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Home Boundless meetings Family and hierarchy Divine craftwork Midgard Belief and traditions 46: Different concepts combined in objects 47: New and old symbols melded into hybrids 48: Brooches to read and understand 49: Many kinds of Christianity 50: Magical amulets 51: Attributes of the gods 52: Relics became traded goods 53: Offerings in boundary areas gave protection 54: Cult worship in the boundary areas 55: Men of the church took power and position 56: Three gods of fertility 57: The Aesir – the gods of the aristocracy 58: Staff-bearers could see into the future The living and the dead Waterways Trading and raiding Town-like centres Christian monuments
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New and old symbols melded into hybrids

Norse and Christian concepts were often melded into hybrids. This merging was a natural consequence of a changing world. The many combined concepts can be clearly seen in the written sources and in the design of objects.

This exquisite group of objects from Gotland consists of 35 gilded pendants shaped like fish heads, and a box brooch. Throughout history the fish has often been used as a symbol for Jesus. All the pendants are also decorated with a cross, while the ornamentation on the brooch rather reflects the Old Norse myths and traditions.

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Box-shaped brooch

  Box-shaped brooch

Fish head-shaped pendants

  Fish head-shaped pendants