Grevensvænge figurines
Encyclopedia
The Grevensvænge hoard is a find of the late Nordic Bronze Age
(roughly dating to between 800 BC and 500 BC), discovered in the late 18th century at Grevensvænge, Naestved Municipality, Zealand, Denmark
.
The hoard consisted of seven bronze figurines. Its first mention is in 1779, where it is said to have been found in the ground "a few years ago". After their discovery, they were kept with the pastor at Herlufmagle, Marcus Schnabel.
Five of these figurines are now lost, while two were bought by the Danish National Museum in 1823 and 1839. A drawing of four of the figurines was made in 1779, by Schnabel.
The drawing shows two kneeling figures of warriors with horned helmet
s and axes, a leaping acrobat, and a standing woman.
Based on comparison with petroglyphs of the same era (e.g. Tanumshede
, Sweden), it is assumed that the figurines were originally part of an ensemble arranged on a ship.
Both the twins motive and the cultic significance of the horned helmets seems to have persisted into early Germanic culture
. The kneeling warrior figures have been interpreted as the "Ashvins
" type divine twins
of early Indo-European religion, sons of the sky-god, known by the name of Alcis to Tacitus.
Nordic Bronze Age
The Nordic Bronze Age is the name given by Oscar Montelius to a period and a Bronze Age culture in Scandinavian pre-history, c. 1700-500 BC, with sites that reached as far east as Estonia. Succeeding the Late Neolithic culture, its ethnic and linguistic affinities are unknown in the absence of...
(roughly dating to between 800 BC and 500 BC), discovered in the late 18th century at Grevensvænge, Naestved Municipality, Zealand, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
.
The hoard consisted of seven bronze figurines. Its first mention is in 1779, where it is said to have been found in the ground "a few years ago". After their discovery, they were kept with the pastor at Herlufmagle, Marcus Schnabel.
Five of these figurines are now lost, while two were bought by the Danish National Museum in 1823 and 1839. A drawing of four of the figurines was made in 1779, by Schnabel.
The drawing shows two kneeling figures of warriors with horned helmet
Horned helmet
European Bronze Age and Iron Age helmets with horns are known from a few depictions, and even fewer actual finds. Such helmets mounted with animal horns or replicas of them were probably used for religious ceremonial or ritual purposes.-Prehistoric Europe:...
s and axes, a leaping acrobat, and a standing woman.
Based on comparison with petroglyphs of the same era (e.g. Tanumshede
Tanumshede
Tanumshede is a locality and the seat of Tanum Municipality in Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 1,597 inhabitants in 2005.-Rock Carvings in Tanum:...
, Sweden), it is assumed that the figurines were originally part of an ensemble arranged on a ship.
Both the twins motive and the cultic significance of the horned helmets seems to have persisted into early Germanic culture
Pre-Roman Iron Age
The Pre-Roman Iron Age of Northern Europe designates the earliest part of the Iron Age in Scandinavia, northern Germany, and the Netherlands north of the Rhine River. These regions feature many extensive archaeological excavation sites, which have yielded a wealth of artifacts...
. The kneeling warrior figures have been interpreted as the "Ashvins
Ashvins
The Ashvins , in Hindu mythology, are divine twin horsemen in the Rigveda, sons of Saranya , a goddess of the clouds and wife of Surya in his form as Vivasvat. The Ashvins are Vedic gods symbolising the shining of sunrise and sunset, appearing in the sky before the dawn in a golden chariot,...
" type divine twins
Divine twins
The Divine twins are a mytheme of Proto-Indo-European mythology.*the Greek Dioscuri*the Vedic Ashvins*the Lithuanian Ašvieniai*the Latvian Dieva dēli*Alcis *Romulus and Remus*Hengest and Horsa...
of early Indo-European religion, sons of the sky-god, known by the name of Alcis to Tacitus.