SovereigntyQuest on Nostr: In 1904 a ship was excavated in Oseberg, Norway. One of the objects found was an ...
In 1904 a ship was excavated in Oseberg, Norway. One of the objects found was an intriguing bucket. It got nicknamed “The Buddha Bucket” as the figure seemed to resemble a Buddhist monk sitting in a meditation pose. However, in time, it became clear that the bucket's decoration was likely a Celtic art piece from the 8th century and possibly looted in Viking raids in Ireland or England.
Photo: Aksel Kjær Vidnes
Photo: Kirsten Helgeland, University of Oslo
So the idea that the Vikings were in some way interacting with cultures from much further east was put on hold until a fascinating discovery in 1954. On the Swedish island of Helgo, located in Lake Malaren, an archaeological dig found a small bronze seated Buddha statue, whose id is unquestionable.
Image credit: Swedish History Museum
Remains of a leather strap found on the piece suggest it may have been strapped onto a boat(?) and carried as a talisman. Likely dating to the 5th Century A.D. in N. Indian region , the object could have travelled extensively as a talisman(by Vikings?) ,first for a couple of hundred years, before being settled onto a shrine like area in a domestic dwelling in Sweden.
Photo of commemorative stamp by the Swedish History Museum.
Photo: Aksel Kjær Vidnes
Photo: Kirsten Helgeland, University of Oslo
So the idea that the Vikings were in some way interacting with cultures from much further east was put on hold until a fascinating discovery in 1954. On the Swedish island of Helgo, located in Lake Malaren, an archaeological dig found a small bronze seated Buddha statue, whose id is unquestionable.
Image credit: Swedish History Museum
Remains of a leather strap found on the piece suggest it may have been strapped onto a boat(?) and carried as a talisman. Likely dating to the 5th Century A.D. in N. Indian region , the object could have travelled extensively as a talisman(by Vikings?) ,first for a couple of hundred years, before being settled onto a shrine like area in a domestic dwelling in Sweden.
Photo of commemorative stamp by the Swedish History Museum.