Who Wore the Sutton Hoo Helmet?

The unearthing of the Sutton Hoo helmet owes its discovery to the intriguing initiative of a singular woman, Miss Edith Pretty, the daughter of a wealthy industrialist. Fate, however, dealt her a card of widowhood, prompting her to retreat from social engagements to her secluded estate. She would often gaze around the mounds surrounding her land. Curiosity would take hold of her, compelling Miss Pretty to delve into the mystery. In her quest for answers, she enlisted the expertise of the archaeologist Basil Brown. In due course, the excavation team unearthed the ghostly imprint of an ancient ship that had long surrendered to the ravages of time. As the news of this significant discovery began to spread, Charles Phillips, a distinguished academic from Cambridge, made a pilgrimage to the site. Standing amidst the unfolding marvel, Phillips was amazed by the spectacle before him. Seizing the reins of the excavation, he steered it into the annals of history, transforming it into the richest archaeological find ever witnessed on British soil. Within the mound, they found a ship burial site, and within the tomb were weapons, golden garnet jewellery, imported silver, drinking horns, a golden belt buckle weighing 400 grams, an ornate gold belt, and two golden shoulder clasps. All of these items reveal that this mound was that of an incredibly important person. By July in the year 1939, it became apparent that this site was of utmost importance. But on the 28th of July, the team made the most momentous discovery of all, the smashed up fragments of a rusted helmet. These pieces were reconstructed to show what the helmet would have looked like in its full glory. The helmet would have originally glittered in battle, being decorated with both gold and silver. The remains of a body were never found at the site though, nothing remains of the man who was buried with these costly historic items. However, the items recovered from the grave were fit for a king, or perhaps even more than that, which has led many historians to speculate the grave was that of King Redwald of East Anglia. He was referred to in the Anglo-Saxon chronicle as Bretwalda, an old English term meaning Britain ruler, achieving overlordship of all other Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. The reign of Redwald can be dated back to the end of the 6th century and the early 7th century. Given the date of the coins found at the grave, the gold and garnet jewellery, and the ship, and the lavishness of it all, many experts believe it was Redwald. The burial itself has strong Scandinavian links, ship burials like this have only been found in Sweden. The iconic item recovered from the grave was the reconstructed helmet, which showed beautiful imagery from Scandinavian mythology, such as the dancing warriors which appear on several panels of the helmet. These men in ceremonial dress were engaged in a sword or spear dance associated with the god Odin. Sword dances were well known to be common in Germanic tribes and also the later Viking warriors. The image on the helmet is also similar to one of the Vendel-era torsladar plates found in Sweden. It depicts a one-eyed Odin guiding a berserker and it looks as if Odin is also engaging in some kind of dance. Many Anglo-Saxons during the 7th century were pagans, worshipping gods such as Odin and Thor. Therefore, warriors such as berserkers would be idolised. They would shine in battle, and of course they were usually the strongest warriors, with many tales and Norse sagas of how these warriors couldn't be harmed by fire or steel. Such was their savage reputation that in the year 1015, berserker warriors were outlawed, which resulted in berserker war bands disappearing by the 12th century. This trance-like state of fighting was a powerful omen for the Anglo-Saxons during the 7th century, which conveys that the inscription on the Sutton Hoo helmet could be a berserker ritual of dancing warriors, and if the man in the grave is indeed King Redwald, you could argue for the association of berserkers and royalty at the time. The early Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in England were made from successful warrior tribes, who made themselves kings in the land who migrated from Scandinavia during the late Roman period. From the ashes, four major kingdoms would emerge, Northumbria, East Anglia, Mercia and Wessex, although the full establishment of these kingdoms would happen during and after Redwald's life. Redwald was the King of East Anglia and during the time, it was not uncommon for an Anglo-Saxon king to say that he was a descendant of Odin, the Germanic god. The Sutton Hoo helmet