Symbols of Protection
The Significance of Animal-ornamented Shields in Early Anglo-Saxon England
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 10998625 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Tania M Dickinson (corresponding author) |
| Year | 2005 |
| Volume | 49 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 109-163 |
| Publication date | 2005-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Medieval Archaeology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0076-6097 • E-ISSN: 1745-817X |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1179/007660905x54062 |
| OpenAlex | W1982008294 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 19 |
| References cited | 15 |
THE SIGNIFICANCE of shields with animal ornament on the boss and/or board in early Anglo-Saxon society is sought in the coincidence of artefactual, stylistic and iconographic symbolism. Twenty shields buried in the 6th to earliest 7th century, together with seventeen further mounts which were probably originally designed for shields, form the basis of a systematic typological review; decoration in Salin's Style I is emphasised. Analysis of dating, distribution and use in burial establishes cultural and social contexts. The meaning of the ornamental repertoire is sought through iconographic analogies, notably with Scandinavian bracteates and their putative association with a cult of O inn/Woden. It is proposed that the animal ornament invested the shields with a specific apotropaic quality, which emphasised, and amplified, the protective role of select adult males, and hence their authority over kin, community and even kingdom
Ancient history · Archaeology · Art · Cult · Epistemology · Genealogy · Literature · Meaning (existential · Repertoire · Style (visual arts · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Historical and Archaeological Studies · History · Medieval Literature and History · Philosophy
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| Unique citing works | 19 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1,19 |
| Citation span | 2010 - 2020 (11) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 19 |