The birdman, here as a pendant, is a copy of a find made in Uppåkra, Sweden.
Uppåkra was a large and strategically important settlement that was inhabited for more than 1000 years – from around 100 BCE to the end of the Viking Age. The settlement has therefore existed and developed in the same place despite major developments in Europe, such as the fall of the Roman Empire.
Uppåkra was a center of pre-Christian Norse faith, and this may have been one of the reasons why people continued to seek the area over the centuries. However, this also led to the settlement's decline with the introduction of Christianity in the North, as a cathedral was quickly established in Lund, just five kilometers from Uppåkra.
The settlement was discovered in the 1930s, and excavations did not begin until the 1990s. More than 30,000 objects have been found in and around Uppåkra so far, and excavations continue.
The birdman is believed to represent Wayland, who according to legend had an exciting (if not a little rough) life! The blacksmith Wayland was well-known in the Viking Age, and we highly recommend reading the saga of Wayland!
Product info:
- Material: Bronze
- Dimensions: 45 x 32 mm
- Weight: approx. 10.2g