Learnings: The Cross and the Hammer

A polyvalent cast stone, made to mold either a crucifix or a Thor's hammer, with a bronze cross and silver hammer pendant / c. Viking Age

The slow merging of Christian and pagan beliefs can be seen in these two artifacts. This pendent of Thor's hammer has been decorated with a Christian cross; the person who wore it likely had both pagan and Christian beliefs.

This mold has been carved to cast both Christian crosses and the Norse god Thor's hammers in metal. The craftsman who owned it could use it to make pendants for his customers, whether they were Christian, heathen, or somewhere in-between.