was highly decorated with religious scenes. On several panels of the helmet, there are scenes of a mounted warrior with a spear overhead, trampling an enemy on the ground. The man on the ground however, thrusts his sword into the chest of the horse. There is also another figure, similar next to the horseman, it clutches the spear with its hand. The symbolism can be interpreted as the man holding the spear behind the warrior being Odin, guiding the warrior into battle, but does not completely help him from the threat he faces. The gods themselves are subject to the whims of fate and can only provide limited help when it comes to destiny. Which is why there is the symbolism of the trampled warrior thrusting his sword into the horse. The Pleitschausen brooch is a gold disc decorated with exactly the same imagery as that on the helmet. It was found in Germany in the grave of a wealthy Alemanni woman dating to the 7th century. If the symbolism is Odin guiding a warrior into battle, then it conveys wealthy Germanic and Anglo-Saxon kingdoms would carve images of their god Odin onto their precious metals. The helmet was both functional in battle and a symbol of the wearer's power and influence. The helmet itself dates back a hundred years before the time of King Redwald and may have been a family heirloom, which indicates when it was buried, the man it was buried with must have been of grand importance, a Bretwalder perhaps. During the 7th century, the warrior Anglo-Saxon tribes had not adopted crowns and their helmet would indicate their status. This particular helmet, with its beautiful inscriptions, would have indicated the leader's right to rule and his connection to Odin and even perhaps, the symbolic berserker status. In a time where the monarchy was defined by a warrior culture, the helmet and the sword, the beauty of the helmet of a high status warrior or king would have been immeasurable. The eyebrows of the helmet and the garnet used may have come from India or Sri Lanka. These materials would have needed to travel a great distance before reaching Anglo-Saxon England, further reflecting the grandeur of the helmet and the man who would have worn it. Much gold on the helmet covers the eyebrows, nose and dragon heads that adorn it. Dragons, the serpent-like creatures, appear in various Norse myths and legends, often as the adversaries of gods or heroes, again reflecting the ferocity of the wearer of the helmet and its symbolism in Germanic and Norse mythology. Details about the life of King Redwald are scarce due to the Viking invasions of the 9th century, which burned and destroyed the monasteries in East Anglia, where many documents of the lives of the ancient kings would have been kept. Almost all we know about King Redwald comes from an 8th century manuscript, the Ecclesiastical History of the English People, written by the Anglo-Saxon monk known as the Venerable Bede. According to Bede, Redwald was the most powerful of the English kings south of the Humber. He was the fourth ruler to hold imperium over the other southern Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. This is reflected in the Anglo-Saxon chronicle, which names him Brethwalder. The Northumbrian monk Bede completed his manuscript in the year 731, just a hundred years after the life of Redwald. In the 5th century, the Anglo-Saxons, comprised of the Angles, Saxons, Jutes and Frisians, commenced their migration to Britain. By the 7th century, several kingdoms had taken shape in the territories they had conquered. As the 7th century dawned, the southern region that would later become England, found itself predominantly under Anglo-Saxon rule. During Redwald's youth, the establishment of other ruling houses was accomplished. Sometime in the 590s, Redwald entered into marriage with a woman whose name remains undisclosed, however, according to Bede, it is affirmed that she was a fierce pagan. In the initial years of Redwald's rule, significant events transpired, such as the arrival of Augustine, a Christian monk who would become the first Archbishop of Canterbury in the year 597. Notably, in Bede's account of the conversion of Redwald's son, it is documented that the king himself partook in the Christian sacraments during his visit to Kent. Within East Anglia, the acceptance of Redwald's conversion was not unanimous, facing resistance from members of his household and even his own queen. As a result, in his temple, he kept two altars, one dedicated to Odin and the other to Christ. Bede, writing decades later, described how Eardwulf of East Anglia, a grandson of Redwald's brother Eni, recalled seeing the Many historians argue that Redwald was not fully