Friday 1 May 2015

Of Vikings, Ships and Combs

What I loved the most about Oslo was the Viking Ship Museum. I had never seen a Viking ship in real life. They are absolutely amazing.


I was impressed by their size, but what I found truly interesting was that the Vikings buried their dead in those ships. I cannot imagine how it must have been to inter such enormous things. The dead were buried together with utensils and jewellery in the case of women, tools and weapons in the case of men. There were also remains of dogs and horses, as well as food and drink in some of the graves. It reminded me a bit of what they did in Egypt. It is obvious that the way the bodies were placed surrounded by all those objects had a special meaning. The literature suggests a belief in life after death.


One of the objects found in the graves that drew my attention was the comb. Searching for information, I found this book by Steven P. Ashby. Steven tries to “see” how the Vikings lived by analysing the making and use of combs. Combs played a very important role in Viking life, they were made of antlers from red deer, reindeer or elk.

The book takes you through the stages of comb-making and use. It analyses questions like how the Vikings got the rough materials, how they manufactured the combs and if they sold them or gave them as gifts. It also touches on themes like the uses of combs, for example, whether they were used for grooming or as ornaments, if they were a symbol of status, and why they were found in the graves. After reading it, I realised that my conception of the Vikings was completely wrong. For one thing, they paid great attention to their hair!


When in Oslo visit The Viking Ship museum, a MUST SEE.

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