THE IMMORTAL BROOCH - CHAPTER 4 - THE TRADITION OF GREAT ORNAMENTAL BOW BROOCHES IN MIGRATION AND MEROVINGIAN PERIOD NORWAY

Aug 26, 2026

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Explores how a single jewelry tradition—the great ornamental bow brooch—survived the major material-culture transition in Norway between the Migration Period and the Merovingian Period. After outlining broad societal and technological changes, the chapter argues that these brooches remained meaningful for Early Medieval elites from around AD 200 into the Viking Age. It examines evolution across several centuries using relief and disc-on-bow brooch evidence, linking persistence to tradition functions and heirloom selection.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages30

Reading Time1 h 16 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Societal and material-culture shifts between periods

Continuity of the great ornamental bow brooch tradition

Scope: relief and disc-on-bow brooches

Changes in jewelry and dress/costume

Replacement of jewelry types and new glass bead/brooch forms

Style changes and shift away from animal ornamentation

Dress transformation and interpretive context

CHAP TER 4 THE IMMORTAL BROOCH THE TRADITION OF GREAT ORNAMENTAL BOW BROOCHES IN MIGRATION AND MEROVINGIAN PERIOD NORWAY Ingunn Marit Røstad Although the transition between the Migration Period (ca. AD 400–550) and the following Merovingian Period (ca. AD 550–800) in Norway is characterized by a fundamental shift in material culture, one particular jewelry type survives the radical breach between the two periods: great ornamental bow brooches. These brooches belonged to the upper level of society, the Early Medieval aristocracy. The use of great ornamental brooches can be traced back to around AD 200, and it constituted a tradition that was kept alive until the Viking Age. Why this tradition survived for such a long time, and how it evolved during a period of several hundred years are themes addressed in this paper. The paper focuses mainly on the meaning and significance of the brooch tradition during the transition between the Migration and the Merovingian Periods in Norway, through the use of relief and disc on bow brooches. I n the middle of the 6th century several changes took place in society within the borders of present day Norway. There was a restructuring of settlements (Gjerpe 2017:194; Iversen 2013; Myhre 2002:186–191) and a decline in the number of graves, as well as in the inclusion of imported objects like glass and bronze vessels, and gold and silver objects among grave goods (Magnus & Myhre 1976:398–399; Røstad 2016:287, 292; Slomann 1969:42; Solberg 2000:186– 188). Moreover, the pottery tradition ended abruptly (Fredriksen et al. 2014:1–2; Kristoffersen & Magnus 2010:82), iron technology underwent important changes (Larsen 2013; Stenvik 1997:253–259, 2015:90; Tveiten & Loftsgarden 2017:113), and the use of large scale trapping systems in the mountain and outfield areas came to an end (Bergstøl 2007:185–186, 195–200; Stene 2014:67). Weapons were radically modified and big boathouses and hillforts were abandoned, all changes which may reflect alterations in the practice of war (Ystgaard 2014:262–264). New art styles emerged and old art styles went out of use (Hedeager 2011:61–62; Solberg 2000:183), and jewelry also went through important changes (Røstad 2016:381–384). Seen together, all these changes constitute a fundamental shift in the material culture representing the transition between the Migration Period (ca. AD 400–550) and the following Merovingian Period (ca. AD 550–800) in Norway. However, a particular tradition surrounding the use of great ornamental bow brooches seems to have survived this radical shift between 74 CHAPTER 4 THE IMMORTAL BROOCH 75 these two archeological periods. The emergence of this brooch tradition can be traced back to the Roman Period around AD 200, and it constitutes a tradition that was kept alive until the Viking Age. In this paper I will discuss why this tradition did survive for such a long time, and explore how it evolved during a period of several hundred years. Embedded in this discussion is the question concerning the function of traditions (Hobsbawm 1983; Jones 2007), and what the cultural implications of the preservation of this particular tradition meant in the Roman Period and Early Medieval Scandinavia between ca. AD 200–1000. Part of the discussion also concerns the importance of heirlooms, and what characterizes the objects that are chosen as heirlooms in this tradition. Various types of brooches belong to the category of great ornamental bow brooches, for instance discon-bow, relief and silversheet brooches, as well as so called ‘ornate’ (Danish ‘pryd’) and rosette fibulas. In the following I will however focus mainly on the meaning and significance of this tradition during the transition between the Migration and the Merovingian Periods in Norway, through the use of square-headed relief brooches (Figure 25) and disc-on-bow brooches (Figure 26) . CHANGES IN JEWELRY AND DRESS/COSTUME One of the changes that took place during the transi

FAQs

What makes great ornamental bow brooches stand out during the Migration to Merovingian transition in Norway?

While much of material culture changed sharply, this particular brooch type persisted across the transition and remained tied to higher-status elites.

How does the chapter explain the long survival of the brooch tradition?

It connects persistence to questions about the function of traditions and the cultural implications of preserving a specific tradition over many centuries.

Which brooch forms receive the main focus in the analysis?

The chapter concentrates on square-headed relief brooches and disc-on-bow brooches, using their meaning and significance during the transitional period.

Aug 26, 2026

Upload by Jacob