Viking art

Viking art, often called Norse art, refers to the creative traditions of the Scandinavian people. This artistic era occurred during the Viking Age, which lasted from the 8th to the 11th centuries. These artists lived in Scandinavia and established settlements in many distant lands. They traveled to the British Isles, Iceland, and Greenland, and even reached Newfoundland. Their work often features complex, convoluted animal ornamentation. This style shares influences with Celtic, Germanic, and Eastern European traditions.

Most of our knowledge comes from durable materials like metal and stone. This creates a preservation bias in our studies. Organic materials like wood, bone, ivory, and textiles decay much faster. However, we know wood was likely the primary material for Viking artists. It was abundant in northern Europe and easy to carve. Artists used wood for ships, furniture, and ceremonial objects.

We see rare survivals of this work in the Oseberg ship-burial carvings and the Urnes Stave Church.

Metalwork provides the most complete record of Viking artistic expression. Precious metals are durable and survive well in the ground. Many objects are found in graves because of the practice of providing grave goods. The deceased were buried with their best clothing, weapons, and tools.

Artists created these items through techniques like casting, inlay, and engraving. Some pieces were found in treasure hoards. These hoards were sometimes hidden for safekeeping or left as offerings to gods.

Jewelry served different roles for men and women. Married women wore matching pairs of large, domed brooches. Scholars call these "tortoise brooches" due to their specific shape.

Women often used openwork designs and hung beads or chains from them. Men wore rings on their fingers, arms, or necks. They also used penannular brooches, which are ring-shaped, to fasten their cloaks.

Some very lavish sets were made of solid gold for royalty.

Beads were a significant part of Viking society and trade. They were made from glass, metal, amber, carnelian, or rock crystal. Most beads were globular and one color, but rare ones were multicolored.

Beads functioned as portable wealth and a form of currency. They were strong indicators of high social status. As Viking trade routes expanded, Eastern beads became increasingly popular.

Stone carving became more common after the mid-10th century. This increase was likely influenced by the spread of Christianity. In Sweden, Gotlandic picture stones were prevalent during the early Viking period. In Denmark, the royal monuments at Jelling are important examples of stone work.

While stone and metal are famous, textiles were also highly developed. Weavers used wool and silk to create sophisticated embroidery and patterns. Though most textiles have rotted away, they represented a major part of the culture.

We also learn about Viking art through skaldic verse. This was a complex form of oral poetry. Poets like Bragi Boddason described painted decorations on shields. One poem describes scenes of the god Thor fishing. These verses provide evidence of vibrant colors that have since faded.

Artists used natural pigments mixed with oils or fats to paint. This means many carved objects were once much more colorful than they appear today.