Viking Ships - The Horses of the Waves

The Vikings were the masters of the water! With their swift ships they were considered the Horses of the Waters. They were symbols of power and speed.

A Viking Ship on Display at the City Museum of Oslo

The Viking Age (793 - 1066 C.E.) was the time of the sleek, agile longship. Through the Vikings' advanced ship technology they became the dominant force in medieval warfare, politics, and trade. 

The dragon-headed ships of the vikings (like the one pictured above) were known as Drekar. They were quickly made (about 2 to 3 weeks) and could cross open oceans with their large square sail or oar up and down rivers to be able to attack with speed never before seen in Medieval Europe. Their ships far surpassed the ships of the English and the Frankish. With their powerful navy, the Vikings won large territories from the North of England to the North of Africa. 

With the success of their navy, the Vikings soon created many other kinds of ships that could aid them in more that just concurring. Among the new ships that the Vikings created there was the Knarr, a ship that could carry cargo and cross oceans. This ship enabled to Vikings to be able to establish colonies in Iceland, Greenland, and America. The Knarr, while similar to the Drekar, was higher and wider in length and had cargo desks installed. 

With their powerful navy, the Vikings believed that they could get anywhere with their boats. Therefore, the Viking Ships were an important part of their burial rituals. To the Vikings, the ship symbolized safe passage to the afterlife. Each ship in preparation was securely moored, and anchored to protect the corpse's body. The ship was also filled with their belongings and other things that the Vikings believed would help them in the afterlife. 

"Thus he [Odin] established by law that all dead men [men in terms of mankind, this included women] should be burned, and their belongings laid with them upon the pile, and the ashes be cast into the sea or buried in the earth. Thus, said he, every one will come to Valhalla with the riches he had with him upon the pile; and he would also enjoy whatever he himself had buried in the earth. For men of consequence a mound should be raised to their memory, and for all other warriors who had been distinguished for manhood a standing stone; which custom remained long after Odin's time."

- Heimskringla (or The Story of the Yngling Family from Odin to Halfdan the Black)

The above passage describes the Viking Mythology behind the burial ritual. It describes how the deceased was first burned with their belongings so that they may take them with them to the afterlife and then was either buried or cast out to sea in a boat.

Ships were an integral part of life for the Vikings and through their technology were the masters of the water during the Viking Age, an age that last for over 200 years.

The Helm of Awe and other Magical Staves

The Vikings' magical signs and staves can be found in Icelandic grimoires (books of magic). According the Icelandic Museum of Sorcery and Witchcraft some of the signs seem to be derived from medieval mysticism and renaissance occultism, while others show some relation to runic culture and the old Germanic belief in Thor and Odin. 

An example of a seal from a Grimoire

The Helm of Awe is the viking symbol of protection and was a magical stave. It was worn by the vikings between the eyes, often on their helmets, as a form of magic that induced fear in their enemies and protected against the abuse of power. The Helm of Awe (or Helm of Terror) in its many forms most often has eight three-forked ends.

Hulinhjalmur is a magical sign to make yourself invisible.

It was beleived if you drew the Veidistafur in wren's blood on a caul with a pen made of a raven's feather, then put it in a gimlet hole under the prow of your ship that you will always have a good catch.

If the Efohreintsveimarum was carved over the door of the house and an awl of juniper or silver was made this symbol was thought to keep the house clean.

The Angurgapi was carved on the ends of barrels to prevent leaking.

The Kaupalokar was used to promote prosper in trade; this stave was drawn on furry paper and kept secretly under one's left arm, success in trading was then thought to be ensured.

From a privatly owned 19th centery manucript

The Boar of the Anglo-Saxons

To the Anglo-Saxons the boar was a symbol of kingship, plenty, and protection in battle. It was seen in the everyday life of the nordic Anglo-Saxons, and was eaten along with apples at the ceremony of the mid-winter feast. It was also a symbol of strength and fertility. The boar with its crescent shaped tusks also symbolized the "Great Goddess" which was the goddess of battle, motherhood, and as the "Great Sow" (symbol of death).

