Embodied in Animals

The Scandinavian and Germanic animal style was, as we have seen, formed during the fifth century as a new abstract language of signs. It dominated until early Christianity, both among the Germanic tribes on the continent and among the Scandinavian peoples themselves. From the beginning to the end the animal styles were an inseparable part of the elite's material identity. In Part II, I demonstrated that the animal style is more than a decorative element, but conveys an intentional mythological message of a shared identity and destiny.