A silver figurine from Lejre

Abstract

The current article describes in detail the Lejre figurine found in 2009, inside the mail hall-area at the settlement. The silver figurine depicts a small, anthropomorphic person seated on a throne, with a larger bird on each side. The description includes the context and circumstances of the find location - the aristocratic settlement of Lejre - as well as a thorough evaluation of the attributes of the figurine itself. In the article it is argued that the figurine presents a male personality, which presumably is of a noble status, dressed in a ritual garment and placed on a high seat, thus bearing similarities with the historic descriptions of the Norse god Odin. The garment might even be that of a coronation costume as it has been described and depicted in contemporary continental sources.