Ancient gold disc with an unusual inscription found in a Danish treasury
The oldest known reference to the Norse god Odin was found in a Danish treasury. The golden disk represents the first convincing evidence of the worship of the main Scandinavian god in the fifth century.
Photo: National Museum of Denmark
Scandinavian scientists have identified the oldest known inscription referring to the Norse god Odin on part of a gold disk found in western Denmark, writes The Guardian.
Lisbeth Ymer, a runologist at the National Museum in Copenhagen, said the inscription provides the first convincing evidence that Odin was worshiped as early as the fifth century — at least 150 years earlier than the previous oldest known reference, which was found on brooch found in southern Germany and dated to the second half of the 6th century.
The disc, discovered in Denmark in 2020, was part of a hoard containing about 1 kg of gold, including large saucer-sized medallions and Roman coins converted into jewelry. It was discovered in the village of Vindelev, central Jutland, and was given the name «Vindelev's hoard».
Experts believe that the cache was buried 1500 years ago, either to hide it from enemies or as a tribute to the propitiation of the gods. On a gold bracteate — a kind of thin decorative pendant or thin flat coin — an inscription was found that read: «He is the man of Odin», probably referring to an unknown king or lord.
“This is one of the best runic inscriptions I have ever seen,” says Lisbeth Ymer. Runes are the symbols that the early tribes of northern Europe used for written communication, reminds The Guardian. And Odin was one of the main gods in Norse mythology and was often associated with both war and poetry.
According to the National Museum of Denmark, where the find, discovered in 2020, is now on display, in Northern Europe it was found more than 1000 bracteates.
Christer Waschus, an expert on ancient languages, notes that since runic inscriptions are rare, “every runic inscription is vital to how we understand the past.”
“When an inscription of this length appears, it is in itself amazing,” admits Wasshus. “It gives us some pretty interesting information about religion in the past, which also tells us something about society in the past.”
During the Viking Age, which is believed to have lasted from 793 to 1066, the Scandinavians , known as the Vikings, carried out large-scale raids, colonization, conquest and trade throughout Europe. They also reached North America.
The Scandinavians worshiped many gods, each with different characteristics, weaknesses, and attributes. Based on the sagas and some runestones, details have emerged that suggest that the Vikings believed that the gods had many human traits and could behave like humans.
“This kind of mythology can take us further and force us anew explore all the other 200 bracteate inscriptions known to us,” notes Lisbeth Ymer.