A new permanent exhibition at the Historical Museum in Oslo, Norway, will enable the general public to see the iconic serpent's head of the Oseberg ship for the very first time.
The serpent's head will feature in the exhibition Miðgarðr – The Mythical World of the Vikings, which will open on June 21 of this year.
An unseen treasure
The Oseberg ship is one of the most famous and significant Viking Age vessels ever found.
The ship, which has been dated to the 9th century, was excavated from a burial mound at Oseberg farm near Tønsberg in southern Norway in 1904.
Its contents have fascinated archeologists, historians, and the general public ever since.
Thanks to the unique climatic conditions, the ship was beautifully preserved and has been viewed by millions of visitors to the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo over the last century.
In addition to the remains of two female skeletons, the excavation also revealed a wide array of other artifacts, including sleds, ornate ornaments, and even tapestries.
The serpent's head, which adorned the prow of the ship, is one of the most iconic symbols of both the burial and the Viking Age as a whole.
Until now, however, it has been kept away from the public due to its fragile condition, with an exact reconstruction made and added to the ship. Now, the original will finally be made available for viewing.
The serpent's head survived only because looters tossed it aside during a grave robbery around the year 970. Photo: George Alexis Pantos / Historical Museum, UiO
A discarded relic
Remarkably, the serpent's head from the Oseberg ship was only found by the excavating archeologists after it had been carelessly discarded by grave looters in the late 10th century.
"Like many other graves from the Viking Age, someone broke into the grave and conducted what is known as 'haugbrott' (mound-breaking) around the year 970," archeologist and museum curator Hanne Lovise Aannestad commented to the Oslo Museum of Cultural History.
"They cut off the serpent's head and threw it into the layer of the intrusion. This is why we have this serpent's head today."
There can be no doubt that the builders of the ship would have deliberately and consciously chosen the figure that would be displayed on its prow.
The serpent plays an important role in Norse mythology—the Midgard Serpent, or Jörmungandr, dwelled in the world sea, encircled the earth, and bit its own tail in a representation of the ouroboros, a common theme in many pagan mythologies.
The serpent is said to symbolize transformation and renewal, but also destruction.
As the museum notes, several Viking ships were nicknamed "ormen lange," or long serpent, and placing the serpent's head in such a prominent position on the Oseberg ship would certainly have held important symbolic meaning.
The serpent's head will be displayed for two years before moving to the new Museum of the Viking Age in 2027. Photo: George Alexis Pantos / Historical Museum, UiO
"Truly wonderful"
The chance to finally present the original item is a unique opportunity for the curators of the exhibition. The serpent's head will be placed on display in a special case that will help preserve its integrity.
"The serpent's head is one of the finest artifacts found from Norway's Viking Age," Jan Bill, a professor of archeology who works for the Museum of Cultural History, commented in a press release. "The fact that we can now show it to the public is truly wonderful."
The exhibition, Miðgarðr – The Mythical World of the Vikings, will open on June 21 at the Historical Museum in Oslo.
Focused on the spiritual universe of the Viking Age, it is specially aimed at children aged 8–12. Visitors will have the chance to learn about Norse mythology and the lives of the Vikings through activities, stories, and historical artifacts.
The serpent's head will naturally be one of the main attractions, but only for a two-year period.
At that point, it will be moved to the new Museum of the Viking Age, which is currently under construction and is expected to open in the Bygdøy district of Oslo in 2027. Here, the head will finally take its place alongside the Oseberg ship itself.
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