Brooch in the Shape of a Bird, AD 500-600 Vendel Migration Period
Metal work was important to people on the move. Bronze helmets and weapons meant strength to those who wore them. Metals obtained in war could be melted down and reshaped on the field with fire and a hammer. A chieftain might carry a bronze dagger or fasten his cloak with a large brooch like the one above. Germanic tribes loved patterns. They wove one piece over and under another. This brooch was made of metal during the Migration Period. Look at the way the wing of the bird goes over the body and then under the tail. The metal worker curved the bird’s head so that its bill touches what other part of the bird? Where has the metal worker used stamps to repeat a design or to make a pattern? Which pattern looks like stitching?
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