Skip to main content

Viking Ring With "For Allah" Inscription Suggests Contact Between Vikings And The Islamic World

Viking ring with "for allah" Inscription
An ancient ring has shed new light on the links between Vikings and the Islamic world, over a century after its discovery. The ring found in the tomb of a Viking woman finally confirms a link between civilizations, until now, had no direct evidence. This is the first and only physical evidence of the links between Vikings and the Islamic world. The ring was discovered during late the 19th century, in a 9th century tomb in the town of Birka, on Björkö island, about 19 miles from Stockholm. Birka was a key trading center during the Viking Age and declared as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1993.

It is a silver ring with an inset of colored glass. The glass is engraved with the word AL_LLH meaning “for Allah” or “to Allah” in Kufic Arabic script. Kufic is the oldest calligraphic form of the various Arabic scripts. Kufic was prevalent in manuscripts from the 8th to 10th centuries, and its presence coincides with the period of the tomb. It indicates that there was a direct(probably commercial) relationship between the Viking tribes of northern Europe and the Arab Caliphate empire. The new study also confirms that this relationship is older than we thought.

Viking ringThis well-preserved ring probably made by an Arab goldsmith. The researchers noted that the metal frame of the ring is in mint condition, suggesting that it had a few or no other owners in between before being buried with its owner in the 9th century.
"Maybe the woman herself was from the Islamic world, or perhaps a Swedish Viking got the ring, by trade, theft, or by visiting a Muslim country" researchers said.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

When NASA’s Mars Mission Failed For Stupid Reason

A ll human beings make mistakes, and NASA is no exception. It is important to learn from this mistake that highlighted the importance of physical units and how they can affect our real life. This is the story of one of the failed mission of NASA.

The Death of Richard Parker And Cannibalism - Shipwreck Case (1884)

T he English yacht Mignonette was a 19.43 net tonnage, a 52-foot cruiser built in 1867. It was an inshore boat, not made for long voyages. In 1883, she was purchased as a leisure vessel by Australian lawyer John Henry Want. The yacht could only reasonably be transported to Australia by sailing, but she was a small vessel and the prospect of a 24,000-km voyage hampered Want's initial attempts to find a suitable crew. She finally set sail for Sydney from Southampton on 19 May 1884 with a crew of four: Tom Dudley, the captain; Edwin Stephens; Edmund Brooks; and Richard Parker, the cabin boy. Parker was 17 years old and an inexperienced seaman. O n 5 July, the yacht was running before a gale, around 2,600 km northwest of the Cape of Good Hope. Though the weather was by no means extreme and the vessel was not in any difficulties, Dudley gave the order to heave to so that the crew could enjoy a good night's sleep. As the manoeuvre was completed, and Parker was sent below to pr...

Lina Medina - Worlds youngest mother who gave birth at age five

L ina Medina, a Peruvian girl, is the youngest confirmed mother in medical history. She gave birth at the age of 5 years, 7 months and 21 days. Medina was brought to a hospital by her parents at the age of five years due to increasing abdominal size. She was originally thought to have had a tumor, but her doctors determined she was in her seventh month of pregnancy. Dr. Gerardo Lozada took her to Lima, Peru, prior to the surgery to have other specialists confirm that Medina was pregnant.