Golden bracts, Eril texts, necklaces and neck-rings

The map builds on the work of Mogens B. Mackeprangs in 1952. Some new find is added however in some places there would be too many dots and then the number is mentioned up to date. His catalogue contends 389 find places and around 800 items. Still they made finds as for instance at Bornholm 2001 they found a necklace made of 6 Valentinian solidi and 5 golden bracts with golden filigree pearls in between. It was all wrapped in a Roman silver plate.

Golden necklaces are 2 in West Gautaland and a couple from Auland. Finds of 3 male rings from a place are from Fyn, West-Gautland and Vermland and from West-Gautland is one find of two in a place.

The H above Germany indicates some finds there. In Poland they have found the heaviest weighing more than 2 kilograms. Another at Tissee West-Zealand is of the same size. The one from Halland is heaviest in Sweden weight 1547 grams. The one from Pietroassa in Romania with the IOVI inscription should also be mentioned

At least a pair of the rings has ornament in shape of the crescent moon. That may be symbolising the New Moon goddess. The neckring mentioned here are all king-size and supposed to be ritual rings but even for the things as oath-ring in the same way as we use the Bible when swearing oath.

There are finds of smaller neckrings with snakeheads, which could have been used for the priestess. The weight is normally around 300 grams. The snakehead is symbol of fertility and spring ritual. However it has not been possible to list them all and they are not in this list. Note also that there are some finds from Finland of Celtic neckrings with the typical knobs

These are all what I find easily in texts and on Internet. If you know about more item please tell me about place, size and so on.

Updated 2002/2