The Viking Age (Vol. 1&2). Paul B. Du Chaillu
stuff, cattle-hair, or birch-bark, the head turned southwards, and the feet towards the north. The inside lining is often of planks, between which and the outer stone wall bark has been placed, the seams between the timber being filled with pitch. Above the burial-chamber, which was sometimes below the level of the ground, a mound or cairn was often raised.
The objects found in these graves have not been destroyed, and the weapons, which are few, have not been made useless.
Fig. 529.—Burial Chamber, Nörrevingstrup, near Hjörring, Jutland. Inside measurement—height, 4 feet; length, 5½ feet; breadth, 3½ feet.
In the graves containing skeletons are found costly silver and glass cups, pottery, wooden pails with metal mountings, drinking-horns or their fragments; gold, silver, bronze, or silver-gilt jewelry; great masses of glass, amber, gold and mosaic beads; metal mirrors (these are scarce), bone combs, riding and driving harness, &c. The damaged weapons are often richly ornamented, and of exquisite workmanship.
A remarkable fact is the number of unmistakable Roman and Greek objects, and sometimes coins, which occur in the finds. In the graves of women the objects chiefly found are pins, needles, buttons, jewels, ornaments, combs, knives, &c.
Fig. 530.—Vallöby Grave; showing the natural eminence, with arrangement of stones, cist, and mound.
Fig. 531.—Horizontal view; showing how the objects were placed. Coffin proper, 9 feet long, 2 feet deep.
Fig. 532.—Bird’s-eye view of grave, seen from above. Length of outer inclosure between 11 and 12 feet; height about 2 feet; width about 2½ feet.
Vallöby Grave.—The antiquities in this grave plainly show two civilisations: the Roman or Greek, as represented by the bronze vessels; and the Northern, by the silver cups and black clay vessels, &c., &c.
The grave was made with especial care, and was sunk about six feet below the natural surface of the bank; the stone inclosure was built of rounded stones, of the size of a man’s fist, placed together with great regularity.167
Fig. 533.—Samian Clay Bowl. Hunting scenes in bas-relief. Inscription (“Cos. L. Viri—”) partially defaced. ⅖ real size.
Fig. 534.—One of two flat bronze bowls. In the earth above were two small silver knobs, one covering the other, the use of which is unknown. ⅕ real size.
Fig. 535.—Fluted bowl of bronze. ⅕ real size.
Fig. 536.—⅕ real size.
Fig. 537.—⅖ real size.
Fragments of bronze kettle.
Fig. 538.—Kettle handle. ⅕ real size.
Fig. 539.—Side view.
Fig. 540.—Front view.
Handle of kettle. ⅖ real size.
Fig. 541.—Bottom of bronze kettle. ⅕ real size.
Fig. 542.—Side view of bottom of kettle. ⅕ real size.
Bavenhöi Grave Find—At Bavenhöi, in Himlingöi, Zeeland, is a large bank of gravel, of slight elevation, only about 200 to 230 feet in length. This had evidently been used as a common cemetery, as the bodies were found deposited in the earth without a coffin, though partly surrounded by stone settings. The antiquities found at various times with the skeletons seem to belong to the latter part, or perhaps the middle, of the early iron age.
BAVENHÖI GRAVE FIND.
Fig. 543.—Bronze vase. ¼ real size.
Fig. 544.—Border of silver goblet; plaqué with gold and ornamented with figures in relief—viz., a double head with moustaches and helmets; a helmeted man crouching, with a dagger in his hand; two quadrupeds with manes; a horned animal; and three birds. Between the figures are dots, circles, and crosses.
Fig. 545.—Silver cup. ½ real size.
Fig. 546.—Silver goblet, with repoussé work of silver plated with gold; similar to the Vallöby one. ⅓ real size.
Fig. 547.—Flat basin or stewpan of bronze, containing two goblets of silver, &c. ⅙ real size.
Fig. 548.—Bronze pail. ⅙ real size.
Fig. 549.—Bronze vase,¼ real size, with border upon which are engraved hunting scenes, a lion, two horses, a tiger or leopard, and two bucks, a dog and two deer; these animals are separated by trees and plants, the leaves of which, to judge from some traces, must have been silvered over.
Fig. 550.—Part of the design round the border of vase, representing hunting scene. ½ real size.
Fig. 551.—Bronze fibula covered with gold, with an inscription scratched in earlier runes. ⅔ real size.
Fig. 552.—Bronze fibula plated with embossed gold ornamented with 3 blue glass knobs and an oval piece of glass of the same colour. ⅔ real size.
Fig. 553.—Fibula from Storeheddinge, Zeeland, showing the part missing in the one above. ⅔ real size.
Fig. 554.—Gold ring of