Monetary bags from the Viking Age
By Eric Sörling
Fornvännen 34 (1939). Stockholm.
Translated by Magnus Ritzen

Translators note:

Here goes nothing..   Rizzo
All names and locations are left in Swedish. I'm not used to translate, so grammar might be really off. I've used the word ornamented for the Swedish word 'ornamenterad', even though the meaning is slightly off.

Also “Björkö” and “Birka” are interchangeable. More precise, Björkö is the small island where the Birka settlement was located.

<Pg 45>

Analysis of the for more than 50 years stored grave findings from Hjalmar Stolpes excavations at Björkö, that has in later years been done by <docent> Holger Arbman has made the previous unreviewable material available for research in a whole new way.

The drawings done by Stolpe with supreme skill and accuracy have been of immeasurable help during classification From these drawings one has been able to study every minute detail and establish the various objects relation to each other which among other things has made it possible to accurately interpret objects and fragments found in other locations.

One such group of objects are narrow, decorated, bronze fittings of which several have since long been stored in the collections of the museum. Because of the classification of the Birka material it can now be concluded that such fittings belonged to object of which we previously knew nothing about, namely small money pouches or, more correctly, money bags.¹,. From Björkö we know of two such bags from the chamber burials 949 and 958 and fragmentary remains of similar objects in several other burials.

The money bag that mostly in this context attracts our attention is found in the chamber burial 949. Here are the fittings identical to objects found in other part of our country. Furthermore it has three buttons to close the lid and equipped with a carrying ring, all of bronze. When we add to…

₁ I use the word money bag, as the object was worn from a strap.

<Pg 46>

…the fact that it contained one and a half Arabic silver coin, we cannot doubt that it really was a money bag. This bag is the most complete we know of its type. We can from the carefully done drawing ² get a very reliable image of how the fittings on such a bag was arranged. (fig. 1)

How was this bag constructed and what material was it made from? Those are questions that naturally cannot be answered in detail and with certainty. We can say though, that it was probably made from fur since traces of hair still remains on and between the bronze fittings. From the visual appearance of the hairs they would probably have belonged to a small mammal, such as squirrel. The fact that hair was preserved for such a long time is not unusual; I can recall the large lock of hair from the Skopintull mound on Adelsö. ³ As we shall see, one money bag from the chamber burial 819 was made out of leather and its front i.e. lid of thin bronze foil.

The bag from chamber burial 949 was fitted round the edges with double, over each other positioned 6 mm wide bronze strips and riveted together through the fur with 6 mm long bronze rivets. The front strip is decorated with parallel ridges while the other is undecorated. Close below the upper end of the bag, the bronze strip narrows and is bent into two eyes, one on each side of the bag, used to fasten the carrying strap. A thin, 1.2 cm wide bronze strip across the bag has been riveted close below those rings. This has probably been support for the relatively narrow strips around the edge. It is bent outwards a little and decorated with parallel lines. The bag was carried from a ring of 2.9 cm in diameter from which, probably, two straps went to connect with the two eyes on the bag. The three buttons are made of solid bronze, 1.3 cm high, each with a head 0.9 cm in diameter.

₂ A. Geijer, Birka III, Die textilfunde aus den Gräbern, Taf 40, fig. 4.

₃ H. Rydh, in Studies of Oscar Almgren 1919; Rig 1919 pg. 238 and Förhistoriska undersökningar på Adelsö. Sthlm 1936, pg 113.

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The buttons have been used to close the bag when the extending skin from the back, with holes for the buttons, would have performed as lid. (fig. 2) Of course it is possible that the lid could have been longer and…

…tucked below the bronze strip. It seems to me that this is not necessary in this case. Cp. The reconstruction of the Hille bag (fig. 5)

The bag fittings that most resembles the above described Björkö fittings are those found on farmland in Austers, Hangvar psh. on Gotland. A farmer had ploughed through one or possibly two graves and then sent the thereby found objects to the Museum of National Antiquities. (Inv. 2309) Among those findings were fragments of fittings to a…

<Pg 48>

…money bag (fig. 3), and also fragments of a plaited silver band, probably belonging to the bag (see below). The edge strips retained fragments of the wide bronze strip and the front strip is decorated with ridges as on the Birka bag. The length of the rivets vary between 5 and 6 mm. This bag has no buttons or carrying ring, in any…

…case none was found, and it is likely that this bag closed as the below described Hille bag.

One bag fitting that also resembles the above is one that A. Enqvist, Norra Åbyggeby, Hille psh. Gästrikland discovered.(In, SHM 18780:2) ⁴ Enqvist came upon two cremation burials that had been severely damaged from farming activity. Burial no. 1 was almost completely removed. The workmen had retrieved some objects of which especially “4 fragments of a bronze fitting, flat, ring shaped, its front decorated with pearls confined within chiselled border lines” are of great interest in this context. From burial no. 2, also heavily damaged, Enqvist had retrieved…

₄ A. Enqvist, Nya fynd och undersökningar I Gästrikland in Meddelanden av Gästriklands Kulturhistoriska förening 1928.

