Lisbeth Imer, a runologist with the National Museum in Copenhagen, stated the inscription represented the primary strong proof of Odin being worshipped as early because the fifth century — not less than 150 years sooner than the earlier oldest recognized reference, which was on a brooch present in southern Germany and dated to the second half of the sixth century.

The disc found in Denmark was a part of a trove containing a couple of kilogram (2.2 kilos) of gold, together with giant medallions the dimensions of saucers and Roman cash made into jewellery. It was unearthed within the village of Vindelev, central Jutland, and dubbed the Vindelev Hoard. Experts assume the cache was buried 1,500 years in the past, both to cover it from enemies or as a tribute to appease the gods.

A golden bracteate — a sort of skinny, decorative pendant — carried an inscription that learn, “He is Odin’s man,” probably referring to an unknown king or overlord.“It’s one of the best executed runic inscriptions that I have ever seen,” Imer stated. Runes are symbols that early tribes in northern Europe used to speak in writing. Odin was one of many principal gods in Norse mythology and was regularly related to warfare in addition to poetry.

More than 1,000 bracteates have been present in northern Europe, in line with the National Museum in Copenhagen, the place the trove found in 2020 is on show. Krister Vasshus, an historical language specialist, stated that as a result of runic inscriptions are uncommon, “every runic inscription (is) vital to how we understand the past.”

“When an inscription of this length appears, that in itself is amazing,” Vasshus stated. “It gives us some quite interesting information about religion in the past, which also tells us something about society in the past.”During the Viking Age, thought-about to be from 793 to 1066, Norsemen generally known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonizing, conquest and buying and selling all through Europe. They additionally reached North America.

The Norsemen worshipped many gods and every of them had numerous traits, weaknesses and attributes. Based on sagas and a few rune stones, particulars have emerged that the gods possessed many human traits and will behave like people. “That kind of mythology can take us further and have us reinvestigate all the other 200 bracteate inscriptions that we know,” Imer stated.