Snake cross - Alemannic brass jewelry, Early Middle Ages

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

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

It is a revolving cross, representing the four cardinal directions, the four elements, and the four seasons.

 

Such motifs with animal ornaments later reappeared in the Borre style.

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

Typical of the style are animal ornaments, animal heads, and knot ornaments. The Borre style is also known as the Gripping Beast style. It was particularly widespread in Eastern Scandinavia.

 

The snake has played an important role in Germanic mythology and art since the Bronze Age, being 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 the cult of the dead, as indicated by the Germanic serpent Nidhöggr at the world tree and the world-encircling Midgard Serpent. The snake belongs to the mythological canon of many peoples. It appeared not only in Germanic mythology but also in Siberian shamanism and the beliefs of Indo-European peoples.

 

Swan Cross Pendant in Bronze

Dimensions:

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