(Manx National Heritage catalogued Cross No. 128) The transition in the Viking world of Pagan beliefs to the final embrace of Christianity is depicted on this stone. The Vikings brought pagan religion to shores already believing in Christianity and for a short time, both creeds co-existed. But eventually, Christianity won. One side of this stone shows the Norse god Odin (recognised by the raven on his shoulder, and weaving his famous spear) being devoured by Fenris the wolf at the Battle of Ragnorok – the fight against evil and the end of the world for the Norse deities. The other side is filled with Christian symbolism – a figure with a book and a cross, by a fish and a defeated serpent. This stone is not only a ‘page-turn’ from pagan to Christian beliefs, it also has that rarest of…
Tag: Norse
The House of Manannan in Peel
I love these bronze statues which depicts Norsemen pulling on a rope, what you cannot see is that behind the glass and inside the House of Manannan and attached to the other end of the rope is the Viking Long ship Odins Raven which is being pulled onto shore by these Norsemen, if you have not visited the House of Manannan, believe me it is well worth a visit. The reflection on the glass is the Creek Inn Public House and the Spire of the disused St Peters Church in Market Street in Peel. The images were captured on my Fuji X10 camera, resized and cropped in Adobe Photoshop CS5. Click on the image for a larger view!