Odin from Lejre is a small cast silver figurine from approximately 900 C.E., depicting an individual on a throne flanked by two birds and two animal heads.

Discovery

The figurine was found by local amateur

archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

Tommy Olesen on 2 September 2009, during the

Roskilde Museum Roskilde Museum is a local history museum based in Roskilde, Denmark. The museum, which is run by the municipalities of Roskilde, Frederikssund and Lejre, has eight separate branches. The main branch in Roskilde, on the corner of Sankt Olsgade and ...

excavations of a small village at Gammel Lejre ("Old Lejre") near the modern town of

Lejre Lejre is a railway town, with a population of 3,127 (1 January 2022),Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

.Louise Lauritsen
"Et unikt fund af Odin fra Lejre"
, ''Roskilde Avis'', 13 November 2009 (Danish) The figurine was unveiled at the

Roskilde Roskilde ( , ) is a city west of Copenhagen on the Danish island of Zealand. With a population of 51,916 (), the city is a business and educational centre for the region and the 10th largest city in Denmark. It is governed by the administrative ...

Museum on 13 November 2009, and is now part of the permanent exhibition.

Description

The cast silver figurine is from approximately 900 C.E. It measures 18 mm in height and weighs 9 grams.further information page
on Roskilde Museum website (Danish). It depicts an individual on a throne, wearing a floor-length dress, an apron, four bead necklaces, a neck ring, a cloak and a rim-less hat. Two birds are seated on the armrests and the back of the throne features the heads of two animals. The figurine has inlay of black

niello Niello is a black mixture, usually of sulphur, copper, silver, and lead, used as an inlay on engraved or etched metal, especially silver. It is added as a powder or paste, then fired until it melts or at least softens, and flows or is pushed ...

(black coloured

alloy An alloy is a mixture of chemical elements of which at least one is a metal. Unlike chemical compounds with metallic bases, an alloy will retain all the properties of a metal in the resulting material, such as electrical conductivity, ductility, ...

) and some gilding."Odin fra Lejre"
on Roskilde Museum website (Danish).

Identity

The identity of the figure depicted has been the subject of some dispute. The excavator interpreted it as the god

Odin Odin (; from non, Óðinn, ) is a widely revered Æsir, god in Germanic paganism. Norse mythology, the source of most surviving information about him, associates him with wisdom, healing, death, royalty, the gallows, knowledge, war, battle, v ...

sitting on his throne

Hliðskjálf In Norse mythology, Hliðskjálf is the high seat of the god Odin allowing him to see into all realms. ''Poetic Edda'' In ''Grímnismál'', Odin and Frigg are both sitting in Hliðskjálf when they see their foster sons Agnarr and Geirröð ...

, from which he sees into all the worlds. The birds would be the ravens

Huginn and Muninn In Norse mythology, Huginn (Old Norse: "thought"Orchard (1997:92).) and Muninn (Old Norse "memory"Orchard (1997:115). or "mind"Lindow (2001:186).) are a pair of ravens that fly all over the world, Midgard, and bring information to the god Odin. H ...

, who gathered information for Odin. The beast-heads might symbolise Odin's two wolves,

Geri and Freki In Norse mythology, Geri and Freki are two Eurasian wolf, wolves which are said to accompany the god Odin. They are attested in the ''Poetic Edda'', a collection of epic poetry compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, in th ...

. However, some scholars specialising in Viking Age dress and gender representation have pointed out that the person is dressed entirely in female attire, resulting in theories that the figure may in fact represent either the goddesses

Frigg Frigg (; Old Norse: ) is a goddess, one of the Æsir, in Germanic mythology. In Norse mythology, the source of most surviving information about her, she is associated with marriage, prophecy, clairvoyance and motherhood, and dwells in the wet ...

Freyja In Norse paganism, Freyja (Old Norse "(the) Lady") is a goddess associated with love, beauty, fertility, sex, war, gold, and seiðr (magic for seeing and influencing the future). Freyja is the owner of the necklace Brísingamen, rides a chario ...

. Parallels have been pointed to between "Odin from Lejre" and a silver figure often identified as Freyja found in Aska, Sweden.Óluva Ellingsgaard
"Var Odin en kvinde?"
''Videnskab.dk'', 27 January 2010 (Danish)

References

External links

* **Official release from the Roskilde Museum website (in English) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Odin From Lejre Odin in art Archaeological discoveries in Denmark Viking art Sculptures of Norse mythology in Copenhagen Sculptures of birds 2009 archaeological discoveries

Discovery

Description

Identity

See also

References

External links