Medieval Shields

Handcrafted medieval viking shield with unique carved Norse runic ornaments. Jormungandr is of the highlight icons on this complex piece which makes it truly outstanding. In Norse mythology, Jörmungandr is the Midgard Serpent viewed as the ultimate symbol of fate's inevitability. Viking warriors would demonstrate with this icon their will to go to battle and accept whatever fate the gods are in store for them.

The great wolf Fenrir and Hel, Queen of the Dead, are Jörmungandr´s brothers. He is the son of Loki and the giantess Angrboða. It is at Ragnarök, the Twilight of the Gods, that he slays the god Thor and is slain by him. While living with their mother in Jotunheim, the realm of the giants, Fenrir, Jörmungandr, and Hel were prophesied to cause trouble in the future; Odin ordered their removal when they were quite young. Jörmungandr was hurled into the sea, Hel was banished to the dark realm of the dead beneath Niflheim, and Fenrir was tied to a rock on an island. He grew to such a great size that he encircled the world - which was imagined as a flat disc - while he held his tail in his mouth.

Accordingly, scholars today see Jörmungandr as an agent of transformation, similar to the serpents that symbolized many, if not all, ancient religions. In cultures as diverse as those of Egypt, Mesopotamia, and many others, serpents are frequently represented either as antagonists of established order or as integral elements of it. At Ragnarök, Fenrir would break free, while Hel would provide him with an army of the dead, and Jörmungandr, when he released his tail, would join the forces of chaos in battle against the gods and their heroes. A new world rose from the ashes of the old despite the death and destruction of the gods.

The shield is made out of 15 mm thick birch wood, painted, and varnished by hand, impregnated with linseed oil and waxed with wax mastic. It comes with a wooden handlebar installed on the back.