There have been some very interesting archaeological finds related to the Norse faith recently. One of them is this golden disc found during an excavation in Denmark:
This one is particularly important as it has the oldest known runic inscription mentioning Odin. The runes state: ”He is Odin’s man”, likely referencing a ruler of some sort.
This disk is 150 years older than the previously oldest known mention of the Allfather and proves that Odin was being worshipped in Scandinavia as early as the 5th century. Read more about it here.
Another interesting find, also from Denmark, is this little figure:
I have no information on how old it is or exactly where it was excavated but the design shows it is likely a representation of either Freya or a valkyrie.
Another fascinating find is not recent but I learned about it not too long ago: 6000 years ago, in Vedbæk in Denmark, a woman (or other afab person) and a baby were laid to rest on a swan wing.
This brings the thoughts to the legendary swan maidens of Germanic folklore. These beautiful female spirits are often believed to be valkyries or ancestor spirits who can shape-shift into swans and fly away.
Did the person(s) who layed the deceased on the swan wings believe that they would return and continue to watch over them? Or was the wings meant to help them ascend to the Heavens? We’ll likely never know.
Son Of Freya 