Hercules' Club (amulet)

A Herkuleskeule or Donarskeule is a trapezoidal or lobe-shaped amulet from the Roman period and the early Middle Ages.

Hercules lobes

Hercules lobes are widely used in the Roman provinces, particularly since the 3rd century. Most copies are made of gold. They are recognizable not only by the beam shape, but also an ornament with more or less naturalistic Astknubben. On a specimen from Cologne -Nippes an inscription DEO HER ( culi ) is attached, which confirms a connection to the sheltered god Hercules. The Hercules lobes smaller (often less than 3 cm long ), often massive cast pieces and larger (often over 5 cm long ) distinguished specimens from sheet gold. Probably the smaller specimens were usually worn as an earring, the larger pendant.

Donarskeulen

In the 5th to 7th century Donarskeulen spread very quickly from the Scandinavian elbgermanischen space coming all over Europe; to reveal a spatial and temporal relation to the Greco-Roman copies, without, however. Because formal similarities and a similar use in a graves derivation from the Greco-Roman culture is to accept. The club is considered as an attribute of God Hercules and vegetation was carried there to be growth and fertility symbol. Donarskeulen were made from the tips of antlers and rarely from bone, wood, bronze or precious metals. They were decorated with incised, simple line patterns or circular eyes. Donarskeulen have been found exclusively in women and girls graves in the pelvic region and occasionally in the temporal realm of the dead. The Donarskeulen in the pelvic area were visibly worn on a small iron or bronze rings at Gürtelgehänge. Presumably, they were also worn as an earring or ring at the temple headpiece. In men's graves Donarskeulen have not yet been discovered. Since they were often together with Tiger worm, a popular symbol of the vulva, found, they are also interpreted as growth and fertility amulets.

With the increasing Christianization in the 8th century Thorhammer particularly in northern Europe and cross-shaped pendant solve the Donarskeule from a protective amulet.