09/28/2022
Viking Symbol
Vikings were fascinated by ring shaped jewelry. Some rings were simple circlets. Others were ornate works of art. They were made of iron, silver, copper, bronze, or gold, according to the means of the wearer. This display of wealth served to reinforce the value of the individual in the Viking's honor culture and served as a form of wearable currency. And rings were not just about wealth and display. Rings also served as a symbol of oaths and promises. While some see eternity in the circular ring shape, perhaps the Vikings saw it as a symbol of reciprocity and commitment. It was not that a Viking would wear rings so that he would have things to swear on. Instead, the Viking wore rings because he had sworn oaths. The warrior gave his commitment to his lord (the jarl, sea king, chieftain, or king). Odin, the chief of the Aesir gods, had a magic ring called Draupnir (âDripperâ). Draupnir is usually imagined as an arm ring, though the sources are not explicit on this. This gold ring had the property of generating eight new rings every ninth night. Though the Prose Edda never spells it out, the Vikings would have understood that Odin would give these rings to his warriors in Valhalla. Thus, Odin was a warlord of endless resources, and his warriors would be well looked after until it was time for them to make good on their oaths at Ragnarök. It is easy to see why the Vikings valued rings and how this simple object came to symbolize so much.
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