The Symbol of a Boar

According to Thegns of Mercia the complex etymology of the boar is as follows:

"It would appear that the fundamental name for a ‘pig’ in Old English is sú or sugu. This means ‘sow’ and is cognate with the Old Norse sýr and the Old High German sau. These are derived from the Proto-Germanic sugó, which is itself derived from the Proto-Indo-European suhzkéhz, which is similar to the Sanskrit sukarah - a wild boar or swine. An associated word with the same roots is the Old English swín / swýn which gives us the modern word ‘swine’. This is cognate with the Old Norse svín.

There seem to be two words in Old English specifically for the Wild Boar. These are Eofor (“Ever”) and Bár. Eofor, which is cognate with the Old High German ebur and the Old Norse jór / jöfur, derives from the Proto-Germanic eburaz, which in turn comes from the Proto-Indo-European epuros. This is also the source of Latin aper - meaning ‘a wild boar’. Our modern English word ‘boar’ comes from the Old English bár. from West-Germanic *bairaz. This is said to be of unknown origin with no cognates outside West Germanic. It is tempting to derive it from the Proto-Indo-European root b(h)ars / bars - “bristling”. The modern English term ‘hog’, comes from Old English hogg. This is thought to be a borrowing from Old Norse höggva - to chop or cut."

A Anglo-Saxon Pin representing a Boar

The boar as a symbol of protection in battle is often seen on Anglo-Saxon war helmets. The golden boar was a symbol of divine power; often connected with the sun god Frey (only the golden boar is connected to the sun god Frey since gold was connected with his magic).

The Boar not only was adorned ceremonial objects, but also practical weapons as well. The Anglo-Saxons believed that anything with the adorned with the symbol of a boar was endowed with a magic energy that would suppress the fears of the user and inspire the warrior to to be brave in battle.

Image of the Gold Boar that placed upon the helmet in the Picture Below (Last Image)

The infamous Berserker warriors of the Anglo-Saxons were almost cult-like in their symbolism. They belonged to an elite order of Odin. In battle they wore only skins of boars, bears, or wolves; as well as a mixture of potent herbs that they believed would endow them with power of the animal that they wore. The Berserker  Warriors were fierce and charged into battle without any notion of maintaining personal safety, believing that any Berserker warrior was guaranteed a place in Valhalla. 

Vendel era bronze plate. Place of discovery: Öland, Sweden. Depicted are a berserker on the right and Oden on the left.

The Berserker Warriors even had an attack named the "Boar's Snout" (or Swine Array) which Berserker Warriors believed was given to the Viking People by Odin, the God of War. The Boar's Snout was used to create a hole in the enemy's shield wall and strike fear and panic through the opposing side. 

The Caduceus of Ancient Greek

The caduceus is a rod or staff with two serpents entwined around it. It is also referred to as "herald's staff" as it was also carried by heralds.

The Caduceus Symbol

Rama

The caduceus is the symbol of Hermes, the Greek God of transitions and boundaries. The caduceus was also used to symbolize commerce and negotiations.

The caduceus was not originally Hermes', but it was given to him by his half-brother Apollo. In the Homeric Hymns about Hermes, it is said that Hermes had stolen cattle from Apollo, and as compensation for stealing the cattle Hermes gave Apollo his lyre which was fashioned from a tortoise shell. As a sign of friendship Apollo returned the gesture by giving Hermes the caduceus. 

A statue of Hermes

The caduceus through its symbolization of the god Hermes (Mercury to the Romans) also symbolized the element mercury, the astrological symbol, and the planet. The modern symbol used for mercery came from the caduceus.

The symbol for Mercury

The caduceus, also known as the "Wand of Mercury," was thought in antiquity to possess magical properties; that would gently part the souls from the dying body and wake the dead.

Passage from the book explaining the magical properties of the wand of Mercury: Lives of the necromancers: or, An account of the most eminent persons in successive ages, who have claimed for themselves, or to whom has been imputed by others, the exercise of magical power (1834) (Page 37)

DID YOU KNOW?

The caduceus is also commonly mistaken for the medical symbol, the Rod of Asclepius.

