Although Late Anglo-Saxon Christian writers automatically refer to the Norse Vikings as 'heathens', evidence for the religious ideas and practices of these people in Britain is practically non-existent, and the speed and thoroughness with which they assimilated to Anglo-Saxon culture and converted to Christianity in England is much disputed. A spindle whorl from a coastal site at Saltfleetby in Lincolnshire found in 2010 is small but provides important new information and insight. It invokes Óðinn, Heimdallr and a þalfa (Þjálfa?); It can be dated to around the early 11th century. This paper will present refined, and discuss the archaeological, runological, linguistic and historical aspects of its significance, with reference particularly to the wider history of the runic tradition in Britain in the Viking Period and the survival and use of the Norse language.
John Hines FSA, MA, DPhil (Oxon) is Professor in the School of History, Archaeology and Religion of Cardiff University, Wales. He specializes in the material life, literature and languages of medieval northern Europe, and has focussed research on the integrated (‘interdisciplinary’) study of archaeology, the history of language, and literature.
Miðaldastofa Háskóla Íslands
The University of Iceland Centre for Medieval Studies