When the Vikings brought home their booty from their raiding, merchanting and serving foreign Kings, they accumulated a wide variety of goods.  Some of these accusations influenced generations of viking art styles.  The triangular frank sword fittings became the Viking Trefoil brooches.  The Viking craftsmen soon made their own designs of Trefoil brooches and were no longer dependent on raiding parties bringing more of the precious pieces home.

In looking at the 35 pendants that make up the necklace from a hoard find, Krasse, Guldrupe, Gotland, Sweden, Gold, Silver and bronze are fishtail shaped, I cannot help but think of a piece of costume from Byzantium.  The superhumeral, an elaborate embroidered and sometime jeweled collar. When extensions wear added to the superhumeral, it became a pallium.

I have to think that this hoard find was inspired by the travels of some Viking Varangian serving the Byzantine empire.  He must have returned home and commissioned these pendants.

We again offer these reproductions!