Chapter 5
Human-Horse Relationships in the Age of Heroes—The Scandinavian Iron Age
In: The Relational HorseSearch for other papers by Kristin Armstrong Oma in
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Abstract
In the pre-Christian societies of the Scandinavian Iron Age (500 BC-1030 AD), vestiges of horses attest to the important role horses played in everyday life, as well as in the sphere of mythology and religious practice. Horse bones, equipment and depictions of horses are frequently found in human burials and sometimes in bog sacrifices. The Norse sagas and the Eddic poems spin webs of meaning around horses, and their role is disclosed as, on a macro level—pathfinders between the world of humans and gods and; on a micro level—companion species. I propose that horse equipment acts as a binder that manifests and forms human-horse relationships. Thus, binders came to represent human-horse relations, both in the personal, day-to-day meetings, and in the sphere of mythology. The presence of horses and binders in human graves suggests that the ontological status of horses should ultimately be seen as a companion species with the ability to act, emote and perform magic in a human society.