Reconstruction of the clothing found at Mammen. Placement of the embroidery is speculative
There are several distinct motifs found at Mammen. These include the following:
More detailed informations about the Embroidery from the Tenth Century Viking Grave at Mammen, Denmark you get here: http://www.heatherrosejones.com/mammen/index.html
The costume, mantle ribbon
With the excavation of the Mammen man’s grave in the burial mound Bjerringhøj in 1868 various remains of a splendid man’s costume were found. The clothes were badly damaged, but originally must have been a fantastic sight. They were made of exclusive materials. The excavation was not carried out to today’s standards and no record of the finds were made at the time. It is therefore difficult to establish the function of the textiles.
Viking axe from Mammen
The axe with a double meaning
On one side a tree motif can be seen. It may symbolise the Christian Tree of Life or the pagan tree Yggdrasil. On the other side is an animal figure – perhaps the rooster Gullinkambi (Old Norse “golden comb”) or the Phoenix. According to Norse mythology Gullinkambi sits on top of the tree Yggdrasil. Here it wakes the Viking warriors every morning and it will crow at the beginning of Ragnarok (the end of the world). The Phoenix is a Christian mythological animal and a symbol of re-birth.
National Museum of Denmark
Viking axe from Mammen
Harness bow made of wood and gold. From the burial mound, Mammen parish
National Museum of Denmark
In 1868 a farmer began to dig into the mound Bjerringhøj at Mammen near Viborg. During this work he chanced upon an unusually richly-furnished grave, which has become known as the grave from Mammen. A magnate was buried in the grave during the winter of 970-71 AD. He was given an expensive costume, a ceremonial axe with inlaid silver decoration and a large wax candle.
Lindholm Hoje North of Aalborg, Denmark is a Viking burial site
