Slavs and Snakes: Material Markers of Elite Identity in Viking Age Poland

Gardeła, Leszek; Kajkowski, Kamil

doi:10.1017/eaa.2020.36

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…The importance and rank of this species in the mythical reality and the symbolism of the early medieval Western Slavs can also be seen in some decorative motifs created by contemporary artists/craftsmen on elements of equestrian equipment and manufactured figurines [ 14 , 19 , 20 , 110 , 111 , 112 ]. An example is an iconographic representation placed on the bronze ferrule of the Oldenburg knife scabbard, dated to the 10th/11th century.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In her book, she took into account various categories of information, including more recent discoveries of skulls and skeletons excavated from the bottom of Lake Zarańskie in the village of Żółte, surrounding a small island that was a place of special religious importance for local Slavs [ 15 , 16 , 17 ]. These new discoveries were also used in the subsequent works of the young generation of researchers interested in the religion and rituals of the Slavs [ 18 , 19 , 20 ]. In terms of sources, these publications were based on the same sources available in the aforementioned publications.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Horses in the Early Medieval (10th–13th c.) Religious Rituals of Slavs in Polish Areas—An Archaeozoological, Archaeological and Historical Overview

Makowiecki

Chudziak

Szczepanik

et al. 2022

Animals

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Knowledge about horses from early medieval (10th–13th c.) Poland has been largely based on historical and archaeological data. Archaeozoological information has only been used to a limited extent. Therefore, this article aims to present the current state of knowledge on this subject, drawing on archaeozoological data from studies of horse bones. Apart from confirming earlier reflections regarding the sacred significance of the horse, additional information was obtained about specific individuals who were the subject of magical treatments. It turned out that sites with horse skeletons and skulls are few compared to the familiar presence of horse remains among kitchen waste. This contrasts with the neighbouring regions, where horses were buried more frequently among the Germans, Scandinavians and Prussians. Some new data have been obtained thanks to taphonomic analyses, which demonstrated that horse skulls of apotropaic status were not only exposed to public viewing but were also deposited under stronghold ramparts. Horses suffering from infectious diseases could also be buried under such ramparts. Considerations in the article lead to conclusions that horses were used in religious rituals as sacrificial animals, apotropaic deposits, as fortune-telling animals and cosmological figures.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Horses in the Early Medieval (10th–13th c.) Religious Rituals of Slavs in Polish Areas—An Archaeozoological, Archaeological and Historical Overview

Makowiecki

Chudziak

Szczepanik

et al. 2022

Animals

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“…Perhaps the need for cultural identification referred to the "primordial" origo gentis, legitimising (by religion) the social and perhaps religious position. Research on this issue is ongoing (Gardeła, Kajkowski, Söderberg 2019;Gardeła, Kajkowski, in print;Kajkowski in print b).…”

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confidence: 99%

Myth in Action? Figurative Images on Ceramics as a Source for Studying the Pre-Christian Beliefs of Western Slavs

Kajkowski¹

2020

Studia

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The spiritual culture of Western Slavs is becoming an increasingly prominent research field in archaeology. The dynamic growth of material evidence allows archaeologists not only to expand the corpus of evidence used in their work but also to formulate new hypotheses that broaden the current state of knowledge, as well as to develop new research trajectories. The study of relics of cult-places and the material remains of ritual ceremonies play a particularly significant role here. Research into material culture, including iconographic sources, is of great significance. Both these research topics can be broadened by the studies of objects commonly extracted from the earth, namely ceramic vessels.Moreover, not only the ritual behaviour that accompanies their production, or the symbolism of vessels, as such, or their forms but also about their ornamentation is of interest. Thus far, the issue of ornamentation has remained on the fringes of mainstream scholarly debates. Marek Dulinicz is among the scholars who have made the most substantial contributions to this field of research. However, since 2008, there have been no further studies on this topic. Although the corpus of completely preserved or fragmented vessels with figural depictions known today has expanded, the body of material with narrative scenes remains fairly small. New finds of vessels (or their fragments) with such imagery are found very rarely – even though numerous excavation campaigns are being undertaken – leading to the situation in which vessels with narrative scenes become rare and exceptional sources. This paper will specifically address this particular body of material. Around twenty different vessels will be considered here. Most of them are known from the area inhabited by the Baltic Slavs and the territory of modern-day Poland (Masovia and Silesia). One shard comes from Slovakia. The present paper seeks to provide answers to questions about the purpose of placing figural imagery on vessels, as well as to investigate the spatial and chronological occurrence of such finds, and the possible functions the vessels had in the everyday lives of their users.

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Copper-alloy belt fittings and elite networking in Early Medieval Central Europe

Macháček,

Eichert,

Nosek

et al. 2024

Journal of Archaeological Science

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Slavs and Snakes: Material Markers of Elite Identity in Viking Age Poland

Cited by 4 publications

References 22 publications

Horses in the Early Medieval (10th–13th c.) Religious Rituals of Slavs in Polish Areas—An Archaeozoological, Archaeological and Historical Overview

Horses in the Early Medieval (10th–13th c.) Religious Rituals of Slavs in Polish Areas—An Archaeozoological, Archaeological and Historical Overview

Myth in Action? Figurative Images on Ceramics as a Source for Studying the Pre-Christian Beliefs of Western Slavs

Copper-alloy belt fittings and elite networking in Early Medieval Central Europe

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