Who were the Viking Goddesses, Anyway?

Part II of What's the Story......

Behind my Viking Goddess Line of Jewelry?!

A couple of weeks ago, I explained that my Viking Goddess line of jewelry was inspired by our local school district's mascot.....a viking warrior! I have developed several pieces under this line; most notably my viking goddess rings, which seem to be a popular item! I got a fair amount of grief from my eldest child about the naming of these pieces. Hence, came the question; Who were the Viking Goddesses, anyway, mom? I really didn't have an answser! Somewhere in the recesses of my mind, I knew I had studied these people at one point in my education.

Off the the library I went..........On to the internet I went........To the coffee shop I went.....with a literary girlfriend of mine! And found tons of information to answer the burning question; Who where the Viking Goddesses anyway?

Here is only some of what I found;

The Vikings lived over 1,000 years ago and came from three countries; Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. These are popularly known as Scandinavian Countries. The Vikings were also called Norsemen, meaning people from the North. The Vikings can be described as travellers, raiders, sailors, and most importantly to me craftsmen (and women)! The Viking Craftsmen made wonderful objects of wood, bone, and metal. In general, the Vikings were a pagan society, worshipping many gods. And so it follows, where there were gods; there are goddesses!

Who are the Viking Goddesses? Let me introduce you to a few!

Freya- Goddess of Love and Beauty; Giver of Large Families; the day Friday is named after her.

Hel- Goddess of Death and Queen of the Norse Underworld

Sif- Goddess of the Harvest

Frigga- Goddess of All (Mother); Wife of Odin (King of the Gods)

The Vikings loved jewelry and jewelry making! They took metals and stones and other bright, shiny objects and turned them into pieces of adornment! There even were bead specialists!

The Vikings were craftspeople!

No wonder I am drawn to the Viking heritage. What started as a simple and local marketing tool is becoming more! I am fascinated by this ancient civilization of craftsmen and strong women!

My Viking Goddess line will continue and hopefully, grow in popularity! I see my pieces now having a story behind them and a commemorative name! Please continue to watch my shop at;

http://carolsjewelryorchard.etsy.com for additions to my Viking Goddess line of jewelry.

So, I answered my teenager's question and perhaps yours; Who were the Viking Goddesses, Anyway?, bringing a conclusion to Part II of What's the Story ......Behind my Viking Goddess Jewelry! Thanks for reading and have a great week! This posting does not reflect any personal beliefs. It is written solely for the enjoyment and education of my readership.

Please note the through 10/6/10, all pieces with orange on them in my shop are 20% off. I will issue a refund through paypal immediately after the sale or you can have a revised invoice, if you contact me before you pay! Thanks, again!

Carol

What's the Story......Behind my Viking Goddess Line of Jewelry? Part I.

Hello! This is the second in a regular series that I've come up with to give my readers and jewelry fans the story behind some of my jewelry pieces. Please refer to the post from August 2nd on my FAITH bracelets for the first article in this series.

This installment is: What's the Story......Behind my Viking Goddess Line of Jewelry?

This jewelry line is taking me on an interesting journey! The line was started as a idea to market some jewelry to our local residents. Our high school mascot is a Viking! I am selling sports related jewelry at Coaches Corner, a local sporting goods supplier for our town teams. It was a natural evolution. Our colors are maroon (or burgundy) and white. Gray is frequently paired with both of these colors for team apparel.

My Viking Goddess Rings, the first of which I sold just this week, are named for our local mascot! These rings have also proven to be popular in Osseo, Wisconsin at a gift boutique called Cabin Chic that carries my jewelry.

The rings were also a venture of mine into a new technique; that of wire wrapping. I have found that it is a technique that requires a fair amount of practice, patience, and skill. But one that I enjoy and will continue. Thus, my Viking Goddess line of jewelry was born!

After I made the rings, I used some of the same materials to make a Viking Goddess Necklace.

The common material is that of Swarovski brand glass pearls. Both of these pieces are pictured above. Believe it or not, the biggest problem for the local pieces of this jewelry line is the maroon color! Fortunately, the maroon swarovski glass pearls are just the right shade!

I plan other pieces for this line of jewelry! Some of the pieces will be in other colors! I have already started to venture into some rich fall shades for the Viking Goddess Rings. See the Carmel Cafe Viking Goddess Ring picture. All of these pieces are available in my etsy shop at;

http://carolsjewelryorchard.etsy.com

Thus, is the story on my Viking Goddess line of jewelry. Part I. My family has often been teasing me about the name for these pieces (this line). My eldest, a teenager, said "Who was a Viking Goddess anyway, Mom?" Well, that comment, coupled with some of my friends who have told me that they love the name; spurred me on to find out! So, stay tuned for the next part of my Viking Goddess Line of Jewelry.....What's the Story? Part II will answer the question, my teenager asked!

I was curious, you might be too!

Thanks for reading.

Have a great weekend!

Carol