Yes, Sweden. This fifth or sixth century A.D. statue of the Buddha from northern India was found in a Viking treasure horde on the Swedish island of Helgö. Globalization is clearly not a recent phenomenon: Ancient and medieval peoples traveled extensively and forged trade networks that spanned continents, making possible the spread of ideas, languages and cultural artifacts from one civilization to another. Of course, few people got around as much as the Vikings. From their Scandinavian coves they visited, raided, traded with and settled in lands from Newfoundland to Baghdad. They conquered Britain, terrorized Ireland and France, settled Iceland, raided Spain and ranged throughout the Mediterranean basin. They established a major presence in Russia, the Ukraine and the Crimea, sending their longboats down the Volga into the Black Sea. They raided Constantinople no less than four times.
The Buddha was born Prince Siddhartha Gautama in sixth-century B.C. Nepal and dedicated his life to teaching of “dharma,” or the way to enlightenment. By the seventh century A.D., Buddhism had spread throughout south and southeast Asia. It is unlikely that any of his ideas made it to Viking Sweden, but one never knows. The statue, on display at the State Historical Museum in Stockholm, Sweden is typical of Buddhist iconography. Of note are the mudras, or the hand signs meant to communicate a particular idea. The figure’s left hand, for instance, is pointed down with the palm facing the viewer, perhaps the varada mudra, which symbolizes charity and compassion. The right hand forms the abhaya mudra—fearlessness, protection and peace.
Yes, Sweden. This fifth or sixth century A.D. statue of the Buddha from northern India was found in a Viking treasure horde on the Swedish island of Helgö. Globalization is clearly not a recent phenomenon: Ancient and medieval peoples traveled extensively and forged trade networks that spanned continents, making possible the spread of ideas, languages and cultural artifacts from one civilization to another. Of course, few people got around as much as the Vikings. From their Scandinavian coves they visited, raided, traded with and settled in lands from Newfoundland to Baghdad. They conquered Britain, terrorized Ireland and France, settled […]
You have already read your free article for this month. Please join the BAS Library or become an All Access member of BAS to gain full access to this article and so much more.
