Hand Made Norse Pagan Rock Art War Horn

This is a hand carved war/signal horn with Nordic Bronze Age rock art designs carved into the exterior of the horn. I was inspired to craft this horn after hearing the band Heilung perform their rituals, and the powerful tone of their horns really impressed me! The horn itself is approximately 24" long. I begin with genuine steer longhorns that have been cleaned, but not polished. I scrub and clean the horn inside and out, cutting, filing, sanding and polishing it, then carve the unique design, which is painted with a light wash of ink to highlight the images. I then finish by rubbing down the exterior of the horn with a food grade cutting board oil, which conditions the surface of the horn.

The horn is fully functional, with the mouthpiece being formed from the tip of the horn. I cut off the first few inches of the horn's tip, drill through the solid material into the main body of the horn, and then shape and carve until I can get a beautiful tone from the horn!

About Nordic Rock Art

The horn design is based mostly on Nordic Bronze Age Petroglyph(1700-500 BC) or Rock carving from Svenneby, Bohuslän, Tanum in Sweden. One of the figures on board the ship holds a sun symbol, however, it also resembles a Bronze Age shield.

Similar works from the period are found throughout the region. The Nordic Bronze Age is usually defined as the period between 1700 and 500 BC, and in Southern Scandinavia it is characterised by the full introduction of metal. The main motifs within the Northern Rock Art Tradition consist of animals, often prey species such as large game, for example elks, deer, reindeer, whales, Atlantic halibut, etc., but we also find depictions of humans, boats and abstract designs. Sites belonging to these traditions are known from all parts of Norway, the lake districts of Finland and the central part of Sweden. One of the most stunning rock paintings belonging to these traditions is found in the town of Gothenburg on the Swedish West Coast, the Tumlehed site, and there are also rock paintings known in this tradition from Bohuslän, Dalsland and Värmland in the south-western parts of Sweden.

Last, but not least, maintain your horn!

Gently hand wash with warm water, and dry immediately after with a soft cloth. Lastly, you can polish your drinking horn with vegetable oil to prevent it from drying out. A little bit of care goes a long way!

For an audio sample, please check out my YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/7eQcaVvH_F8