The most 'vikingish' coin of all viking coinage - the raven penny of Anlaf Guthfrithsson
In last article of September 4th I took you along the Hiberno-Norse coinage of Ireland and showed you the penny I have of the Hiberno-Norse Kings of Dublin, Sihtric Anlafsson 'Silkenbeard'.
This week I am a bit of proud to present you my latest acquisition ! It is the great part of a true Raven Penny !
Vikingolists know why I am thrilled ;) It seems that I have followed the same strategy as in 2004 when I acquired the hiberno-norse penny. It was only affordable to me because it was an example wich was split in two parts.
Choosing your battles..
The raven penny was very high on my list on 'most wanted', but seemingly totally unaffordable, having been sold on auctions for as much as over 20.000 pounds... (see the link for the though exquisite example being sold for £21,500/ $33,000 not including buyer’s fees..
Being witness to the ever exceeding crazyness collecting the true interesting Viking Age artefacts among collectors...
Another example was sold for $ 27.500. More examples you can find easily googling on 'viking raven penny sold'.
Always having feeled somewhat of a sort of annoyed missing out on th example wich was on sale on Mike R Vosper coins see link I counted my blessings when this example came along on Timeline Auctions and gave it a try. After all.. for the true Viking Age artefacts collector, the raven penny is in his absolute top 5 of main type of artefacts (I think ;).
This raven penny I was able to get my hands on was somewhat cheaper.. Yes, it misses a part, but I was immediately attracted to it, especially as a big part of the raven was visible and the overall execution of the coin was in its sort flawless.
Even when enlarged - click on the image - the quality of the remaining part is unquestionable.
Of course one can get it even cheaper of course.. but here is the real thing ..
Back to the penny.. it is a true viking coin of Anlaf Guthfrithsson minted by the moneyer Aethelferd 939-941 AD.
Obv: raven with wings spread and +NANLAF C[VNVNC] legend. Rev: small cross with [+E]DELFERD MIN[ETRE] legend for the moneyer Aethelferd. 0.71 grams. Near as struck; a large fragment.
Olaf Guthfrithsson (Old Norse: Óláfr Guðfriðarson; Old English: Ánláf; rendered in Old Irish writings as Amlaíb mac Gofraid) (died 941) was a member of the Norse-Gael Uí Ímair dynasty and King of Dublin from 934 to 941.
This specific viking penny was struck in the name of the Viking King of Dublin, Anlaf Guthfrithsson who had created a kingdom around York in 939. At this time, at the end of the ninth century, much of northern and eastern central England was under the control of the Vikings. The York Viking Kingdom lasted around ten years. This archetypal Viking coin, the ‘Raven Penny’, was minted during his short rule, for he died two years later in 941.
A pagan or a Christian association - or maybe both ?
The obverse legend means ‘King Anlaf’ (Olaf) in Old Norse and is one of the earliest surviving texts in this language. It features the Viking war standard – what is believed to be a raven, or possibly an eagle as both birds were associated with the Norse god Odin. This type is one of the most remarkable coins of the Viking invaders, showing a raven or perhaps an eagle, birds associated with the god Odin. The eagle is also associated with St John the Evangelist, so there may be a pagan/Christian association that would relate to all the local population.
Anlaf Guthfrithsson was the Viking King of Dublin (Ireland) who fought in the Battle of Brunanburh in 937 alongside Constantine II and Owen I against Aethelstan, King of England. The infamous battle of the 10th Century was not a victorious campaign for Anlaf but he survived the conflict and successfully seized York and parts of the East Midlands in the aftermath of Aethelstan’s death in 939. The ‘Raven Penny’ was minted during this occupation.
The obverse legend means ‘King Anlaf’ in Old Norse and is one of the earliest surviving texts in this language. The use of Old Norse language instead of Latin coupled with the raven image, associated with the Norse god Odin, is a strong indication that the Vikings were declaring their independence in the British Isles.
