![]() ![]() Artistic styles varied with region and time, with new styles arising through formation of mixed cultural groups, such as the development of Hiberno-Scandinavian forms through the Scandinavian settlement of Ireland. The cultural roles of rings continued to varying extents during and after the Christianisation of the Germanic peoples, such as in gift-bestowal and oath-swearing.Īrchaeological record The Bedale Hoard, discovered in Bedale in North Yorkshire in 2012, featuring a number of rings.Īrm, finger and neck rings dating to the Early Medieval Period have been found in hoards throughout Northern Europe, such as the Spillings Hoard in Gotland and the Silverdale Hoard in Lancashire. The sacrality of rings is reflected in Germanic mythology and ring bestowal held a central role in maintaining functional relationships between rulers and their retinues. They are notably associated with the related aspects of wealth, being used as forms of currency in the Early Medieval Period, and swearing sacred oaths, often dedicated to, or witnessed by, the gods. Rings in early Germanic cultures Neck ring with plug clasp from the Treasure of Osztrópataka displayed at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, Austria.Ī prominent position is held by rings in early Germanic cultures, appearing both in archaeology throughout areas settled by Germanic peoples, and in textual sources discussing their practices and beliefs.
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