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Interesting conical Viking sheld boss find
Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 1:30 pm
by AriAnson
I've never seen a Viking sheld boss shaped like this:
This iron shield boss was found in a man's grave at Kiloran Bay on Colonsay in the Inner Hebrides. He was buried in a boat between 875 and 925 with a range of Scandinavian weapons, tools and a pin, together with his horse.
The shield boss is conical in shape, an unusual form for a Viking Age boss, and it was probably was made in Ireland. It was wrapped in cloth when placed in the grave, and the impressions of the textile can be seen, preserved in the corroding iron.
Viking shields were of wood, perhaps painted or covered with leather. The wood rarely survives, but iron bosses and grips for holding the shield are often found in graves. Pictures on Scandinavian coins and runestones show large and small round shields.
http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/record.php?usi=000-000-099-680-C&PHPSESSID=lfnel5l6f6o1igi3q2erllb8k7&scache=3sfti18217&searchdb=scran
Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 5:32 pm
by Graedwyn
I found a Hershey's kiss under the couch
that looked like that.
-Graedwyn
Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 9:17 pm
by Andrew Young
exactly...
Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 11:13 pm
by AriAnson
WTB Viking round shield made entirely of chocolate
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 2:45 am
by Bastior
You see the beserkers didn't bite their shields to work themselves up into a savage fury but for the sugar rush ...
B
with appologies to Mr Pratchet
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 7:50 am
by Mord
If I remember correctly, you'll find something similiar in Wilson & Bersu's book on the Isle of Man.
Did this come from a grave?
Mord.
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 11:17 am
by Agnarr
Bastior wrote:You see the beserkers didn't bite their shields to work themselves up into a savage fury but for the sugar rush ...
B
with appologies to Mr Pratchet
He won't remember it.
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 8:22 pm
by AriAnson
Mord wrote:If I remember correctly, you'll find something similiar in Wilson & Bersu's book on the Isle of Man.
Did this come from a grave?
Mord.
"This iron shield boss was found in a man's grave at Kiloran Bay on Colonsay in the Inner Hebrides."
Yessir. All the cool toys come from dead folks, really
Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 9:10 am
by kelly powell
Showing my ignorance...where again are the Hebrides? much less the inner ones.....is it near zealand(sounded funnier in my head)
Are not a lot of"Celtic" bosses at least semi-conical?
Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 9:24 am
by adamstjohn
The Inner and Outer Hebs are off the west coast of Scotland. They include the famous isle of Skye and Mr McCartney's Mull of Kintyre.
In the medieval period, they were variously within the spheres of influence of the Picts, Scots, Irish, Norse and Lords of the Isles.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebrides
Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 6:37 am
by Brynjolfr Hrafnsson
Actually what is more interesting to me than the boss shape is the fact that it provides a fairly good impression of the weave on the cloth that wrapped it. I would love to see some super close up pics of that texture.