Literature
S. 1019; N. 537.
Well. I could have been with these stones until after dark, but as my wife wanted to travel on.. well.. I see you again, some day, hogback stones from Gosforth. And if you happen to be there one day, do not forget that monument on the outside...
Further on with the Cumbrian hogbacktour !
In - yes, luckily again in - St. Peter's church in Heysham, there is a truly beautiful hogback stone. The guide told us, it had been studyied by Thor Ewing, a writer, in 2000. in 'Understanding the Heysham hogback' A tenth century sculpted stone monument and its context (link), Thor Ewing tells in detail what he dicovered on the both sides of this hogback stone.
Just being brought in the church as late as the 1970's accompanied with some protest here and there among the church visitors, considered as being a token of old paganism, it had been remarkably nice preserved, and a lot of detail can be seen, still. Truly worthwile a visit.
I had a small debate with the guide in the church if the - zoomorphic, in my opinion - faces on the sides were lions (or hippo's). The guide doubted if the vikings could have known about lions. Well I guess so, concerning the runes on the Ancient Greek lion statue at the Arsenal, Venice. For example. Vikings did travel south..
But when he told me he was doubting the vikings 'discovered' (as the native inhabitants were of course, in the first place) America before Columbus, I decided to rest my case..
One has to know when to start and to end a conversation ..
Just discovered the book in a bookstore written by Geoff Holder - The guide to the mysterious Lake District, I knew there had to be another hogback stone in Lowther, St. Micheal's Church. With a promising image described in the text of 'a naval and a land-based force of shield-bearing vikings above a fish and what might be a coiled sea serpent. On the reverse is a row of female figures with snakes, possibly a representation of the hideous hag Hel'. Wow. If that did not sound as a true pagan promised land ..
Not complaing too much after all we have seen, this visit was the dissapointing one of them all. But if you wife states 'I am happy to have seen them' and I am answering 'Measuring is knowing' and the even more obligate verb 'handling 'if we did not see it at all, we wouldn't have known anything at all of how they were looking' the glass was again half full, at the last day of our journey..
The hogback stone appeared to be just being tolerated within the entrance segment part of the church. As something you never use anymore but you do not throw away - entirely. That sort of feeling emerged when seeing this hogback asylum seekers.. Bed, bath and bread, ás we say in Dutch, but no luxury at all and standing on some outcuts of wood, you would balance the table with at home..
Come on, St. Micheal's Church.. care a bit more of your 'children' !
This hogback stone was moved in the church in 1907. Hogback stones layed partially buried in the churchyard before it was dug up and moved into the church.
The promising depiction of a longship - as certainly can be seen after some studying - see http://vikingminds.co.uk/pages/longship
we have missed !
The stone itself is (157 x 50 x 30 cm) and very worn.
The hogback stones in Cumbria - very diverse in quality, but everyone worth a visit ! Especially on a gloomy day in late October ...
The churches to visit - see photos of resp. St. Andrew's church in Penrith, St. Mary's church in Gosforth, St. Peter's church in Heysham and St. Micheal's church in Lowther.
Did I miss out on another one in Cumbria ? Let me know !
In a next blog I will take you to four - still remaining utterly mysterious- statues 'guarding' the graveyard of St. Andrew's church in Dacre..
For the last blog of October 9th see this link.
References: (as always, links to where the books can be ordered are attached).
Edwards, B.J.N. Vikings in North West England - The artifacts (1998);
Emery, Gordon, CURIOUS CUMBRIA, The Lake District & Beyond: A celebration of Cumbria (2023)
Ewing, T. 'Understanding the Heysham hogback' A tenth century sculpted stone monument and its context ;
Hall, R. Viking Age archaeology in Britain and Ireland (first printed 1990, reprinted with amendments in 1995);
Holder, G. The guide to the mysterious Lake District (2009)
possibly also (as there within the part of Cumbria dealing with Carlisle, the Eden Valley, Barrow-in-Furness, Whitehaven and the west coast is being dealed with)
Holder, G. Paranormal Cumbria (2010)
http://vikingminds.co.uk/pages/longship