A study from Walter J Friedlander's The Golden Wand of Medicine: A History of the Caduceus symbol in medicine stated that, "The rod of Asclepius is the dominant symbol for professional healthcare associations in the United States. One survey found that 62% of professional healthcare associations used the rod of Asclepius as their symbol. The same survey found that 76% of commercial healthcare organizations used the Caduceus symbol." 

The Medical Symbol using the Rod of Asclepius

The Mysteries of Eleusis

The Eleusinian Mysteries was the cult of Demeter and Persephone which was based at Eleusis in Ancient Greece. The cult revolved around the myth of Persephone being returned to her mother from te underworld every spring. It was a major festival during the Hellenic Era for the Greeks (the festival even spread to Rome).

The Return of Persephone (1891)

Frederic Leighton

The rites, ceremonies, and rituals were kept a secret and the only persons allowed were:

1. Priests, priestesses, and Hierophants
2. Initiates, undergoing the ceremony for the first time
3. Those who have already been initiated, and were eligible for 
4. Those who had obtained ἐποπτεία (épopteia or "contemplation"), who had learned the secrets of the greatest mysteries of Demeter

Demeter

While the exact actions of the cult of Demeter and Persephone where not known to modern scholars and were not written down, from the art made of the Eleusinian Mysteries it is thought that they had three revelations during the initiation. The first of Persephone, then of Persephone giving birth in fire to a divine child named Aeon, and then of a ear of wheat, to represent the coming of a new year. 

Demeter (2012)

Jjlovely

These ceremonies were thought to hold the human races together, and were observed for 2,000 years and only came to an end with the sacking of Eleusis by the Goths in 396 BCE.

Votive plaque depicting elements of the Eleusinian Mysteries. National Archaeological Museum, Athens

Greek Temples - The Earthly Home of the Gods

Many civilizations through history have temples for payer or various activities of religious life. The ancient Greeks had temples for their various gods and each temple was dedicated to one god specifically. 

View from Philopappos Hill in Athens (Attica, Greece) — Acropolis of Athens

Model of the Temple of Zeus

Originally the temples were made out wood, but that was soon abandoned for better building materials like stone or marble. The Temples were brightly painted and would often have a large statue of their god inside. The painting would often depict the exploits of the gods or heros. 

Reconstruction of original painted state on a scaffolding covering the Temple of Concordia, Akragas.

Part of the Parthenon frieze (cast), in situ on W side of naos

The ancient greek temple was often the site of each deity's cult. Where rituals were preformed and offerings to the gods were made. Temples were also site were the common people would come to pray to the specific god for help or luck.

Illustration of Doric (first three), Ionic (next three) and Corinthian (final two) columns.

Features of a Doric temple, Greece

The (Not so Ancient) Olympic Rings & Pierre de Coubertin

The symbol of the olympic is its rings which consist of five interlocking rings, one for each continent: blue, yellow, black, green and red on a "field of white."

The Olympic Rings

While the Olympics have been around since the ancient times of Greece, the modern Olympics were started with the creation of the International Olympic Committee in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin.

"…the six colors [which includes the white canvas background] thus combined reproduce the colors of all the nations, with no exception. The blue and yellow of Sweden, the blue and white of Greece, the tri- colors of France, England and America, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Hungary, the yellow and red of Spain next to the novelties of Brazil or Australia, with old Japan and new China. Here is truly an international symbol."

Pierre de Coubertin

Pierre de Coubertin was a french aristocrat, educator, and historian, who wished to improve physical education in French schools. In 1850, de Coubertin has initiated a local athletic competition he called the "Meetings of the Olympian Class." During that time other countries like Britain also wished to improve their physical education, and the Liverpool Athletic Club also hosted their own Olympics. While more and more countries were thinking about physical education and starting their own Olympics; it was Coubertin's work that would start the International Olympic Committee.

The Headcounters of the International Olympic Committe

The summer of 1886, the first Modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece. These games were first financed by the philanthropic cousins Evangelos Zappas and Konstantions Zappas. 

