Viking glass beads Birka, 10 pieces, red

Product description

The glass bead is a replica of a bead found during excavations at various Viking sites such as Gotland, Birka and Ribe. This timeless design bead was also employed in other periods, from classical antiquity to the Renaissance, so it is well-suited to Viking necklaces as well as to making jewellery for any historical period.

These glass beads are handmade using the same technique the Vikings employed: melting glass on a metal rod to form beads. They are particularly well-suited to reenactment, living history, and Viking archaeology enthusiasts. With these beads, a unique Viking necklace can be created. Mix & match them with other beads and pendants from our collection to create a distinctive piece of jewellery.

Viking necklaces were crafted from various materials and served not only as decoration but also as a status symbol and spiritual object. They could contain distinctive elements and were closely linked to magic, rituals, and identity, as seen in stories about the Brísing necklace and saints such as Genevieve and Bathild. Archaeological findings show that necklaces could carry both pagan and Christian symbolism and were often associated with ritual specialists, such as the v?lur, who may have employed them in seiðr magic. Research into necklace assemblages and graves with magical objects suggests that necklaces played an important role in spiritual and ritual practices within Viking culture.