Although Vikings are depicted as lawless ruffians in popular culture, honor was the core of their religion. If they died without honor, they would not enter Valhalla. The arm ring was an outer gesture that the warrior would live and die by their word. When a boy came of age, the jarl (or king depending on their location) would give the boy an arm ring upon which he would pledge his fealty. They were typically worn by men, although it was not unheard of for shield maidens to also wear them.
Breaking an oath sworn on an arm ring was seen as treason and could be the make or break between a Viking and Valhalla; not to mention that other warriors would see the them as treacherous and may refuse to fight by their side in battle, which could lead to death for that oath-breaker.
Breaking an oath sworn on an arm ring was seen as treason and could be the make or break between a Viking and Valhalla; not to mention that other warriors would see the them as treacherous and may refuse to fight by their side in battle, which could lead to death for that oath-breaker.
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| Silver arm-ring dating from 900 AD which is part of the Silverdale Viking hoard in North Lancashire. |
There are many references to arm rings in the Norse religion and in their literature. In the poem Beowulf, King Rothgar bestows this honor on multiple warriors.
"I remember a time when we drank mead,
Making a promise there in mead-hall,
To our lord, to the Ring-Giver, that we
Would repay his gift of war-gear,
If ever the need came upon him."
So if anyone ever accuses you of wearing your heart on your sleeve, you can respond with, "Why yes; I am a Viking."
“Arm and Neck Rings.” Arm and Neck Rings - The Viking Age Compendium, www.vikingage.org/wiki/wiki/Arm_and_Neck_Rings.
Arm Ring Unearthed in Northern Ireland
Maranzani, Barbara. “Viking-Era Ring Unearthed in Northern Ireland.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 12 Sept. 2013, www.history.com/news/viking-era-ring-unearthed-in-northern-ireland.
Norse Religion and Icelandic Laws: Ceremony & Sacrifice
Bray, Daniel Peter. "Sacrifice and Sacrificial Ideology in Old Norse Religion." (2008)
This tradition was somewhat carried over into more recent times as the officers in the Norwegian Army during WWII wore armbands to show their rank. These bands were not metal but were cloth pieces sewn on the upper arm of the coat.
ReplyDeleteI like that you included the excerpt from Beowulf as honor and loyalty to your king were important virtues that were present throughout the epic poem. When I read Beowulf, I noticed that while they were certainly concerned about heaven/hell, they were more preoccupied with acting honorable in order to be remembered by future generations. You mentioned they were typically worn by men (and sometimes women), were the armbands reserved for warriors only? Or did it extend to everyone under the king's command?
ReplyDeleteThere are many things in history such as the arm rings which are just lost to time no matter how important they may have actually been to a civilization. Great job bringing this to light.
ReplyDeleteI always find it interesting when jewelry is used as a sign of strength because nowadays it has such a feminine connotation.
ReplyDeleteWell-done post about this artifact. You weaved in quite a bit of Viking culture into your discussion, rather than just discussing the attributes of the arm ring. I think the Beowulf piece really grounds the significance of this kind of artifact in Viking society.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that Vikings would swear on this item, almost like a more developed pinky promise. I also love the last part of your entry, as it would be much more impressive to be similar to a Viking.
ReplyDeletereally interesting! I enjoyed reading this post! I have never heard about arm rings to be honest. I found it interesting especially whenever you said that The arm ring was an outer gesture that the warrior would live and die by their word. When you said that I linked that oath with the knight's oath: knights in the middle ages used to swear loyalty to their king throughout the investiture ceremony. I can see similarities between this two different ways of showing loyalty to someone else or to themselves and their oaths.
ReplyDeleteThis was a really cool topic and i had never heard of these before. I liked all research you did behind this and how they were a sign of honor. It's weird cause now it would so much achier to just be given a bracelet. Although we learned about vikings in class I would of loved to of learned more about this topic.
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