What is it?
This broken knife blade is almost 2,000 years old. Currently preserved at a length of c.8cm, its original length is unknown, but was probably just slightly longer than this. On one side, the iron blade is incised with abstract decorations including a triangular shape and several concentric circles. The other side bears an inscription consisting of six runes, each c.5mm tall, followed by three circular indentations. The runes spell out hirila, a Proto Norse phrase that translates as ‘Little Sword’, which may refer to either the knife’s owner or the object itself. Runic inscriptions from this period are extremely rare, as literacy was restricted to a small intellectual elite; such an object must therefore have been a highly treasured possession.
Where was it found, and when?
The blade was found beneath an urn grave at a small burial ground east of Odense, on the island of Funen, Denmark, during excavations in November 2021. This area is rich in settlements and burial sites from the Roman Iron Age, and the burial ground in question is part of a small cluster believed to date to around AD 150. The knife had been pushed into the ground directly below the urn, which was not an uncommon practice in this period. Other grave goods found inside the urn, including an antler comb and three brooches, all point to the same date, very close to AD 150. The knife’s runic inscription was identified post-recovery, during conservation of the object.
Why does it matter?
The blade’s relatively poor state of preservation makes it impossible to identify signs of wear that might reveal how it was used, but this was clearly not an everyday tool. The knife’s decoration suggests that it would have served as a symbol of its owner’s status, perhaps as a warrior or warrior-to be.
