This cross pendant was found in Russia (Belaya Toerkov, Kiev) and dates back to the 9th - 10th century. It measures 40mm x 23 mm and has wonderful detail on both sides.
On both surfaces of the pendant a figure executed in Jelling style ornament with expanding arms. The reverse is more heavily worn due to contact with the wearer's garnments. The reverse upper panel bears two letters, alpha and omega, signifying 'the beginning and the end', a standard Christian device from the early medieval period. Below this, the figure haloed head occupies the rest of the arm: his bare chest, arms and displayed hands extend into the left and right arms of the cross: his trunk and legs are depicted on the lower arm. The midriff shows the navel as a central roundel. A billeted border encloses the design.
Link to info on Bila Tserkva
The history of the Kievan Rus is an astounding one. Many people today don't realize the ties that the Vikings had with Russia during that period; that's why so many Viking artefacts are now turning up in the region where the Kievan-Rus settled and it's surrounding areas.
If you are interested more in detail I can recommend to read:
Viking Rus: Studies on the Presence of Scandinavians in Eastern Europe (The Northern World by Wladyslaw Duczko (2004). Not a cheap book ! but a study presented there wich adds greatly to our point of present view on the history of the "East-Vikings" !
Link to book on Amazon.com (well filled wallet needed !)
Link to another book with Scandinavian antiquities of southern Rus (Russian course needed !)This cross pendant was found in Russia (Belaya Toerkov, Kiev) and dates back to the 9th - 10th century. It measures 40mm x 23 mm and has wonderful detail on both sides.
On both surfaces of the pendant a figure executed in Jelling style ornament with expanding arms. The reverse is more heavily worn due to contact with the wearer's garnments. The reverse upper panel bears two letters, alpha and omega, signifying 'the beginning and the end', a standard Christian device from the early medieval period. Below this, the figure haloed head occupies the rest of the arm: his bare chest, arms and displayed hands extend into the left and right arms of the cross: his trunk and legs are depicted on the lower arm. The midriff shows the navel as a central roundel. A billeted border encloses the design.
Link to info on Bila Tserkva
The history of the Kievan Rus is an astounding one. Many people today don't realize the ties that the Vikings had with Russia during that period; that's why so many Viking artefacts are now turning up in the region where the Kievan-Rus settled and it's surrounding areas.
If you are interested more in detail I can recommend to read:
Viking Rus: Studies on the Presence of Scandinavians in Eastern Europe (The Northern World by Wladyslaw Duczko (2004). Not a cheap book ! but a study presented there wich adds greatly to our point of present view on the history of the "East-Vikings" !
Link to book on Amazon.com (well filled wallet needed !)
Link to another book with Scandinavian antiquities of southern Rus (Russian course needed !)
The two figures are displayed with enough differences to demonstrate that they are not intended to represent the same individual, since the alpha-and-omega figure must be taken as the crucified Christ, the other figure in monastic habit should represent either an evangelist, a saint or a cleric.
The salesman I have asked his view on this opinion statet directly, that the figure on the back represents Maria, wich sounds even more appropiate.
The stance and style of the Christ figure recalls the crucifixtion scene represented on the larger rune-stone of Harald at the old Danish royal seat at Jelling, Jylland, Denmark.
See:
A similar like cross pendant is published in
British Artefacts Volume 2 - Middle Saxon and Viking by Brett Hammond (2010) page 55/56, Fig.1.5.1-c.