Small fragment of cross-slab of the lte 10th century, illutrating splendid Norse animal ornament, showing the forepart of a boar.*
Note the representation of bristles and the characteristic spiral where limb joins body.*
It may be a representation of Sæhrímnir, the creature killed and eaten every night by the Æsir and Einherjar. The cook of the gods, Andhrímnir, is responsible for the slaughter of Sæhrímnir and its preparation in the cauldron Eldhrímnir. After Sæhrímnir is eaten, the beast is brought back to life again to provide sustenance for the following day.
"In Eldrhimnir Andhrímnir cooks
Sæhrímnir’s seething flesh -
The best of food, but few men know
On what fare the warriors feast."
*(source: The Art of the Manx Crosses (1977), Manx Museum & National Trust)
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