{"id":699,"date":"2024-10-04T15:49:46","date_gmt":"2024-10-04T13:49:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/osebergvikingarv.no\/eng\/?p=699"},"modified":"2024-10-04T15:49:47","modified_gmt":"2024-10-04T13:49:47","slug":"were-the-rattles-from-oseberg-actually-something-entirely-different","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osebergvikingarv.no\/eng\/2024\/10\/04\/were-the-rattles-from-oseberg-actually-something-entirely-different\/","title":{"rendered":"Were the “rattles” from Oseberg actually something entirely different?\u00a0\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Experimental archaeology can provide new insights into old “truths.” Among the many mysteries of the Oseberg find are the so-called “rattles.” Could they have been something entirely different?  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Einar Chr. Erlingsen<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When archaeologists discover objects, whose original use is unknown to the modern world, they often categorize them as “cult objects.” This is also the case with the mysterious “rattles” from Oseberg: iron-forged loops equipped with rings, hooks\u2014and sometimes handles with remnants of rope.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"What
What could this have been used for? The answer might now be found in a new master\u2019s thesis. (Photo: Kjetil K\u00e5resen). <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Most
Most of the rattles do not have iron handles. Sixteen were found with a separate hook attached to the side of the rattle (on the right in the picture). Krydsby K\u00e5resen suggests that the hook was attached to a wooden handle, and a leather or linden bast rope was then tied to it. The rope was used to secure the load. (Photo: Kjetil K\u00e5resen) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Among the many fascinating professional presentations at this year’s Viking Festival in T\u00f8nsberg was archaeologist Beate Krydsby K\u00e5resen’s lecture, based on her master’s thesis *A Functional Analysis of the Rattles and Hooks of the Viking Age* (UiO 2024) (K\u00e5resen 2024). Her thesis is based on the hypothesis that the “rattles” are something entirely different: that they were used as cargo straps on sleds. The Oseberg Viking Heritage Foundation, primarily represented by our department head Tore Forsberg in Sandefjord, contributed by fastening the separate hooks and testing the hypothesis through practical use.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"With
With help from the sledding community, a load was tied to a sled to see how it could function. It was not tested during use. The rope on the rattles was tied so that it partly worked as a ratchet strap and partly as a cargo net. (Photo: B. K\u00e5resen) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Thorough Testing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Krydsby K\u00e5resen conducted a very thorough investigation, comparing similar finds from other parts of the country with the “rattles” from Oseberg. She also studied the context in which the objects were found in the grave. Replicas of two rattles were forged by Steven Carpenter from Kongsberg, while three of the hooks were forged by Krydsby K\u00e5resen. The sledding community around R\u00f8rosmartnan was an important contributor in understanding the practical challenges of sled transport and participated in testing the hypothesis.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"With
With help from the sledding community, a load was tied to a sled to see how it could function. It was not tested during use. The rope on the rattles was tied so that it partly worked as a ratchet strap and partly as a cargo net. (Photo: B. K\u00e5resen) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The rattles were also tested on a dog sled to see if they could secure cargo under challenging conditions.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"A
A dog sled with a 75-kilogram load was intentionally overturned, dragged on its side, and shaken for 1.5 hours by four dogs. The load shifted 30 cm forward as a result of the handling. (Photo: B. K\u00e5resen) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"A
A dog sled with a 75-kilogram load was intentionally overturned, dragged on its side, and shaken for 1.5 hours by four dogs. The load shifted 30 cm forward as a result of the handling. (Photo: B. K\u00e5resen) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Three different use scenarios were visualized on a sled replica from Oseberg: <\/p>\n\n\n\n