The Vikings Are Here!

I blame Hollywood - historians say that Vikings probably didn't wear helmets-with-horns most of the time. Yet that is what people picture when "Viking Warrior" is mentioned

The other week, on our way home from a family trip south, Bob and I stopped in Thetford for a bite of lunch, and visited the "Ancient House Museum, currently hosting a Vikings Exhibition.

This wonderful 500year old building was gifted to the people of Thetford by Frederick Duleep Singh, of Elveden House, and opened as the town museum in 1924. [Fred was the son of Duleep Singh**, last Maharajah of the Sikh Empire who came to Britain in 1853]

The Museum is fascinating, and as I say, we looked particularly at the Viking Exhibition. 

The staff have worked very hard to make the info panels understandable, and there are plenty of things for school parties to look at! They were sad that covid rules mean there are no longer baskets of costumes for the children to dress up in. I did persuade Robert the Fearsome to don a helmet for this picture. He can't see properly [the helmet wouldn't accommodate his specs] Thetford is a fascinating place- 1000 years ago it was the sixth largest town in England! It is hard to imagine that now. 

The Museum staff are very proud of the "Thor's Hammer" pendant on display - it was found near about 10 miles away, and is usually kept in the British Museum. We usually think of the Vikings as warlike invaders, and also on display, is the Hingham hoard - showing coins marked with the king's name and a cross.

We forget they were over here for around 300 years- and furthermore many adopted Christianity, abandoning the Norse religions. This plaque shows St John the Evangelist [his symbol was an eagle]

Amazingly, just a few days after our visit, another fascinating discovery was announced. 

In a field near King's Lynn, a detectorist dug up this Viking pendant. A'st Edmiund's coin' just like the ones from the Hingham Hoard, had been hammered into shape and a hole pierced in the top - to make a pendant bearing not the warlike hammer of Thor, but the rather the cross, the Christian symbol of God's love. 

I much prefer Bob the Loving Christian to Robert The Fearsome Viking! We had free entry to the Ancient House as it is one of the Museums covered by our Norfolk Museums Subscription - but it is well worth a visit, lots to see and other [non Viking] stuff on display. And 'Tall Orders' round the corner serves good food at fair prices!

**Duleep Singh and his fascinating family deserve their own post - watch this space.