Viking Names
Goadby Marwood
The first element of Goadby Marwood, in the Framland Hundred of Leicestershire, comes from the Old Norse male personal name Gauti (genitive singular Gauta), which is either a short form of names in Gaut- or is derived from an original byname meaning ‘a man from Gautland’. The second element of the place-name is the Old Norse element by ‘a farmstead, a village’. The affix Marwood is the family name of Gaufridus Maureward who held the manor in 1247. The manor remained in the family until at least 1428. The affix Marwood distinguishes the township from Goadby, in the Gartree Hundred of Leicestershire.
Read More
Viking Names
Long Clawson
Long Clawson, in the Framland Hundred of Leicestershire, likely comes from the Old Danish male personal name Klak (Old Norse Klakkr), an original byname probably meaning ‘a lump, a clod’. This personal name is frequently found throughout the Danelaw and occurs in other place-names such as Claxby, Lincolnshire, and Claxton, North Yorkshire. Alternatively, the first element has been suggested to be Old English clacc ‘a hill, a peak’. The second element is Old English tun ‘an enclosure; a farmstead; a village; an estate’. The village is variously described as in the Vale referring to the Vale of Belvoir, and since c. 155o the affix had been Long from Old English lang ‘long’ likely because the township is of linear formation and is approximately one mile in length.
Read More
Viking Names
Smeeton Westerby
Smeeton Westerby, in the Gartree Hundred of Leicestershire, was originally two separate settlements. The earlier settlement is Smeeton which comes from Old English smið ‘smith, a worker in metal’ and Old English tun ‘an enclosure; a farmstead; a village; an estate’. The later settlement, Westerby, is a Scandinavian compound from Old Norse vestr ‘west, westerly’ and Old Norse by ‘a farmstead, a village’. Westerby is presumably an offshoot of Smeeton as the name refers to its location being slightly to the west of Smeeton.
Read More
Viking Objects
Reproduction Ring-Headed Pin
A reproduction ring-headed pin used for fastening cloaks. Pins like this were common in Ireland and the western British Isles, and spread further afield under Viking influence.
Read More
Viking Objects
Reproduction Glass Gaming Pieces
These are reproductions of a conical glass stud found in Lincolnshire, interpreted here as gaming pieces. However analysis of the original on which they are modelled suggests that it could also have been a glass fitting on decorative metalwork.
Read More
Viking Designs
Drawing of a Carolingian Trefoil Mount
Drawing of a copper alloy and gilded Carolingian mount with niello inlay found in Leicestershire. The mount has holes drilled through it for affixing to a surface, possibly a book, or perhaps to repurpose it as a pendant.
Read More
Viking Designs
Drawing of Bone Comb
A drawing of an intricately decorated bone comb found in Lincoln.
Read More
Viking Names
Thurvaston
Thurvaston, in the Appletree Hundred of Derbyshire, comes from the Old Norse male personal name Þurferð and the Old English tun ‘farm, settlement’. It is thus a hybrid name. The same personal name appears in Thoroton in Nottinghamshire. This personal name normally appears in Scandinavian sources in its contracted form, Þórðr, while the full form appears in runic and other sources in Sweden. Thurvaston is a joint parish with Osleston.
Read More
Viking Names
Thorfast
Þorfastr is a common male name in the eastern part of the Viking world – it is common in Swedish runic inscriptions and is even found in the inscription on a rune-stone fragment found in Finland, as well as a couple of Danish ones, but it does not occur in any Norwegian or Icelandic texts. It can be found in the runic inscription on the Lincoln comb-case.
Read More
Viking Objects
Reproduction Ansate Brooch
A reproduction, copper alloy, ansate brooch based on an example from York. Two copper alloy examples of ansate brooches, also known as equal-armed brooches, were found at 16-22 Coppergate. These brooches are characterised by a narrow arched bow and terminal heads of identical form. The design of the brooches from Coppergate are a variant known as ‘caterpillar’ type. Asnate brooches are dated to between the seventh and ninth centuries though the finds at Coppergate may extend their popularity into the tenth century. The ‘caterpillar’ variety is typically geographically limited to areas bordering the North Sea. The quantity found in England, however, may indicate local manufacture. Brooches were a typical part of female dress. Scandinavian brooches came in a variety of sizes and shapes which included disc, trefoil, lozenge, equal-armed, and oval shapes. The different brooch types served a variety of functions in Scandinavian female dress with oval brooches typically being used as shoulder clasps for apron-type dresses and the rest being used to secure an outer garment to an inner shift. Anglo-Saxon brooches do not match this diversity of form with large disc brooches being typical of ninth century dress styles with smaller ones becoming more popular in the later ninth and tenth centuries. However, since disc brooches were used by both Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian women they are distinguished by their morphology. Scandinavian brooches were typically domed with a hollow back while Anglo-Saxon brooches were usually flat. Moreover, Anglo-Saxon brooches were worn singly without accompanying accessories.
Read More
Viking Names
Kedleston
Kedleston, in the Appletree Hundred of Derbyshire, is a hybrid formation of the common Old Norse male personal name Ketill and the Old English element tun ‘farm, settlement’.