Viking Objects
Saltfleetby Spindle Whorl (LIN-D92A22)
A lead spindle whorl found at Saltfleetby St Clement, Lincolnshire, and inscribed with runes. The dating of the spindle whorl is uncertain, and dates in the late Viking Age, the early eleventh century, or even the twelfth century, have been suggested. The spindle whorl is inscribed with Scandinavian runes that appear to mention the Norse gods Odin and (possibly) Heimdall. The object is likely to have been produced locally, though the runes demonstrate contacts with the Scandinavian world of the time, perhaps especially Norway. John Hines has suggested the translation ‘Óðinn and Heimdallr and Þalfa, they are helping you, Úlfljót, and …’. For further discussion of the text, see the open-access article by Jesch referenced below. For more on runes, see our Runes page.
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Viking Designs
Drawing of the Thorfast Comb Case
A bone comb case with a runic inscription which reads ‘Thorfast made a good comb’. It is unknown whether the runes were inscribed by Thorfast himself as advertising, or whether the owner inscribed them to remind them where to go for another good comb if they needed one.
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Viking Objects
Reproduction Bone Comb with Runic Inscription
A bone comb with a case with a runic inscription on it. The inscription reads, in translation, “Thorfast made a good comb.” The Vikings had a reputation for looking after their personal hygiene. Combs were an important part of that process, not just for combing your hair but also for removing nits and lice.
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Viking Objects
Reproduction Rune Inscribed Rib
Runes were used not only for monumental inscriptions, or to mark ownership of valuable objects, but also in more informal contexts. In this case the animal bone suggests an after-dinner pastime after a good meal in the Anglo-Scandinavian trading centre of Lincoln. The runes read ——l × hitir × stin × … Only two words of the Old Norse inscription can be read with certainty, and even so they are ambiguous. One possible interpretation is ‘[someone] is heating a stone’ the other is ‘[someone] is called Stein’. The bone is fragmentary, but the inscription may never have been intended to make much sense. The original object dates from around the tenth century. It is one of only three runic inscriptions from the East Midlands.
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Viking Objects
Reproduction Drop Spindle
A reproduction of a lead alloy spindle whorl with a runic inscription, modelled on a find from Saltfleetby St Clement, Lincolnshire. Fibres were spun into thread using a drop-spindle of which the whorls were made of bone, ceramic, lead, or stone and acted as flywheels during spinning.
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Viking Names
Ulfljot
The Old Norse female personal name Úlfljót is comprised of the element Úlf– ‘wolf’ and the element -ljót which is also attested as the simplex female personal name Ljót. Although Úlfljót is not otherwise attested, the masculine equivalent Úlfljótr is recorded in Iceland and possibly Yorkshire. John Hines has suggested that the female name is inscribed in runes on the Saltfleetby spindle whorl found at Saltfleetby St Clement, Lincolnshire, which he has translated as ‘Óðinn and Heimdallr and Þalfa, they are helping you, Úlfljót…’.
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Viking Designs
Drawing of the Saltfleetby Spindle Whorl
Drawing of a lead alloy spindle whorl from Saltfleetby, Lincolnshire showing part of the runic inscription. For further information, see the entry for the original item.
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Viking Objects
Bone Comb with Runic Inscription (1867,0320.12)
An original bone comb case with a runic inscription on it which reads, in translation, “Thorfast made a good comb.” The Vikings were known for looking after their personal hygiene. Combs were not only used for combing your hair but also for removing nits and lice.
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Viking Objects
Rune Inscribed Rib (LCNCC : 1999.103.104)
Runes were used not only for monumental inscriptions, or to mark ownership of valuable objects, but also in more informal contexts. In this case the animal bone suggests an after-dinner pastime after a good meal in the Anglo-Scandinavian trading centre of Lincoln. The runes read ——l × hitir × stin × … Only two words of the Old Norse inscription can be read with certainty, and even so they are ambiguous. One possible interpretation is ‘[someone] is heating a stone’ the other is ‘[someone] is called Stein’. The bone is fragmentary, but the inscription may never have been intended to make much sense. The object dates from around the 10th century. It is one of only three runic inscriptions from the East Midlands.
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Viking Objects
Reproduction Runic Plaque
The original of which this is a pewter reproduction is a folded lead plaque of a type that became very popular in Scandinavia from the late eleventh century. The runes are of the Viking Age Scandinavian type, though there appears to be one occurrence of the distinctively Anglo-Saxon ‘wynn’-rune. It is not possible to make any sense of the text, and it is possible that the writer never intended to do so. The parallels from Scandinavia include lead sheets (often folded), crosses and amulets. The runic inscriptions on these objects are often combinations of incantatory or biblical Latin, or charm language or just gibberish. The abbey of Holme St Benet is on the edge of an area in East Anglia which place-names indicate was subject to extensive Scandinavian influence.