Snake cross - Alemannic jewelry made of silver-plated bronze, Early Middle Ages

Germanic-Alemannic jewelry pendant with a snake depiction in the form of a suggested swastika.

Such jewelry was widespread during the Early Middle Ages from 500 to 700 AD and was also considered an integral part of Alemannic women's costumes.

It is a rotating cross that represents the four wind directions, the four elements, and the four seasons.

Similar motifs with animal ornaments were later found in the Borre style.

The Borre style is dated to the 9th to 10th century and was named after the Borre grave find in Vestfold / Norway.

Typical of the style are animal ornaments, animal heads, and knotwork. The Borre style is also known as the griffin style. It was particularly widespread in eastern Scandinavia.

The snake has played an important role in Germanic mythology and visual arts since the Bronze Age, closely associated with ancient fertility rites that represented the return of life in spring and its death in winter. The snake may also have held a special place in funerary rites, as suggested by the Germanic serpent Níðhöggr at the World Tree and the world-encircling Midgard Serpent. The snake is part of the mythological canon of many cultures. It appears not only in Germanic mythology but also in Siberian shamanism and the beliefs of the Indo-European peoples.

Swan cross pendant made of silver-plated bronze

Dimensions:

• Diameter Ø approx. 48 mm
• Weight approx.: 18 g.

The back of the pendant is smooth and without a design.

Price per piece.