The Borre style (c. 850-925), described in The Anatomy of Viking Art, got its name from the horse-harness mounts from a ship grave in Borre. They display a characteristic trademark of the Borre style, the so-called ring chain. This is formed by juxtaposing geometric shapes, typically circles and rhombuses, which often terminate in the triangular head of the most typical motif of the style, the gripping beast.
You’ll find the updated list of Borre-style examples with links in the chapter online; here is a taste of the examples.
Browse the Borre Style Examples on Gelmir →
Gripping Beast Pendants
Some of the most iconic Borre-style pieces are the pendants found across Scandinavia, which display a typical gripping beast with its ribbon body and squat, wide hips, curled up in a pretzel knot, gripping its own slender limbs and the surrounding circular framework with its four paws. Note the four ribbon animal heads in profile, another common motif of the Borre style.
Pictured above:
Penannular Brooches
The penannular brooches are excellent examples of combining all the Borre style characteristics. Ring chains, knots, gripping beast heads and heads of ribbon animals are all part of the various compositions of these types of brooches.
Pictured above:
- Left: Björkö penannular brooch
- Centre: Spissøyno Nedre penannular brooch
- Right: Tomta penannular brooch
Trefoil Brooches
The shape of the trefoil brooches is derived from imported Carolingian sword scabbard mounts. The ornamentation was soon adapted into the Scandinavian style with motifs of gripping beasts and ribbon animals instead of the floral designs of the Carolingian mounts.
Pictured above:
- Left: Revheim trefoil brooch
- Right: Holmskov trefoil brooch
Woodcarvings
The Gokstad ship burial displays some incredible examples of woodwork in the late Borre style. In the wooden bed posts and the tiller, we find the tiny animal heads of the brooches and horse tack scaled up in size, showcasing these common motifs in much greater detail.
Pictured above:
- Left: Gokstad animal-head bed posts
- Right: Gokstad tiller
