Viking Necklace Meaning and History(2020 updated)

Necklaces are an adornment fit for both male and female species. Their simple chain and pendant combinations make them ideal for any outfit and have the power to transform a bland look into a retro one. Fashion accessories spotting ancient symbols with a deep meaning behind them are very attractive and these are but some of the characteristics of the Viking necklace.

Vikings are one of today’s most influential society and this is largely attributed to the endless movies and films that have been done about them and their lifestyle. Since their re-introduction into the public eye as fearless warriors, they have enchanted the hearts of many. Innovations in the technology world have enabled mass production of Viking themed jewelry. The Viking necklace with its large descriptive pendants is a big favorite of many Viking fans.

Viking Necklace Meaning

jewelry was worn as a form of identification more than just for its monetary significance. Based on their jewelry, it could be possible to know the status and maybe the lineage from which or political affiliations that are attached to a person. One of the most expressive members of the Viking community were the warriors who not only wore these totems but also had them tattooed on their foreheads.

Kings and the well-to-do in the Viking land had tons of jewelry that they distributed freely to their warriors, their people and their fellow leaders across the seas to foster and keep loyalty and peace throughout the lands.

Neck accessories of the Nordic people was in the form of necklaces or neck rings and could be worn by both men and women. However, neck rings were more the reserve of men.

In those days, war was a normal and sought-out activity and with the men gone for a long time, and with danger and peril at their wake, wives made talismans (necklaces) with an empowering and protective pendant. They gave them to their men before they left for sea believing that the talisman had the power to bring them back home in one piece. based on their huge success rate and their popularity, we think it could be true.

Hammer Necklace Meaning

Thor’s hammer also known as Mjolnir was one of the symbols that inspired ad empowered the Viking people. It was a favorite symbol of the Viking men as it was a direct reference to their god Thor who was going to fight with them in their battles. Thor was known as the god of thunder, lightning, hallowing, fertility, storms, protection of mankind and sacred groves.

Vikings believed that Thor’s hammer would shield them from any unforeseen peril or danger. They have faith that the hammer could be a source of strength in the face of a difficult situation and looked to it for guidance and direction. In their time, they used this symbol to officiate rites of passage like weddings and funerals to call upon a blessing on the newly weds or to send their dearly departed on a safe journey to the afterlife.

Thor’s Hammer has a characteristically short handle that has an interesting tale behind it. It is said that a mischievous half-god stole a strand of gold hair from Thor’s wife and to avoid punishment coaxed the dwarves to forge impressive weapons that would be fit for a god. While the dwarves were busy creating these weapons, Loki was busy trying to sabotage their efforts. By biting on one of the dwarve’s eyes so hard that it drew blood, he successfully manages to get the dwarf to pause the smelting job which results in a short-handled hammer.

Despite all his efforts, Mjolnir is a success and one of the most powerful weapons and Nordic symbols of all time.

Viking Wolf Necklace Meaning

After the Battle of Ragnarok which changed the trajectory of the Viking gods and people’s lives, Fenrir became a popular totem. Fenrir was one of the mightiest wolves among those in the Viking land. He was a son to an odd coupling between the half-god Loki and the giantess Angrboda. His siblings were the Death Goddess Hel and Serpent Jormungand. Fenrir had long been held in down and rope bound but at the battle, he broke free to execute the most historic and unexpected murder of the Viking era: he gobbled up Odin the great indestructible Viking god.

Based on this powerful act, the wolf Fenrir gained a position among the great Viking symbols to be recreated over time and time to make pendants and jewelry of all types. It is believed that whoever wears the Fenrir totem attracts to them the wolf’s power of determination, might, and patience.

Also featuring prominently on the symbol is an upside-down rune that represents victory. Wearers of this type of pendants are fearless and go after what they desire with all they have got. This combination of grit and courage has always led to success.

Viking Necklace History

Regardless of their brute savagery, Vikings were great craftsmen who excelled in smelting their jewelry with unique and significant designs. Necklaces and neck rings have been with the Nordic people forever and both men and women loved to adorn themselves with these eccentric pieces. Whether for decoration, ritual or belief, necklaces were highly revered in the community.

They were made using the wax method to create these elaborate designs. This calls for a wax mold of the intended symbol to be created and for liquid metal to be poured into the mold. The wax is later broken off and the metal thoroughly shined afterward.

This is evidentially true because necklaces are not commonly found among the heaps of jewelry dug up from the old graves. It was common practice for Vikings to bury their dead with their jewelry and monetary possessions to act as a support system in the afterlife where they believed that one went into after death. It is suggested that necklaces or talismans held a higher significance and were mostly kept within the family. They could be found hanging on a gravestone left there to probably watch over their dead.

Conclusion

Necklaces were a piece of very personal jewelry to the Vikings. Their versatility made for a great gift across genders and this increased its sentimental value. Vikings hardly parted with their necklace pieces. Unless in death.

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