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Slate mould for casting the needles and also the original head of the needle found in Birka over 150 years ago.
These finds are really common. They were really popular in Danish Hedeby, and in Sweden we also record several beautifully preserved pieces in Birka and Gotland and even in Kiev Rus in the Ryurikovo Gorodishche area. South of Uppsala we have recorded at least 11 finds that we have managed to track down. And that already makes the dragon needle exactly the one you need!
There can be no doubt about the popularity of dragon motifs in the Viking Age. They are a major pattern on engravings, jewellery and also an unmissable part of the already fascinating drakkars. For example, the record of Harald Hardrada's ship Ormen reads as follows - On the bow of the ship was a gilded dragon's head and on the stern a hook. This ship, which Snorri calls a bussa, had 35 rowing positions.
"King Harald stayed all winter in Nidaros (A.D. 1062) and had a ship built on the shore, namely the bussa. The boat was built in the same size as the Long Serpent, and every part of it was finished with the greatest care. There was a dragon's head on the bow, a dragon's tail on the stern, and the sides of the bow were gilded. The ship had thirty-five oarsmen's benches, and was large and exceedingly handsome for her size, for the king had everything belonging to a ship's rigging made of the finest materials, both sails and rigging, anchors and ropes." (The Saga of Harald Hardrada)
Thiodolf, the skald, then sang about it:
It was upon a Saturday,
Ship-tilts were struck and stowed away,
And past the town our dragon glides,
That girls might see our glancing sides.
Out from the Nid brave Harald steers;
Westward at first the dragon veers;
Our lads together down with oars,
The splash is echoed round the shores.
The bronze needle is 15.5 cm long and weighs about 22 grams. It has a round eye firmly attached, into which you tie a string (textile, leather) and then wrap the pierced cloak with the string under the needle to ensure that it does not slip. If you wear the cloak the same way, we can also recommend sewing the eye directly to its permanent position.
