Abstract
The present paper examines three copper-alloy objects discovered in Cotes/Charnwood (Leicestershire, England), Groß Strömkendorf (Lkr. Nordwestmecklemburg, Germany) and Seehausen (Lkr. Börde, Germany). Based on the best-preserved example from Cotes/Charnwood, depicting an anthropomorphic figure holding a horn and sitting on a horse, it is argued that all these items served as decorative spur goads of Western Slavic origin. The paper explores the symbolic significance of these goads as well as the reasons why one of them ended up in England. It is suggested that find from Cotes/Charnwood belonged to a Western Slavic rider who might have taken active part in the Danish conquest of England and who might have fought in the armies of Sveinn Forkbeard and/or Knútr.
| Translated title of the contribution | A God on a Spur? Western Slavic Equestrian Equipment with Anthropomorphic Motifs |
|---|---|
| Original language | Polish |
| Title of host publication | Słowianie Połabscy. Studia z zakresu archeologii, historii i językoznawstwa |
| Editors | Paweł Szczepanik, Łukasz Kaczmarek |
| Place of Publication | Toruń |
| Publisher | Uniwersytet Mikołaja Kopernika w Toruniu |
| Publication status | Accepted/In press - 2021 |