Snake cross - Alemannic jewelry made of brass, Early Middle Ages

Germanic-Alemannic pendant featuring a serpent motif in the form of a stylized swastika.

Such jewelry was widely used during the Early Middle Ages from 500 to 700 AD and was considered, among other things, an integral part of Alemannic women's attire.

It is a rotating cross that represents the four cardinal directions, the four elements, and the four seasons.

 

Such motifs featuring animal ornamentation were later also found in the Borre style.

The Borre style is dated to the 9th to 10th century and was named after the burial find at Borre in Vestfold, Norway.

Typical of the style are animal ornaments, animal heads, and knotwork. The Borre style is also referred to as the "gripping beast" style. It was particularly widespread in Eastern Scandinavia.

 

Since the Bronze Age, the serpent has played an important role in the mythology and visual arts of the Germanic world, closely linked to ancient fertility rites representing the return of life in spring and its death in winter. The serpent may have also held a special place in the cult of the dead, as indicated by the Germanic serpent Nidhogg at the World Tree and the world-encircling Midgard Serpent. The serpent belongs to the mythological canon of many peoples. It appeared not only in Germanic mythology but also in Siberian shamanism and the beliefs of Indo-European peoples.

 

Swan cross pendant made of bronze 

Dimensions:

The back of the pendant is smooth and without a motif.