Thor’s Hammer Mjolnir pendant from 10th-11th century

I chose to research and make this pendant as my first piece because of how well it shows a host of symbolism on the surface and as a whole, I think it is one of many perfect examples that show the Vikings capacity to create pieces with a form of narrative meaning such as spiritual symbolism.

As we observe the piece we can see that it is very busy with detail so in order to explain it I had to break it down in sections.

Firstly the overall shape is that of Thor’s hammer which was worn as a symbol of strength, protection and patronage to the god of thunder. The other element that can be observed is the head of an eagle which in Norse mythology is considered to represent strength, death and Odin and as it is at the top of the pendant is shows the importance of that god and of the control Odin has over other gods such as Thor. The last symbol is a stylised version of the witch’s knot which is a protective symbol against witchcraft. 

http://archaicwonder.tumblr.com/post/139384554358/viking-thors-hammer-pendant-10th-11th-century

Through making the replica of this pendant I learnt how much effort is involved in even the most simplest of design and that working with modern tools I can further appreciate how skilled the Scandinavians were at that time with the technology they had.