The wooden figure from Rude Eskildstrup

A wooden figure 42 cm high from Rood Eskildstrup in Central Zealand was found in 1880 standing upright in a swamp. The figure depicts a seated man with a conspicuous face, but with hair and a beard. His hands rest on his lap, where there is a pillow-like object. The man may be wearing a robe, and on his neck is a necklace consisting of many closely profiled rings. This type of composite neck rings is known from Swedish society; gold neck rings, they can be dated to the 5th century AD. Hannenov on Falster has a similar articulated collar, consisting of only one ring. The wooden figure from Rude Eskildstrup is the youngest of the wooden figures we know from Iron Age marshes and wetlands. It probably represents the end of the sacrificial tradition that began at the end of the Bronze Age.