willing to embrace Christianity. Bede, who wrote of King Redwald a hundred years after his death, would regard him as a renouncer of the faith. The pagan belief in the old gods, such as Odin, was still strong in 7th century Anglo-Saxon England. This is reflected on the Sutton Hoo helmet, with images of Scandinavian scenery, such as the dancing warriors and the dragons glistening fiercely on the helm. Redwald was also involved in the Battle of the River Idle. The context surrounding the conflict was Æthelfrith, the king of Bernesea, had gained control of the neighbouring kingdom of Dera and would force the members of its royal family into exile. Edwin, the son of the former king, would take refuge with King Redwald of East Anglia. Æthelfrith sent messengers to Redwald, asking him to kill Edwin. Redwald however, did not comply, and instead raised an army to confront Æthelfrith, reflecting his warrior mentality. In a grand assembly in the year 616, Redwald marshalled a formidable army, embarking on a northward march accompanied by his valiant son, Rhaegonhir, poised to confront the formidable Æthelfrith. In the narrative of Henry of Huntingdon, Redwald's forces formed a triad of formations led by the king himself. His son and the exiled prince Edwin would lead with their king. Together, they confronted Æthelfrith's seasoned warriors. The battlefield unfolded as a symphony of martial prowess, with Æthelfrith's forces adopting a loose and strategic formation. In a tragic twist, the untimely demise of Rhaegonhir unfolded as he crossed paths with the enemy, mistaken perhaps for Edwin. The melee that ensued, a tempest of steel and fury, culminated in the fall of Rhaegonhir, which led to his father Redwald unleashing his full fury. Breaching the enemy lines with a vengeful rage, Redwald exacted his vengeance, killing Æthelfrith and causing a great slaughter of the Northumbrians. By Edwin's debt of allegiance to him, Redwald became the first foreign king to hold direct influence in Northumbria. He would have been instrumental in Edwin's secure establishment as both the King of Dera and Bernesea. The Sutton Hoo helm also has marks of repair on it, this suggests it had use before it was put in the grave, conveying that it may have been used in battle. It would have been a functional piece of armour, even having nostrils to allow the wearer to breathe. It would have made an incredible figurehead for King Redwald leading his men into battle, during the era where kingship was defined by the sword and the helmet. Many kings had converted from paganism to Christianity, such as King Æthelbert of Kent. He would die in the year 616, and he was succeeded by his pagan son Eadbold. In addition, once the Christian King Ceobert of Essex died, his kingdom was split between his three sons, who returned it to pagan rule. It is said that during this period, there was only one Christian altar in England, and that belonged to King Redwald of East Anglia, even though it was beside a pagan altar. While Redwald himself had converted to Christianity, he still practised paganism. However, at the Sutton Hoo burial site, two silver baptismal spoons with the Greek inscriptions, Sorlos and Porlos were also included. These spoons are given at conversion or baptism. Even though the site was a pagan burial ground, the family of whoever the grave belonged to put in these spoons, reflecting it could have been Redwald, a man conflicted between two beliefs. Nearly 1,500 years after its creation, the Sutton Hoo helmet can now be found in the British Museum. It became a symbol of a nation, and a relic of a largely forgotten warrior culture. It is unknown who made it, and no one is completely certain of who wore it, however, I believe it could have been King Redwald of East Anglia. The location of the burial site could point to it being him, given he was the king in those lands. As the sword and helmet defined the monarchy at the time, and the Sutton Hoo helmet was particularly beautiful and functional, it was indeed worthy of a king. The sheer value of the items found makes one believe it was the mound of a king, or an overlord of more than one kingdom. The pagan burial site, which was originally a ship, was found with many pagan artefacts inside it, such as the helmet, with its incredible Norse and Germanic imagery. Due to these connections, I believe the man who once rested in the Sutton Hoo mound was King Redwald of East Anglia, the great Brett Walder. I hope you all enjoyed the video, let me know your thoughts on who you think was buried in the mound, and who wore the helmet. Make sure to like, subscribe and share, and I'll see you all soon for another history profile.