C-bracteate
December 3, 2020
Illustration displaying some of the most common characteristics of a C-bracteate.
C-bracteates feature a rider in the shape of a disproportionately large male human head on top of a horse. The head is equivalent to the ones depicted on the A-bracteates. Typically a bird is set in front of his face, and other animals also occur.
In line with the similar motif on the A-bracteates, this is usually interpreted as Oðin, either on his horse Sleipnir or in the act of healing Balder’s wounded horse as described in the Merseburg II Formula.
The gold bracteates were contemporary with Style I and display many of the same characteristics of the style.