Germanic & Slavic jewelry

Germanic Jewelry: Merovingian, Frankish, Vendel, Anglo-Saxon Jewelry

Our Germanic jewelry is based on originals from approximately the 3^rd to the 8^th century found in Western Europe. Here, we use Germanic as an overarching name for Merovingian, Frankish, Vendel, Anglo-Saxon jewelry, and jewelry from the Germanic tribes. The period also known as the Dark Ages, the time between the late Romans and the Vikings. These pieces are incredibly intriguing and beautiful. When you look at the jewelry, you wonder why this period is called dark. The jewelry shows a shared visual culture and immense wealth. You also see some Viking pendants whose iconography was already used for the Viking Age, such as the wheel amulet.

Irminsul, Wheel Amulet, Germanic Ravens, and Lunula Pendants

The material heritage of the early medieval peoples in Western Europe provides much insight into their religion and culture. The Irminsul is a well-known symbol of the Germanic peoples up to the Anglo-Saxons. The Irminsul was a natural sanctuary, a column in the forest made from a wooden trunk. The wheel is an important symbol since the Bronze Age and represents the solstice. The ravens are the two companions of the god Wodan: Huginn and Muninn. The lunula was worn for protection.