18 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

The Oldest Odin Inscription in the World Found in the Vindelev treasure

Scientists have identified the earliest known inscription referring to the Norse god Odin on part of a gold disc unearthed in the Vindelev treasure found by two amateur archaeologists in 2020.

One of the largest treasures recently discovered, the Vindelev treasure contains 800 grams of actual gold. Found by two old friends and amateur archaeologists in a field in Jelling, Denmark, the ancient artifacts now reveal secrets from the past and re-write ancient history!

The discovery is crucial because we now have evidence of Norse mythology 150 years earlier than previously – at the start of the 4th century.

The disc discovered in Denmark was including large medallions the size of saucers and Roman coins made into jewelry. It was unearthed in the village of Vindelev, central Jutland, and dubbed the Vindelev Hoard.

Experts believe the cache was buried 1,500 years ago, either to protect it from enemies or to appease the gods.

The motifs of the bracteates were produced in matrices (stamps) of bronze, which were stamped into plates of gold. That way, you could make several bracts with the same motif. The inscription runs from right to left on the bracteate and was originally written from left to right in the matrix. Photo: Arnold Mikkelsen, National Museum, Denmark
The motifs of the bracteates were produced in matrices (stamps) of bronze, which were stamped into plates of gold. That way, you could make several bracts with the same motif. The inscription runs from right to left on the bracteate and was originally written from left to right in the matrix. Photo: Arnold Mikkelsen, National Museum, Denmark

Studies of two 1,600-year-old gold medallions that are part of the treasure led to the discovery of very long runic inscriptions in which the name of the supreme god of the Aesir, Odin, appears.

A golden bracteate, a thin, ornamental pendant, bore the inscription “He is Odin’s man,” most likely referring to an unknown king or overlord. On the gold medallion, there is also a portrait of an unknown king or great man, who may have had the (nick)name “Jaga” or “Jagaz,”.

The inscription runs in a circle around the motif of the bracteate, which shows a king’s face seen in profile and with a nice hairstyle. In front of the face are a swastika and a semicircle that perhaps symbolizes the sun and the moon. Under its face stands a four-legged animal, presumably a horse, with a marked harness and something sticking out of its mouth. The horse’s ear points towards the king’s open mouth.

A long inscription appears to have been copied on one of the other pendants on the other gold medallion. It is, however, a poorly executed reproduction.

The long inscription on another bracteate from the Vindelev treasure is a poorly executed copy of the beautifully executed one. Photo: Arnold Mikkelsen, The National Museum of Denmark
The long inscription on another bracteate from the Vindelev treasure is a poorly executed copy of the beautifully executed one. Photo: Arnold Mikkelsen, The National Museum of Denmark

This amazing discovery was made by linguist Krister Vasshus from the National Museum in Denmark and runologist and script researcher Lisbeth Imer.

“It’s one of the best-executed runic inscriptions that I have ever seen,” Imer said.

Runes are symbols that were used by early Northern European tribes to communicate in writing.

According to the National Museum in Copenhagen, where the Vindelev Hoard is on display, more than 1,000 bracteates have been discovered in Northern Europe.

National Museum of Denmark

Related Articles

Vikings arrived in Newfoundland 1,000 years ago: Scientists

20 October 2021

20 October 2021

Vikings’ first permanent settlement in North America – the coastal outpost in Newfoundland known as L’Anse aux Meadows now has...

3,000-year-old Bronze Age Hoard Discovered During House Building Project in Scotland

31 July 2024

31 July 2024

Recent laboratory investigations of the Rosemarkie find, unearthed during the Black Isle housing development at Greenside in Rosemarkie, Highland Scotland,...

2,000-year-old financial record uncovered on Pilgrimage Road in the City of David, Jerusalem

17 May 2023

17 May 2023

A financial record dating back 2,000 years has been unearthed on the Pilgrimage Road in the City of David, Jerusalem’s...

The ‘boiler room’ of the bath in the Ancient City of Metropolis was unearthed

11 August 2022

11 August 2022

The vault section, called the ‘boiler room’, which provides a heat source, has been unearthed in the historical bath of...

A princely tomb discovered in the infrastructure project of the A7 Ploieşti-Buzău highway in Romania

20 December 2022

20 December 2022

An impressive archaeological discovery took place on the Ploiești-Buzău section of the Moldova Highway. The excavations uncovered a princely tomb,...

The excavations in Selinunte, Italy, which has the largest Agora in the Ancient World, “The results have gone well beyond expectations”

29 July 2022

29 July 2022

In the Selinunte, one of the most important archaeological sites of the Greek period in Italy, the outlines of the...

Golden Tongues and Nails discovered on mummies from the Ptolemaic Period in Egypt

18 December 2024

18 December 2024

Archaeologists have uncovered tombs decorated with colorful inscriptions and ritual scenes, as well as unusual mummies and unique funerary objects,...

Archaeologists Uncover Roman London’s First Basilica Beneath an Office Basement

13 February 2025

13 February 2025

Archaeologists have made a groundbreaking discovery beneath an office building in London, unearthing a substantial section of the ancient city’s...

The Mysterious Prehistoric Underwater Structure Beneath Lake Michigan

6 February 2024

6 February 2024

A prehistoric structure reminiscent of England’s iconic Stonehenge has been uncovered in Grand Traverse Bay, an arm of Lake Michigan...

As a result of an operation in western Turkey, 4 skulls belonging to the Jivaro tribe of South American origin were seized

14 December 2021

14 December 2021

In the operation held in the Aliağa district of İzmir, 400 historical artifacts belonging to various periods were seized, including...

Hidden Archaeological Treasures from Cologne Cathedral

25 January 2024

25 January 2024

An area of around 4,000 square meters (43,055 square feet) is being discovered beneath the Cologne Cathedral, the largest Gothic...

New Findings from 3,000-year-old Uluburun shipwreck: Uzbekistan Nomads Supplied a Third of the Bronze Used Across Ancient Mediterranean

5 December 2022

5 December 2022

A new study of the 3,o00 years old Uluburun shipwreck revealed a complex ancient trading network during the late bronze...

Researchers Define the Borders of El Argar, the First State-Society in the Iberian Peninsula

18 March 2025

18 March 2025

Recent research conducted by scholars from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) and the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology...

Evidence found of Goose domestication in Neolithic China 7,000 years ago

8 March 2022

8 March 2022

Geese may have been domesticated in what is now China as early as 7,000 years ago, according to a study...

“One of the outstanding discoveries of recent decades”: Gold coin reveals unknown British King

20 October 2023

20 October 2023

New light has been shed on a little-known part of British history thanks to the extraordinary discovery of a coin...