Fig. 1254.—Fibula, plated with gold, only a little of the metal remaining. Real size.—Southern Jutland.
Fig. 1255.—Buckle of a belt in silver and bronze, ornamented with garnets enchassés. Real size. Earlier iron age.—Norway.
Men and women loved to adorn themselves with jewels and objects of gold;[[223]] the ornaments for both sexes seem to have been somewhat similar; rings, bracelets, fibulæ (used to fasten together on to the right shoulder the ends of cloaks), brooches, clasps and buckles, pins, hooks, pendants round the neck, bracteates, diadems, necklaces, beads of silver, gold, and glass, &c., and gold rings worn round the legs, were most common.
The numerous illustrations of jewels and ornaments seen throughout the pages of this work show the taste of the people, and the different forms worn by them, even in very early times.
To gold the poets gave many figurative names which are derived from either the myths or history of the people, and which often show in their metaphors the different uses to which gold was applied:—The fire of the hand, or arm; the beacon of the hawk-seat (the wrist); the fire of the top of the masthead, &c.
Some of the rings and necklaces were of such remarkable workmanship that they had special names, and their fame was known far and wide. Among the more celebrated rings were the Sviagris,[[224]] Draupnir, and Hnitud; and among the necklaces that of Freyja made by the Dvergar.
“Ulf the Red was always accustomed to be with King Olaf during midwinter. Ulf brought the king many precious things which he had acquired during the summer. And one gold ring he had got called Hnitud (the welded). It was welded together in seven places. It was of much better gold than other rings. This ring had been given to Ulf by a bondi named Lodmund” (Thatt of Norna Gest).
Beads are often mentioned.
Bardi, a good champion, was going to a fight, and when his foster-mother took leave of him