev region), and two more in the Moscow region (Mozhaisky and Zvenigorodsky districts). The onlay from the Kiev region differs from others in its pattern and gilding (fragmentary preserved). The Zvenigorod find has already been published and dated to the 11th century. Dating to the end of the 10-11th centuries seems very likely for such belt linings, since the Scandinavian influence during this period, judging by the archaeological finds, is most noticeable.