Úlfhéðnar, the pendant of the wolf warriors
The silver Viking Úlfhéðnar pendant is inspired by Norse warriors whose name refers to wolf pelts. This substantial piece of jewellery combines a boar tusk with silver of 925/1000 fineness. We make it in our own workshop in the Czech Republic.
- Pendant length: approx. 6.5 cm
- Material: boar tusk, Ag 925/1000 silver
- Weight of silver: 8 g
- Production: our own workshop in the Czech Republic
Who the Úlfhéðnar were and how they were related to the berserkers
The Old Norse term úlfhéðnar means "men in wolf pelts". The skaldic poem Haraldskvæði mentions them alongside the berserkers in the retinue of the Norwegian king Harald Fairhair. In its account of the battle, the berserkers roar and the men in wolf pelts howl. Vatnsdæla saga explicitly describes them as berserkers called úlfhéðnar, who wore wolf pelts instead of armour and defended the prow of the king's ship.
The wolf cult and the symbolism of Norse warriors
The wolf cult is one interpretation of Norse warrior traditions associated with animal pelts. According to this interpretation, a wolf pelt could serve as a ritual garment through which the warrior symbolically identified himself with the wolf. Surviving poems and sagas link the wolf form with the battle cry and fury.
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