Archaeology: A viking blacksmith

A thousand years ago, more or less, a norse blacksmith reached the end of his life-journey and at his funeral rites, his tools were buried with him. Now, archaeology found his burial place and the artefacts buried with him. The findings give us insight into the work and status of a blacksmith in the viking society of old.

The grave was composed of several layers. It seems, according to the archaeologists , that the placement of the artefacts in the grave signify a relative status. At the top it has been found the blacksmith tools. An axe was also found, along with a sword and some agricultural implements. Deeper down were the blacksmith’s personal items, including a razor, scissors (for trimming his beard, perhaps), tweezers, a frying pan and a poker. The grave contained about sixty artefacts. At the very bottom it was found the cremated remains of a human being – it was the blacksmith, of course. There were other personal items; some beads that had been attached to his clothing and a comb made of bone.

It may be possible that the blacksmith's contemporaries wished to show how skilful he was in his work by including such an extensive amount of objects; he might have forged many of these tools himself even. 

It is interesting to see that during the Viking Age, people still had great respect for blacksmiths. Tamers of fire, who could create objects controlling this wild and dangerous element, molding metal and making a perfect union between earth (the metals it gives), fire, and water and air (which are also needed while forging). The use of the four elements by one single person, and the control of those same elements; blacksmiths in old times must have been seen like some kind of sorcerers.

The joy of creating objects, by controlling the elements and using both strength and delicacy, must be a wonderful therapy.

Of Fire and Mischief

NOTE: The Picture was taken by MissLoony, All Rights Reserverd.


I will talk about the Natural Elements and today the subject is the elemental fire and the importance it has even as a therapy.
The Fire is the source of all creation, it all began with it, i see fire as a living creature, that breathes to live and eats or consumes all arround, so it can grow, it moves, it pulses with life. Fire can be a cosy friend but also a terribel enemy, above all else, when working with it, we must have the utmost care and respect it.
The fire as a therapy is like magic upon our minds, try to sit or lay near a bonfire or a fireplace, in a chair or bed, close your eyes and listen the crackling of the fire, imagine yourself in a distante place, beautiful, dreamlike, near a river or in the mountains, the wind is cold, you feel inside your heart, the bliss , you feel warmer, or you can even think about a place inside a wooden house, snow outside with the sound of the wind blowing hard and the yelp of the wolves. You will fall asleep and have a great rest upon your pillow. Of course you can imagine thousands of situations at the sound of the crackling fire.
Just like the God Loki, he has an outstanding power and skills over fire, and he gained all this knowledge with the Giant Surt the black of Muspellheim, surffice to say, he is the lord of fire. But that is another story for an other post. And speaking of Loki, i avail what i have said, to speak about it, many people see him as the devil of the christian myths, i can tell you, that is a mistake often taken, in the Norse Mythology there are no evil gods, each one has his purpose, his own skills, powers and doings, Loki is the God of Mischief, fire, magic, shapeshifting and cunning, and all of us in our daily lifes, when working with other persons, we have to be cunning, eyes opened, or the society will "eat us alive", also we have to shapeshift, not like loki, but in a metaphorical way, play a bit, not with evil purposes, or to gain things we want and pass over others, but in a way so we can help others and ourselves, it is easy to make evil, and hard to do good, that is the true lesson and the real task.