Campine Burial Mounds
The following messages will be dedicated to the burial mounds of the Campine region of the Low Countries.
Burial rituals in this area, like in many parts of Europe before christianization, included cremation. After cremation, the ashes would be put into an urn and buried under a small mound, together with some gifts for the afterlife.
Most burial mounds in the Campine area date from the early and middle Iron Age, about 2500 years ago. They were part of the Urnfield culture.
The following messages will be dedicated to the burial mounds of the Campine region of the Low Countries.
Burial rituals in this area, like in many parts of Europe before christianization, included cremation. After cremation, the ashes would be put into an urn and buried under a small mound, together with some gifts for the afterlife.
Most burial mounds in the Campine area date from the early and middle Iron Age, about 2500 years ago. They were part of the Urnfield culture.
The burial mounds often have a marking around them, usually either a ditch or a circle of wooden poles. These are meant to seperate our world from the realm of the dead, and are related to the modern custom of putting either a wall or fence around a cemetery.
A small idol of Germanic chief god Woedan (Woden/Wodan/Oðinn, etc.) in front of a burial mound.
Woedan was without a doubt the most worshipped deity in the Low Countries. This in opposition to the Nordic countries, where Þorr was the most popular.
Burial mounds were not just a place to bury the dead, they were also regarded as sacred sites. They played a role in ancestor worship and were the site of rituals.
Woedan was without a doubt the most worshipped deity in the Low Countries. This in opposition to the Nordic countries, where Þorr was the most popular.
Burial mounds were not just a place to bury the dead, they were also regarded as sacred sites. They played a role in ancestor worship and were the site of rituals.
Later on, these burial mounds were often associated with spirits or other beings. This drawing (1660) shows witte wieven (wise/white women) inhabiting them. Witte wieven are spirits from Dutch folklore that often live on heaths and sometimes even lure people, who are never seen again. Many similar stories exist in Europe, possibly indicating an Indo-European connection.
In Slavic traditions, the symbol (gromoviti znaci) is often seen in this shape and is the mark of the god Perun. Perun was, among other things, the god of thunder (his name is related to the Slavic words for ‘thunder’) and the most important deity of the Slavs.
The thundermark was often put on houses and other buildings to protect them from lightning.
The thundermark was often put on houses and other buildings to protect them from lightning.
In the Low Countries, the same symbol survives as the donderbezem (thunder broom) and serves a very similar purpose. The mark is believed to protect houses from lightning, and more generally, bad luck. It is seen mostly on old farms and medieval buildings, but is still being used today as decoration.
It is said to be a symbol of Donder (Donar/Þorr, etc.), whose name is the origin of the Dutch word for thunder. The shape is possibly derived from the Hagal rune.
It is said to be a symbol of Donder (Donar/Þorr, etc.), whose name is the origin of the Dutch word for thunder. The shape is possibly derived from the Hagal rune.
Shigir Idol
The Shigir Idol is a wooden sculpture, found in a bog in the Urals. What remains of it now is a 2.8 meter idol, but it may have been 5.8 meter tall. The sculpture was made right after the end of the last Ice Age and was made from larch.
The Shigir sculpture definitely had a religious function. The carvings show another 6 humanoid faces below the head of the figure, perhaps depicting deities or forest spirits. Near the idol, decorated antlers dating back to the same period were also found, possibly part of a ritual.
The Shigir Idol is the oldest known wood carving, but definitely not the only European wooden cult figurine found. All around Europe, from ancient Greece to Scandinavia, wooden idols were often made to depict deities and became important religious sites.
The Shigir Idol is a wooden sculpture, found in a bog in the Urals. What remains of it now is a 2.8 meter idol, but it may have been 5.8 meter tall. The sculpture was made right after the end of the last Ice Age and was made from larch.
The Shigir sculpture definitely had a religious function. The carvings show another 6 humanoid faces below the head of the figure, perhaps depicting deities or forest spirits. Near the idol, decorated antlers dating back to the same period were also found, possibly part of a ritual.
The Shigir Idol is the oldest known wood carving, but definitely not the only European wooden cult figurine found. All around Europe, from ancient Greece to Scandinavia, wooden idols were often made to depict deities and became important religious sites.
Carnyx
The Carnyx is a Celtic Iron Age war horn, recognized by its bell shaped like a boar’s head or other animals’ heads. It was used by the Celts to strike fear into the hearts of their opponents during battles.
Etymologically, the name is connected to the same root as that of the Celtic god Cernunnos, meaning ‘horn’ or ‘antler.’
The Carnyx is a Celtic Iron Age war horn, recognized by its bell shaped like a boar’s head or other animals’ heads. It was used by the Celts to strike fear into the hearts of their opponents during battles.
Etymologically, the name is connected to the same root as that of the Celtic god Cernunnos, meaning ‘horn’ or ‘antler.’