Discovery Of Ancient Odin Figurine With Horns Raises Questions About Viking Helmets – But It’s Not What You Think

MessageToEagle.com – Odin was the greatest and most important of all Norse Gods. It’s therefore not surprising that we still come across ancient artifacts depicting Odin.

A small figurine of a horned Odin was discovered by a metal detector in Denmark and of course it raises questions whether Vikings maybe did wear horned helmets after all, but the answer is – no they didn’t. Viking helmets with horns have never existed. It’s a pure myth not based on real facts.

So, why is Odin depicted with horns? Let’s star with the discovery made by metal detector Søren Andersen. He found this 1,300-year-old Odin figurine near Mesinge, Denmark in August this year.

The figurine depicts a beard man and a well-groomed pageboy haircut. What is really striking is the headdress with two horns.

A closer examination shows that the figure dates back to 700 and 800 AD and is a representation of the Norse God Odin.

“It’s such a handsome figure, and we feel almost blessed by the gods here in eastern Funen. In the spring, a figure of Jesus rose from the soil in Aunslev, and now Odin has revealed himself from the earth in Mesinge,” says Claus Frederik Sørensen, who is department head of Landscape and Archaeology for the Museums of Eastern Funen.

The Odin-figure was originally part of a brooch, a so-called ring brooch, worn proudly by a Viking man and the two “horns” can easily be explained by scientists.

“They aren’t horns, the figure has on its helmet, but birds. It’s very likely that what we see is a representation of or a symbol for Odin’s two trusted companions, the ravens he called Hugin and Munin.

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We know of similar brooches with helmeted or bird-carrying warriors from several unusual and rich Viking sites, among them Tissø in western Sjælland, Uppåkra in Skåne, Sweden and Staraja Ladoga in Russia, to name a few.

On several of the other finds, the tips of the horns have bird heads. On the figure from Mesinge, the tips have possibly broken off,” archaeologist Malene Refshauge Beck from the Museums of Eastern Funen said.

If you are in Scandinavia and have access to a metal detector, you can still find fascinating ancient Norse artifacts.

Some months ago, MessageToEagle.com reported about an intriguing discovery of a gold pendant depicting the Norse God Odin and his horse Sleipnir. The find was made on a farm in Kungsbacka, Sweden. Archaeologists think the precious jewelry can be linked to the Heruli, the Huns and ancient Romans.

Earlier this year, archaeologists excavating in Denmark found the made a remarkable discovery excavating in a field in Jutland. They found Denmark’s largest Viking gold treasure consisting of several beautiful bracelets weighing a total of almost one kilogram (2.2. pounds).

There are still many ancient Viking artifacts hidden in Scandinavia. What comes next we wonder.

MessageToEagle.com