VIKING GOLD BRACTEATE OF ODIN

A centuries-old gold disc found in Denmark has revealed the earliest known mention of the Norse god Odin at least 150 years earlier than any previous inscription.

The disc, known as a bracteate, was unearthed in a treasure trove in Vindelev, central Denmark, in 2020, alongside Roman coins that had been reworked into jewelry.

It was displayed to the public at a museum near the discovery site and only recently made available to academics who were able to establish its significance.

Odin is one of the primary gods of Norse mythology, a pre-Christian pagan belief system central to Viking society.

This is the smoking gun for Odin's presence in Scandinavia as early as the 5th century, Simon Nygaard, an assistant professor in pre-Christian Nordic religion at Aarhus University in Denmark, told NBC News on Wednesday. In the proper sense of the word, it's historic.

Nygaard, who was consulted about the interpretation of the inscription on the bracteate, added that finding a runic inscription that includes Odin's name was spectacular.

Before the Vindelev hoard's discovery, the oldest mention of Odin was a brooch found in southern Germany from the latter half of the 6th century.

 

The disc features an inscription: He is Odin's man, said Krister Vasshus, a linguist who helped to decipher the runic inscription. He added that it also features a name or nickname Jaga or JagaR, who was likely the king or ruler of the place where the bracteate was made.

The carver knew exactly how to shape the runes to make them perfect, simply perfect, he added. They are exquisite.

The bracteate also displays a swastika, an ancient symbol used throughout the Iron Age and later co-opted by German nationalists and Adolf Hitler's Nazi Party.

To read the complete article, see:
Viking treasure reveals oldest reference to Norse god Odin (https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/norse-god-odin-oldest-reference-found-viking-treasure-rcna73939)

	NBS (coinbooks.org) Web