Allah Is Found on Viking Funeral Clothes

[Madam45for2923]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by muriel_volestrangler (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: NY Times

ENKOPING, Sweden — The discovery of Arabic characters that spell “Allah” and “Ali” on Viking funeral costumes in boat graves in Sweden has raised questions about the influence of Islam in Scandinavia.

The grave where the costumes were found belonged to a woman dressed in silk burial clothes and was excavated from a field in Gamla Uppsala, north of Stockholm, in the 1970s, but its contents were not cataloged until a few years ago, Annika Larsson, a textile archaeologist at Uppsala University, said on Friday.

Among the contents unearthed: a necklace with a figurine; two coins from Baghdad; and the bones of a rooster and a large dog.

Dr. Larsson discovered the Arabic characters in February, as she was preparing some of the items for an exhibition on Viking couture in Enkoping, Sweden. She had been trying to recreate textile patterns for the exhibits — by comparing motifs on the burial dress with a silk band found around the head of a skeleton in a Viking grave at Birka, Sweden — when she discovered Kufic characters of Arabic.


At first, she said, she could not make sense of the tiny geometric designs in both fabrics.

“Then I remembered seeing them in similar Moorish designs in silk ribbons from Spain,” she said. “I understood it had to be a kind of Arabic character, not Nordic.”

Upon closer examination of the band from all angles, she said, she realized she was looking at Kufic script. The words Allah and Ali appeared in the silk found in Boat Grave 36 and in many other graves — and, most intriguing, the word Allah could be seen when reflected in a mirror. The same patterns have been found in mosaic grave monuments in Central Asia.

Dr. Larsson has long noted the prevalence of silk from Asia in Scandinavian Viking graves. But the analysis of these materials, the weaving techniques and design indicated a combination of Persian and Central Asian origins.

more in link...

An image taken from the analysis of the Kufic characters on bands found in graves in Sweden. Credit Annika Larsson



Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/14/world/europe/vikings-allah-sweden.html

[Madam45for2923]

1. A reconstructed Viking boat grave from the Gamla Uppsala archaeological site in Sweden

A reconstructed Viking boat grave from the Gamla Uppsala archaeological site in Sweden is part of a Viking couture exhibition at the Enkopings Museum. Credit Therese Larsson

[Zoonart]

2. Michael Crichton's best-selling novel "Eaters of the Dead,"

and the resultant movie" The Thirteenth Warrior", posit a connection between Arabians and Vikings.

[Madam45for2923]

4. and wasn't there some linguistic connection?

[Igel]

12. Not in the least. n/t

[Igel]

13. They probably ran into each other.

The Vikings were all over the place--they raided down to Spain and into the Mediterranean. They traded down the Volga to the Black Sea. They're probably somehow connected to the Varangians, the varyagi.

The Arabs were all over the place. They raided all along the Mediterranean and even staged raids for slaves and booty into Ireland and Cornwall. They traded up the Volga to the Baltic and staged raids for slaves and booty all along the Black Sea coast. They were a real problem for Kievan Rus', even the Islam-bearing Golden Horde, was moving in from the West and imposed their view on how religion was ethnicity on the easternmost part of Europe.

For much of the time from 750 AD to 1300 AD Europe was ringed by raiders who were intent in either capturing territory, people, or goods, and certainly disrupting trade.

[Adrahil]

14. It was inspired by the experiences of an acetual Arab visitor.

Not all the Beowulf stuff, of course.

[lunasun]

3. Sweden has a large anti Muslim sector . Wonder how they are taking this info?

Neo Nazis say what?

[FBaggins]

5. And there were Nazis in India centuries ago

This is a slightly smaller stretch

[left-of-center2012]

8. And what info can you share on that?

It interests me

[FBaggins]

9. Swastikas all over the place

[Adrahil]

15. The headline is a bit sensationalistic...

I read another article on this, amd the archeologists are thinking these were likely valauble trade goods, and the "Allah" script was on them when bought. These would have been some of the most valuable textile items these people owned... perfect for funerary items.

[modrepub]

6. Makes Sense

The Vikings were known to have made contact with the Byzantines; one set plundered Europe others had contact with the Rus and the Byzantines. They had to have had contact with Islamic culture if they worked with the Byzantium. Since the Caliphate had much success against the Persians and Byzantines, taking over much of their former territory, I would expect some of the Vikings to see this as a sign that they were favored over their Christian counterparts, the Rus and the Byzantines and to at least favor their "signs" or outright convert.

[Thor_MN]

7. If we ecavated graves here in America, we could find "Made in China" labels

Does that mean we "favor their 'signs' or outright convert"? Finding foreign symbols on trade goods does not necessarily imply anything other than trade. It is certainly possible that some adopted Islam, but that's a pretty large assumption based on simply finding some foreign made clothing.

[modrepub]

10. Good Point

But you wouldn't necessarily want to be buried with a religious symbol that you didn't believe in. I would assume that if someone is buried with a cross that they were on some level a Christian, or wanted to make a good impression on the Creator upon meeting them.

Part of working with the Byzantines was "conversion" to the Orthodox faith. You'd get some gifts and a priest from the royal court. The Vikings converted rather late, 9th through 13th centuries, but they took in the Catholic faith in Scandinavia. Those who stayed in Byzantium influenced spheres were Orthodox and assimilated into the local population.

The Vikings were explorers and traders covering most of Europe and into the Mediterranean, down the Dnieper into the Black Sea through Byzantium and the Middle East and out to Iceland, Greenland and North America. People seem fixated on Viking war prowess and forget just how far flung their peoples actually were (more so than the Romans and not to be surpassed until the Spaniards, Portuguese and Dutch sailors several centuries later).

[Thor_MN]

11. You are assuming that they could read and understood it.

What could be viewed as an interesting design on a border of material or on a ribbon could be text in a language one does not understand. Do you understand or care about the foreign characters on labels of the products you buy?



I am well aware of Viking history, it's part of my heritage. All of my immigrant ancestors came to the US from Norway or Sweden.

[muriel_volestrangler]

16. Locking - this is dated Oct 14th, so is more than 12 hours old

as LBN rules require. I see you've already posted it in GD as well, so discussion can continue there. https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029712893 . Thanks.