Anarm ring,also known as anarmletor anarmband,is a band of metal, usually aprecious metal,worn as jewelry or an ornament around thebicepsof the upper arm. The arm ring is similar to abraceletorbangle,though it must be shaped and sized to fit snugly to the upper arm.
Often, when the word"ring"occurs inBronze-Ageheroic literatureit refers to an arm ring, rather than afinger ring. Within the context of the ScandinavianBronze Age,archeological digsof graves suggest that arm rings were most commonly worn by men.[1]Arm rings have also been found in Britain and Ireland, with artifacts dating from the Bronze Age[2]till theViking Age.[3]Archeological discoveriesof Bronze Age arm rings inDenmarksuggest they were commonVotive offeringsduring that period, found purposefully deposited in bodies of water or buried near large stones, hills, orbarrows.[4]It is believed that arm rings may have been bestowed as gifts by powerful lords to secure or maintain bonds of fealty orVassalages,[3]with evidence of this practice found inScandinavian sagas[5]and theOld Englishepic poemBeowulf.[6]A distinctively decorated set of Danish arm rings within theNational Museum of Denmarkcollection had acquired the name of "oath rings" during the 19th century by archeologists directly connecting those rings to such a practice detailed in the sagas, but they were later dated to the Bronze Age where there was less historical evidence for the giving of arm rings as part of oath making.[5]Arm rings may have also been a method of storing silver during the Viking Age, a context wherein coins were less common.[7]When silver was needed for use, a section of the arm ring would have been cut off, leading to the termhack silver.[7]
InIndonesia,an arm ring is calledkelat bahu;it is commonly used by both men and women as traditional jewelry inJavanese,Sundanese,andBalinesetraditional costumes, worn usually in wedding ceremony or intraditional dance.The decorative arm rings are usually made of metals such as gold, silver, or brass, and can trace their history from the IndonesianHindu-Buddhistpast of ancient Java.
Sri Lankan historynotes that brides wore armlets to ward off ill luck. However, the armlet can be more eye-catching when it is made of gold or silver and is studded with gems. Men in ancient Sri Lanka also wore the jewellery, andKandyandrummers can be seen wearing the jewellery as a tradition even today. Women wear arm rings ('Vangi' in Tamil வங்கி) for special occasions like weddings and theBharatanatyamdance.
Another similar item of jewellery includes a waistlet; these are sometimes referred to as belts.
Modern-day arm rings are generally fashion accessories worn by women.
See also
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References
edit- ^"Arm rings of gold".National Museum of Denmark.Retrieved2024-03-01.
- ^"Bronze Age arm ring found in West Cumbria on display".The BBC.2023-11-18.Retrieved2024-03-01.
- ^ab"BBC – A History of the World – Object: Viking Gold Arm Ring".www.bbc.co.uk.Retrieved2022-07-27.
- ^"Sacrificial deposits in the Late Bronze Age".National Museum of Denmark.Retrieved2024-03-01.
- ^ab"The mysterious oath rings".National Museum of Denmark.Retrieved2024-03-01.
- ^Greenblatt, Stephen; Abrams, M. H., eds. (2012).The Norton anthology of English literature. Vol. 1.Vol. 1 (9th ed.). New York, NY: Norton. p. 38.ISBN978-0-393-91247-0.
- ^ab"Viking silver arm-rings discovered on the shores of Clew Bay, Co. Mayo".National Museum of Ireland.Retrieved2024-03-01.