<Pg 49>

…”a bronze fitting consisting of two flat by rivets connected strips of which one narrows and thickens and turned into an eye” from the undisturbed part of the grave, depicted in ⁴ pg 15, fig. 13. In the same grave he found a “bronze fitting, thin band shaped, along the sides decorated with double lines”.

As the bronze fittings in the two graves undoubtedly seems to belong to the same object, it is obvious that the finder mixed up the objects and since the fittings found by Enqvist was in the undisturbed half of burial no. 2, it is equally obvious that the fittings retrieved by the workmen originated from this burial. Both burials are dated mid 10^th century AD by Enqvist.

On fig. 4 the fittings from Enqvist´s burial no. 2 are marked with “2”. The picture clearly shows that the fragments from the two burials belong together. The wide strip is 1.8 cm wide, fairly thin, with rivet holes in each end and decorated with twin edge-parallel ridges. The strip is broken, fragmentary and somewhat bent. They are in shape identical to the Björkö fittings though slightly wider and clumsier than those and decorated in pearl ornament and small…

<Pg 50>

…notches one both sides of the same. The rivets that join the two strips are 6.5 to 8 mm long. From the Hille bag, the carrying ring and buttons to close the lid are absent. It is thus close to believe that the lid closed by tucking it between the bronze…

 …strip and the leather, i.e. under the bronze strip. (fig. 5) Since this was a cremation burial, there are no remains of leather or fur.

One fragment of yet another money bag of this type is stored in the Museum of National Antiquities. (fig. 6) Unfortunately this fragment is lacking inventory identification but an attached note makes it likely that the object is from Skåne. This fitting is different from the others in the fact that the back strip is made of iron when it is usually of bronze. The bronze strip is decorated above the eye with deep…

<Pg 51>

…lines along the edge and between those, more finely chiselled lines at an angle. Below the eyes the strip is decorated along the centre with a beautiful pearl pattern. The rivets joining the strips are 6 mm long. The fitting shows traces of fire.

Stolpe has at Björkö in the chamber burials 819 and 958 found yet two money bags which are of…

…major interest in this context and should be mentioned. The bag in grave 958 (fig. 7) is in general shape and construction similar to the previously described but differs very much in detail from those. Of first notice is that the narrow strip along the edge is but a single and not double as on all the previous bags. To join the strip with the leather when the back strip is missing, each rivet would have a washer though no such has been observed. If such is the case the front and back leathers must have been stitched together else would the contents of the bag drop out. The edge strips are 6 mm wide, slightly ridged and decorated with a line of small punched triangles on each side of the ridge, points to each other. The edge strips…

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…terminate at the eyes in a snake head of which only one is preserved. The rivets, originally seven, are 9 mm long. In difference to the other rivets, the one closest to the snake head has a rounded head.

The 16 mm wide bronze strip that connects the eyes across the opening of the bag is decorated with a double line of small bosses along the edges. In the centre of the strip are four star like patterns of similar bosses. The fitting is moderately bent outwards. Next to the lower edge of the strip at the opening, Stolpe has at the excavation site written the following note: “bronze fitting belonging to a pouch with a short plaited silver band”. This band is now missing. How it was joined with the bronze strip or the bag is impossible to determine.

What also distinguish this bag from the others is that it has an x-shaped decorated bronze strip attached to the front. The lower arms are riveted to the edge strip while the upper arms are lacking holes and were probably tucked beneath the edge strip next to the strip by the opening i.e. between the edge strip and the leather. The x-shaped bronze fitting is decorated in the same pattern as the edge strip and noticeably bent outwards. The bag is missing the, from the eyes upward and outward angled, protruding flat strips. Also missing is the carrying ring and buttons. The method of closure has certainly been the same as the Hille bag, i.e. the lid tucked beneath the bronze strip.

Finally, the bag from chamber burial 819 resembles in appearance very much the above described. The pouch itself, of which much is preserved, is made from leather. Along its sides and bottom a strip of leather is sewn to make the pouch as roomy as possible. The back is longer than the front so it can be folded over the opening. The lid, made of thin bronze sheet has been riveted to the leather and two bronze strips on the back of the leather. It covers the entire front of the pouch and is composed of two halves. (fig 8) The joint, where the two sheets extend a little over each other, is concealed by a 5 mm wide bronze strip, which in both ends is fastened by small bronze rivets. Along both edges of the lid…

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there are 4 mm wide bronze strips both on the front and back. On the front these are tinned and decorated with three lines along the strip, the middle one thicker than the others. The back strips are undecorated. The strips are fastened with small bronze rivets with round heads. On the back of the lid these rivets also fasten the cloth covering it. (fig. 8 b) The whole of the front, including the bronze strip covering the joint, is decorated with small, narrowly punched triangles. (fig. 8 a) The height of the lid is 8.9 cm, greatest width 8.5 cm, at the opening 7.8 cm.

