Episode 005: Viking Drinking Horn

The Jormungandr, or Midgard Serpent, is a giant sea-snake from Norse mythology.  He is said to have grown so large that he stretched all the way around the earth and bit his own tail.  This imagery of a snake biting its own tail dates all the way back to ancient Egypt and is known as the Ouroboros.  We know that this symbol migrated from ancient Egypt to ancient Greece (yeah, I know I misspoke in the podcast episode), and from there to the rest of Europe, and was eventually adopted by the Vikings. 

It’s really amazing how symbols and traditions end up being shared between cultures as they bump into each other.  Another example of this, which we cover in the podcast is the adoption of the Valkyrie by European Christians.  If that sounds intriguing, listen to this episode of the podcast. 

On our Viking drinking horn, we carve the Jormungandr along with some traditional Celtic designs.  Again, cultures bumping into each other. 

Other fun topics covered in this episode include the scientific differences between horns and antlers, surname origins, shipbuilding, other traditional uses of horn material, and the last living species of the antilocapridae family.