Lore and Saga - Living History Education ServicesLore and Saga - Living History Education Services

Specialist in Viking and Roman School Visits for Key Stage Two of the National Curriculum.

Award winning living history services and presentations for classroom education.

A drinking horn called “Bucket”.

June 2022

Swedish Horn Rim

One of the things I love about living history craft work is how it can take you into the mind of a craftsman from over a thousand years ago.

I have a drinking horn in the workshop that has been waiting an age for me to make a rim for it, so naturally I have been looking at examples from archaeology for inspiration.

I came across this one in a Swedish museum catalogue the other day. Not one of the well known pieces that has been copied many times before but what I could see immediately is how the design would mould and adapt even to an awkwardly shaped horn. Which describes my needs exactly. A geometric form designed to map onto an organic form. Very clever.

I could also see exactly how it was made and the order of work required. Simple but so effective. An economy of design which speaks to me of long experience.

Two minds, separated in time by a millennia, meeting as one for just an instant.

The Drinking Horn Mounts- Image copyrighted © Gary Waidson. All rights reserved.

The original was silver but for an item that is only going to be used occasionally I decided pewter made more sense economically. I already had a horn terminal in the same material which I had drilled out and fitted with a silver ring and I used a strip of silver to attach another silver rig at the top for a strap ( Much stronger than pewter. )

"Bucket" - The Drinking Horn- Image copyrighted © Gary Waidson. All rights reserved.

A woolen strap woven by Debs just finished off the job nicely.

With a working capacity of about two litres this is slightly larger than my old drinking horn and “Bucket” seemed like an appropriate name for it.

A horn like this is at it’s best when being used communally, passed from one guest to another, so I look forward, hopefully, to the days when we can feel all feel comfortable enough to do that again.