Any traces of carrying device or other hints on how this bag was carried are missing. But since this bag is the only one here described that very much resembles e.g. the one found in Bezdéd Kom. Szabolcs (burial 8), Hungary, ⁵ it is very likely that it was carried on the belt ⁶ in the same fashion as the Hungarian ones. The fact that it was found in the centre of the grave could also be interpreted as evidence for it to have been carried…

₅ N. Fettich, Zur Archaeologie der Ungarischen Landnahmezeit, Archaeologischer Anzeiger, Band XLV 1931, pg. 56, fig. 37.

₆ cp. N. Fettich pg. 307: “um die mitte des linken Unterarmes lag die Tasche”, and pg. 317 (about the bag from Kenezlö, Kom. Szabolcs, burial 28): “bei der rechten Hüfte lag das Taschenblech.”

<Pg 54>

…on the belt. The possibility that it was dislocated when the grave collapsed cannot be dismissed though. The construction of the bag is very similar to what is still used nowadays; one opens the lid completely, tilts the pouch and the contents falls out onto the cloth covered back of the lid. In…

… the other chamber burials that contains bags, it can be seen on the burial plans of Stolpe that they were positioned on the left side of the chest and not by the belt. ⁷

The question arises, were those bags carried by women as well as men. All of the cited Björkö burials are male. The Hille burial is likewise a male burial since there was weapons found. Even so is the burial at Hangvar a male burial. All are dated 10^th century.

Professor B. Nerman points it out to me that during the excavation of the Gotlandic grave field at Grobin in Latvia 1930, two fittings were found that very much resembles the fittings of a money bag. (fig. 9) They were found in burial no. 80, accompanied by among other objects, an annular brooch ⁸, a pair of tweezers and a few fragments of gutter shaped fittings…

₇ A. Geijer, pg. 137 (grave 958).

₈ Illustration in Jorden ger, 1930, pg. 113, fig. 18.

<Pg 55>

…from a sword sheath, all made of bronze. The grave is thus a male burial. The suspected bag fittings are simple and decorated with six fine lines divided into two groups along the edges. At least nine rivets are fixed to the fitting. The fact that the rivets are unusually narrowly spaced is not unique, ⁹ but the noticeable small size of the bag should be stressed. Also remarkable is the fact that the burial, from the annular brooch, should be dated to the end of the 8^th century to early 9^th century and thus is far older than the other burials where bag fittings are found.

It is surprising, both how seldom money bags are found and also how far apart the findings are located in our country. Most bags have been found on Björkö, one from Gästrikland, one from Gotland and, if we were to trust the information of the find, one from Skåne. That relatively many bags of the same type are found on Björkö can be explained by the fact that the small town in lake Mälaren housed many skilled artisans at that time, who would have no major difficulties to produce such bags. That they were made domestically and not imported is certain as they are wholly of a Nordic design. From my part I would also like to believe that the three bags found elsewhere where produced on Björkö as well and a n effect from trade. These bags are of the same construction and design as the Björkö bags. That different people from locations so far apart would independently produce such near identical bags seems unthinkable to me.

Under such circumstances one might ask: from where came the inspiration to make such bags? The money bag from chamber burial 819 is by design and construction is noticeably similar to several of those found in Hungary. ¹⁰ But the Björkö bags are as I previously mentioned from the 10^th century while the one from Bezdéd is, according to Fettich ¹¹ from “100-150 Jahre nach der ungarischen Landnahme” i.e. from the 11^th century. Most likely it seems that…

₉ Fettich, pg. 81, fig. 54:2

₁₀ T.J. Arne, Sveriges förbindelser med Östern under vikingatiden. Fornvännen 1911, pg. 7, fig. 25. – N. Fettich, pg. 56, fig. 37.

₁₁ N. Fettich, pg. 307. Cp. J. Hempel, Alterthümer des frühen Mittlelalters in Ungarn. Band I, pg. 831-832. In the index he refers this find to the 9^th century, in fig. 48, pg. 56, in contrary “X Jahrh.”

<Pg 56>

…the originals that inspired the making of the bags found in Sweden are to be sought after east and south east of our country.

The bags here described must surely, once worn, have been extraordinarily beautiful. If we can but imagine one of these bags made of grey winter fur of squirrel, or perhaps ermine, bordered with gold-gleaming fittings of bronze, it would undoubtedly prove to us how tasteful our fore-fathers were in producing for themselves such simple, but yet in all respects beautiful items.