Viking Whalebone Plaques

source: Photographed by the author. The Orkney Museum, Kirkwall.

The whalebone plaque discovered in a female Viking burial on the island of Sanday in Orkney (seen above) is a testament to the craftsmanship and resourcefulness of the Scandinavian people. Skillfully carved with characteristically Scandinavian dragon or horse-like animal heads facing each other, geometric circles and dots, and a block-patterned border, the plaque is fundamentally identical to many others found in Norway, such as the two from Grytøy, Trondenes and Kvaefjord, Troms (image below), Denmark, Sweden, and Viking-inhabited parts of Ireland and Scotland. The manufacture and style of the known whalebone plaques are entirely similar, indicating a universal prototype between Scandinavian groups, and yet their symbolism and utilitarian values are less straightforward.

Nene River Ring and Valknut

source: The British Museum

A gold ring was found in the Nene River near Peterborough in 1855 [1]. Dated from AD 700-900, the ring has two circular bezels set across from each other on the hoop with three granules of gold applied to each side. Now in the British Museum, the Nene River finger-ring is seen as a beautiful example of late Anglo-Saxon artistry, however, the incised decoration seems to imply a Viking influence.