A picture from the 1886 Olympic Games

The first Olympic Games did not have the same image of the olympics rings that we know today, instead the symbol of the Olympic rings were not created until 1912 when they were designed by Baron Pierre de Coubertin. In 1914 with the outbreak of WWI the Olympics were put on hold and so the rings made their debut during 1920 summer Olympics. 

A poster from the 1920 summer Olympics

In the 1950s, British Authors Lynn and Gray Poole found an "ancient" carving of the Olympic rings in Delphi, Greece. The authors thinking it was an ancient altar piece published an article about it in their book, which sparked the rumor that the rings may have been an ancient symbol. 

Cartoon from the 1936 Summer Olympics

In fact, the stone was carved for the 1936 Summer Games in Berlin. Why was the stone in Delphi then? Carl Diem, the president of the organizing committee at the time, wanted to to have the relay of the Olympic Flame from its lighting point in Olympia to the Olympic stadium in Berlin. Diem, who is supposed to have a theatrical flair, included a stop at Delphi which included a "ancient" torchbearers' stadium and a "ancient"  three-foot-tall stone altar with the modern symbol of the Olympic rings. 

The "ancient" altar piece left in Delphi

While most of the altar was removed from the site, the stone containing the Olympic rings were placed near the entrance to an ancient site, where it was found by Lynn and Gray Poole. 

The Laurel Wreath of the Classical Age

The laurel wreath is a circular wreath made from the branches of the Laurus Nobilis, the Ruscus Hypoglossum, or the Prunus Iaurocerasus. In ancient Greece, laurels most often took the shape of a horse shoe. 

Golden laurel wreath, probably from Cyprus, 4th/3rd century BC; Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen, Mannheim, Germany

Photo: Andreas Praefcke

In Greek Mythology, Apollo the sun god is represented wearing a laurel wreath on his head. The Ancient Greeks wore laurel wreaths on their heads as a sign of victory or during poetic meetings, though they could also be worn as a symbol of high status by the ruling class. 

Ancient Statue depicted wearing a Laurel Wreath

During the classical age, the laurel wreath was worn to show the attainment of a masters degree; the laurel was given to the scholar durning the graduation ceremony. This custom is still preformed today in various countries at the masters and doctorate levels.

The Latin Poet Ovid wearing a laurel wreath

DID YOU KNOW?

That the term "laureate" in "poet laureate" refers to being signified by the laurel wreath?

Pre-Raphaelite paintings depicting women wearing Laurel Wreaths

The Ancient Egyptian Scribe

The scribe of ancient egypt was known as a sesh, or a person who was educated in writing. Scribes had to be able to write in hieroglyphs and hieratic script for formal writing; and in demotic script used for shorthand and in use of advertisements.

Two Egyptian Scribes taking notes

Scribes were brought up in scribal traditions, they were sent to school and upon entering civil service took the positions of their fathers. Scribes would often came from families of scribes as positions would be handed down. 

Statue of an Egyptian Scribe; Louvre, Paris

Scribes held posts that would record administrative and economic actions in egyptian life. They would also take notes on the erection of buildings and monuments. Much of what we know of Egyptian life comes from the notes that the scribes took on everyday life in Egypt and on the matters of state. 

Set of tools that an Egyptian Scribe would use

The Pharaoh and The God Horus of Ancient Egypt

Horus is one of the oldest gods of Ancient Egypt. He is usually depicted with the head of a falcon and the body of a man. Horus is the recorded as the patron deity of Nekhen and is one of the first known national gods of Egypt. 

Horus

Horus, to the ancient Egyptians, was seen as being directly related to the king. In turn the king was thought to be a manifestation of Horus himself. The pharaoh was considered Horus in life, and Osiris in death. 

An artist's rendition of the god Horus

The Pharaohs were considered the children of Atum and Horus, which they used as the reason to justify Pharaonic power. Horus was the symbolization of cosmic and terrestrial forces, and the Pharaoh being the child of Horus in turn was thought to also have these powers. To Ancient Egyptians, because of the Pharaoh's connection, the Pharaoh was thought to have domain over all of the world. 

Horus (right) presenting Regalia to the Pharaoh (left)