The beautiful bronze and silver jewellery, and implements of war of the early Viking period, found in Norway, Sweden and Denmark, display no trace of plant forms in their ornamentation, the latter consisting wholly of interlacing animal forms, chiefly the dragon. The viking ship found at Sandifiord in 1880, although destitute of ornament, shows traces of the “Bronze Dragon Prow,” referred to in the early Scandinavian Sagas. At the commencement of the 12th century, plant forms are found mingled with the dragons, and figure sculpture became important in treating of the myths of the gods; Frey, Woden, Thor and Fyr, of the pagan period, being influenced by the newer cult in religion. This is shown by the Sigurd Overlap.

HreiÔmar had three sons, Otter, Fafni and Regan. Otter was killed one day by Loki, one of the three Scandinavian gods—Loki, Hoeni and Woden—these being seized by HreiÔmar, who would only release them when the skin of Otter should be covered with gold. Thereupon Loki seized the dwarf Andwan, who was made to give up his treasure of gold, and a ring of magical properties, carrying with it a curse, that the treasure should be the death of those who held it. Loki then returned and covered the skin of Otter with the gold (fig. 3), after which the gods were set at liberty. Then HreiÔmar was slain by his sons for the treasure. Fafni, after seizing the latter, took the form of a dragon, and lay guarding the plunder at Gnita Heath. Regan, his brother, in order to obtain the treasure, prompted Sigurd, his foster son, to slay the dragon. Sigurd, in testing his sword, broke it in twain, thereupon Regan made him a magic sword, with which he lay in the trail of the dragon, and pierced it through (figs. 1-4). Then Regan took out the heart of the dragon, which Sigurd cut into slices and toasted while Regan slept. Sigurd, burning his fingers, places them in his mouth, and tasted the blood of Fafni, the dragon (fig. 1), and, lo! he heard the voice of birds saying that Regan was plotting to kill him. Then Sigurd killed Regan, eat the heart of Fafni, placed the treasure on the back of the noble horse Grani, and departed, only to be slain for the gold by Gunnar, who for this crime was cast into the pit of serpents (fig. 1).[A]

This myth explains much of the Scandinavian ornament, for in figs. 1 and 2 the story is told in a series of incidents remarkable for the fertility of invention and dracontine ornamentation. Halton Cross, in Lancashire, and a slab at Kirk Andreas, Isle of Man, illustrate the same subjects, dating from the 11th century. In later times the dragon becomes more pronounced in character, until in the 14th century it fills the whole portal with the beautiful interlacing ornament (fig. 6).