This ring, discovered in the burial site of a woman around 1,200 years ago in Birka, an ancient Viking city near present-day Stockholm, Sweden, has significant historical value. It serves as tangible proof of direct connections between the Vikings and the Abbasid Caliphate.
Crafted from a silver alloy and adorned with a colored soda-lime glass stone, the ring is currently housed at the Swedish History Museum in Stockholm. It was unearthed from a grave belonging to a woman from the 9th century, during the Viking Age (A.D. 793-1066), at Birka, which was a bustling trading center.
The ring stands out due to its distinctive features. It showcases a violet stone inscribed with Arabic Kufic writing, interpreted as the phrase "il-la-lah," meaning "For/to Allah." Notably, this ring is believed to have had limited wear and was likely passed directly from the silversmith to the woman buried in Birka, with only a few owners in between.
This unique artifact holds great significance as it provides concrete evidence of direct interactions between Viking Age Scandinavia and the Islamic world. It is the sole ring with an Arabic inscription ever discovered at a Scandinavian archaeological site, making it an extraordinary item among the Viking Age materials found in Sweden.
“If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged, but one word from you will silence me on this subject for ever.”
Elizabeth gave him to understand, that her sentiments had undergone so material a change.
On what would have been Howard's 73rd birthday, it's wonderful to be in the midst of celebrating the opening of The Little Mermaid and seeing his work live on. Happy birthday, Howard. Wish you were here to be part of all of this!