Ellen Lloyd - AncientPages.com - Hidden in a crypt of a ruined church in Poland, for many years, the golden Curmsun Disc did not see the modern world until recently.
Image credit: Sven Rosborn
The Curmsun Disc is a remarkable Norse artifact with an intriguing inscription that tells an interesting story about the Jomsvikings and legendary King Harald Bluetooth. Jomsvikings were elite warriors who trained at Jomsborg.
In 1841, on the east bank of the river Dziwna, some kilometers east of Wolin in north-western Poland, the ruins of the medieval chapel were demolished. During the foundations of a new building, possibly a new church, a medieval cellar crypt was unearthed, and many objects were found. One of these objects was the Curmsun Disc. It was part of a Viking hoard.
This particular Viking hoard is fascinating because it was found near the semi-legendary Viking Jomsborg's fortress between the 960s and 1043.
According to intriguing stories in the Icelandic Sagas, courageous Norse warriors known as Jomsvikings were based at Jomsborg. The mysterious Jomsvikings were no ordinary Viking warriors. They were superheroes of Icelandic Sagas and a legendary mercenary army. They offered their fighting skills and fought for any king who would hire and pay them what they required.
It is not entirely clear how and when the order of the Jomsvikings was created. According to some sources, the brotherhood was established and patronized by the Danish king, Harald Bluetooth, King of Denmark.
The Danes were united and Christianized in about 965 by King Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson (c. 935 to c. 986; King of Denmark c. 958 to c. 986; King of Norway c. 970 to 986).
Jomsborg was attacked and destroyed in 1043 by Norway's King Magnus the Good.
On one side of the Curmsun Disc is an inscription written in Old Norse. It states: "+ARALD CVRMSVN+ REX AD TANER+SCON+JVMN+CIV ALDIN+."
A translation of the inscription reads: "Harald Gormsøn king of Danes, Scania, Jomsborg, town Aldinburg (Oldenburg in Holstein).
The other side of the disc is covered with a Latin cross surrounded by four dots.
King Harald Bluetooth converted to Christianity in 965. According to an inscription on the Jelling Stone, a runestone in Denmark, King "Harald who conquered for himself the whole of Denmark and Norway and made the Danes Christian."
There are several theories about when and why the Curmsun Disc was created.
So, there is no doubt that the inscription and the Christ symbolism of the cross link the Curmsun Disc to King Harald Bluetooth. However, the age of the Curmsun Disc remains an unsolved ancient mystery.
Image credit: Sven Rosborn
Danish anthropologist, Karen Schousboe, suggested that the Curmsun Disc was a wedding gift created in the 960s during Harald Bluetooth's second marriage.
Another theory is that the Curmsun Disc was later produced around 985. It was King Harald Bluetooth's goldenseal
According to Swedish archaeologist Sven Rosborn, the Curmsun Disc may have been created by a Frankish monk in connection with King Harald Bluetooth's death.
Rosborn points out that "as the king was a Christian, it was necessary to bury him in a church, such as the wooden church in Wiejkowo, just outside the city.
According to the Christian faith, the funeral should occur not too long after death. In this case, it cannot be ruled out that the gold plate was made to show who was in the grave. Such inscription plates are found in graves sometimes but not in gold. For example, in Bishop Lederich's grave in Bremen Cathedral from 845, there was a lead plate engraved with informational text. Likewise, a similar plate was found in Bishop Unni's grave from 936 in the same church. In Valdemar the Great's grave from 1182, there was a similar plaque."
The creator of the golden disc remains unknown, and so does the artifact's age. Still, it's a unique find that may very well be one of the oldest pieces of genealogical evidence regarding Viking-era Scandinavia.
Unfortunately, this remarkable ancient artifact cannot be admired by the public. It is not kept in any museum.
The Curmsun Disc is owned by an undisclosed company and deposited in a bank vault in Sweden. The disc's insured value is USD 3.5 million.
Written by Ellen Lloyd – AncientPages.com
Updated on March 3, 2024
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