Content:
In 2017, I presented an exhibition about the importance of silk among Viking Age textiles found in pre-Christian boat- and chamber graves in central Scandinavian areas. It has long been debated whether this silk originated in Islamic Central Asia or in Christian Byzantium. Already in 2007, I suggested that silk in pre-Christian Scandinavia would be traced to Central Asian production, and found way westward on the Russian Silk Roads - until necropolises such as Birka, ceased.
There is also a discussion about the production area for contemporary tablet-woven bands made of silk, with an extra floating layer of weft threads in silver. A predominant view is that they were made in Scandinavia as the patterns are considered to be of “ancient Nordic” character, but made from imported material. During the exhibition work it was discovered that the patterns are Islamic expressions in ancient geometric writing, so-called Square Kufi. However, when an American art historian wrongly claimed in a call "to the entire world" that this writing did not appear until 500 years later and that our reading was also incorrect, the proposal aroused worldwide critical opinion both in media and among academics.
In this lecture, the ancient Square Kufic script, as well as the rich finds of Viking Age textiles with Square Kufic inscriptions found in Scandinavia and Russia, will be detailed presented. The aim is to highlight the importance of silk as well as Kufic expressions in Viking Age burial customs, which allows focus to shift from local traditions concerning interpretations on Viking Age ceremonial costumes, into a much larger interdisciplinary and Eurasian cultural context. Finally, we also shed light on Kufic patterns in textile folk art, which have survived from Viking Age until present day in both Scandinavia and Russia, despite the symbolism has lost its Islamic meaning.
Keywords:
Viking Age Silks, Viking Age Square Kufic Textiles, Islamic expressions in Viking Age textiles, Islamic symbols in Scandinavian Folk Art Textiles, The Silk trading Rus, Square Kufi - older than earlier claimed