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icymist

(15,888 posts)
Mon Oct 22, 2018, 08:28 PM Oct 2018

Viking Age Thor's Hammer Found in Iceland


A newly-uncovered Viking Age farmstead in the Icelandic highlands has yielded a unique Thor’s hammer pendant, among other artefacts dating back over 900 years. RÚV reported that a Thor’s hammer carved from sandstone was found last week at the farmstead, which is located in Þjórsárdalur valley and archaeologists have named Bergsstaðir. Only one other such hammer has been found in Iceland. No other stone Thor’s hammers like them have been found anywhere else in the world.

Bergur Þór Björnsson, a local resident, is to thank for the discovery. Bergur’s great grandfather discovered the last of 20 known Viking era farms in the area in 1920. “I just thought it was quite far between the ruins here and started to search just for fun,” he said about the discovery.
http://icelandreview.com/news/2018/10/17/viking-age-thors-hammer-found-iceland
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dameatball

(7,394 posts)
1. I am no expert, but I think there were many of these worn around the neck.
Mon Oct 22, 2018, 08:33 PM
Oct 2018

Sort of like a cross, St. Christopher's , etc.

icymist

(15,888 posts)
2. Yes, that's true except the one the article is about is 900 years old.
Mon Oct 22, 2018, 08:38 PM
Oct 2018

I don't see many people wearing 900 year old anything these days.

dameatball

(7,394 posts)
3. I could very well be wrong, but I thought these Thor's hammer medallions had been worn well into
Mon Oct 22, 2018, 08:47 PM
Oct 2018

the 9th - 10th century areas of what is now England/Ireland/Wales/Scotland. If that is not true I will stand corrected.

defacto7

(13,485 posts)
4. It could very well be true.
Mon Oct 22, 2018, 10:33 PM
Oct 2018

There were still Norse controlled areas in Scotland, Northumbria, York, among others during that time centuries after the Norse invasions and many still followed their native pagan rituals. They weren't all christianized.

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