Burials Flashcards
Burials essay
Valsta composition
hinterland of Sigtuna. Described as an episcopal see as early as the 1070s by Adam of Bremen. Cemetery there is composed of barrows, stone settings and different cremations and inhumations (9th-12th cent.). In the 9th century there were exclusively pre-Christian cremation graves.
First visit of Anskar to Bremen
829
Restructuring of Valsta
Second half of the 10th century, inhumation introduced.
Glass beaker
Found in rich 11th century cremation barrow at Valsta. Comparable to two on Helgo, maybe liturgical. Even some of the East-West stone setting inhumations at Valsta contained pagan elements such as Thor’s hammer and food.
1100 Valsta
the mid-9th century barrow had the middle torn out and three cist graves were made forming a cross in the centre. Small iron cross found in one of the cists, similar to crosses found under skulls of 2 individuals at Sigtuna (early 12th century).
Romsdal
Veoy, female burial with Irish reliquary, bronze hanging-bowl, Northumbrian bishop’s-staff and two Irish lead weights.
Froso
At the highest point on the island there is a Viking-age grove directly under the site of the medieval altar. The remains of a large birch tree are surrounded by animal remains. Two large burial mounds are a few metres from the site.
Finsas
Female inhumed in a stone coffin, almost East-West oriented, 9th century. Only grave in Snasa, Trondelag, with an insular item. Medieval church at Vinje, Snasa, built in stone c.1200.
Chamber graves
Introduced into Denmark in the 9th century, disappear under Harald Bluetooth.
Olaf Haraldsson
built a residence at Borg in the early 11th century. No traces of pagan symbols or graves contemporary with the urban settlement.
Veoy
very early Christian burials. Two 10th cent. Christian churchyards, possible remains of a 9th century church. Corresponds to Hakon den Gode´s church-building project.
Hernes
50 y/o man with stone earmuffs, characteristic of Anglo-Saxon monastic graves from the 10th/ 11th centuries.
Fyrkat
Woman with hemp seeds and a box brooch of white lead.
Barrows in Vestfold
Average diameter was 23.3m in the early period vs. 41.7m in the late. Height was 2.3m compared to 8.9m.
Opening of Oseberg and Gokstad
Opening of Gokstad and Oseberg might be connected with Harald Bluetooth according to Jan Bill and Aoife Daly
rich burials in Vestfold
10th century increase (Borre, Gokstad). Gokstad 9th century ship, mound, one male skeleton on a bed inside a chamber. Grave goods incl. 3 small boats, a tent, a sledge and riding equipment. Gold and silver plundered
Norway general trends
Amount of grave goods increases during the Viking Age, esp. 10th century.
Sogge
Romsdal- Irish book-clasp used as a brooch.
Birka finds
1100 graves= 27 Thor’s hammers. Bj.834 contains a male and female bound together on a chair with a spear resting over them. Ibn Rustah (922) records that women were buried alive with dead men.
Kaupang
Graves with Christian elements suggest that traders were buried in Norse cemeteries.
Buddha
statue found in 8th century grave on Helgo, Sweden
Oseberg
Vestfold, 834. Two women, 4 sleighs, cart, bed posts, buddha bucket (cross-legged figure in cloisonne enamel, swastika patterns on torso suggest Indian contact but could be insular- book of Durrow). One of the bedposts was decorated with the Valknut.
Berringhoj
Jutland. Male buried in gold-embroidered clothes (970), in a coffin in a chamber-grave in a grave mound. On top of the coffin was a wax candle, one bronze and two wooden buckets, axes decorated with either the tree of life and a phoenix or Yggdrasil and goldencomb.
Denmark general
No pagan burials in Christian cemeteries from the 10th century or under churches, suggesting that cult sites had lost significance. Christian burials still contained grave goods until the end of the 10th century.
