Arm and Neck Rings

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A great number of rings – for the neck, the arm and the finger have been found in areas of Viking occupation. Owen-Crocker states that she thinks that these rings were a more popular form of adornment for Viking women than the wearing of beads [OWEN-CROCKER 2004: p.165]
It does not appear that the wearing of Neck- and arm-rings continued into the 11th century in Scotland. [GRAHAM-CAMPBELL and BATEY 1998: p.237]
Gold was mainly found as finger rings due to cost

Neck rings [V]

Literature

  • "The women wear neck rings of gold and silver, one for each 10,000 dirhems which her husband is worth; some women have many." Ibn Fadlan 'Account of the Rus'


Solid

9th Century southern Scandinavian.
Archaeology

  • Denmark, Illebolle, Langeland, Denmark. [ROESDAHL 1992:cat.147]

Discussion
The spiral ring found along side the neck ring found at Illebolle, Langeland, Denmark proves that these rings could be cut up and then worn on the arm.


Intertwined

Thin intertwined metal strands fabricated from (usually two or three) wires of constant thickness. A number of such metal strands are then laid next to each other to form the major motif of the ring.


Twisted

The motif is formed from a single twist of wires. In this case the wires are relatively thick and typically constructed with slowly varying thickness.


Embellished

The motif of thick twisted wires is embellished by a thin wire or a thin twisted wire


Arm rings [V]

All of the styles used as neck rings are also found in a smaller form as arm rings. These are described above under neck rings

Solid


Intertwined


Twisted


Embellished


Wire

Gold armlet from Virginia, Co. Cavan. British Museum. (BØE 1940, p.104)


Deep Transverse Grooves

The most typical group of Scandinavian arm rings in use from the late Vendel period to the Viking Age [GRAHAM-CAMPBELL 1980:cat.227].
Archaeology

  • Denmark, Brahesminde, Fyn, Denmark. Silver [GRAHAM-CAMPBELL 1980:cat.227]
  • Sweden, Birka. Bronze [GRAHAM-CAMPBELL 1980:cat.228]


Danish - Plate

Date: C9th
Archaeology

  • Denmark, Rabylille, Sjaelland. Tree of life [ROESDHAL 1992:cat. 145]
  • Denmark, Illebolle, Langeland.[ROESDHAL 1992:cat. 147]

Discussion
The Illebolle example was found in Denmark with a solid neck ring and two coiled arm rings[ROESDHAL 1992:cat. 147]


Danish - Coiled arm-ring

Date: C9th
Archaeology

  • Denmark, Illebolle, Langeland. Tree of life [ROESDAHL and WILSON 1992:cat. 147]

Discussion
Made from cut up solid neck rings [ROESDAHL and WILSON 1992:cat. 147].


Hiberno-Norse – Broad-band arm-ring

Hiberno-Viking – 850 to 940AD
Also found in Denmark and Norway [GRAHAM-CAMPBELL and SHEEHAN 1995]


Hiberno-Norse (Scots-Norse) - Ring Money

950AD to 1065AD
possibly originating in Ireland [GRAHAM-CAMPBELL and BATEY 1998]
[SHEEHAN and Ó Corráin 2010, p.25]


Hiberno-Norse – Coiled arm-ring

880-930AD [SHEEHAN 1992: p.47]
Archaeology

  • Ireland, 26 finds [SHEEHAN 1992]


Hiberno-Norse – Lozenge arm-ring

900-950AD [SHEEHAN 1992: p.47]
Archaeology

  • Ireland, 12 finds [SHEEHAN 1992: p.47]



Swedish – Rod arm-ring

[SHEEHAN 1992]


Swedish - Coiled arm-ring


Gotland - Coiled arm-ring


Jet


References

<nocite> BOE1940 GRAHAM-CAMPBELL1980 GRAHAM-CAMPBELL1995 GRAHAM-CAMPBELL1998 OLSEN2010 OWEN-CROCKER2004 ROESDAHL1992 SHEEHAN1992 </nocite> <biblio force=false>#Template:Bib</biblio>