#image stone

[wealdcomics]

The Corpse Door Page 1. Updates every Tuesday - with a little bit of commentary over on the main site!

[hrafnphotography]

Picture stone from Tängelgårda (Gotland, Sweden) presented at the exhibition in the Swedish History Museum in Stockholm.

In this fascinating picture stone were depicted women, men, horses walking in procession, three birds of prey flying above them. What is interesting below chest of a one horse were painted two symbols known as valknuts. Detailed analysis of picture stones from Gotland is included in Sigmund Oehrl’s monograph entitled ‘Die Bildsteine Gotlands: Probleme und neue Wege ihrer Dokumentation, Lesung und Deutung’.

More information concerning so-called valknut can be found in Tom Hellers’ book ‘Valknútr: Das Dreiecksymbol der Wikingerzeit’. This symbol was also discussed by Eirik Storesund in fascinating post ‘The "Valknútr" Does Not Exist‘ on Brute Norse blog.   

[valkyriesvikings]

A drinking scene on an image stone from Gotland,Sweden

[effyeaharthistory]

Detail of Odin riding Sleipnir from the Tjängvide image stone, Viking culture of Sweden, c. 700-1100 CE, Swedish Museum of National Antiquities, Stockholm 

Before Scandinavia was Christianized, Odin reigned supreme as the chief god of the Norse Pantheon, associated with war, wisdom, death and poetry. On Yule, a pagan winter solstice celebration, Odin would lead a wild hunt through the sky while riding his eight-legged horse, Sleipnir. It is said that children would place their shoes near the chimney filled with carrots, straw or sugar for Sleipnir to eat. In the morning, they would find that Odin had replaced the food with gifts or candy, a reward for the childrens' kindness.

Sound familiar? Like the modern tradition of leaving food and drink for Santa and his flying reindeer on Christmas, and waking up in the morning to find stockings filled with gifts? It is possible that through the years the god Odin became Saint Nicholas, Sleipnir became a team of reindeer, and ancient germanic pagan practices live on when we hang stockings by the fireplace on Christmas Eve, waiting them to be filled as a reward for our kindness.