Danish Unknown Royal Family Discovered Thanks to Ring

Danish unknown royal family roots have been discovered, thanks to a large gold ring unearthed in Southwest Denmark. More precisely, this is a semi-precious red gemstone, discovered in Emmerlev. This artifact indicates the presence of a yet unidentified royal family in the area. The family in question has connections to the Merovingians, the French royal family. This area also covered parts of today’s Belgium and Germany.

The Merovingian line ruled the Franks from the middle of the fifth century until 751. The Merovingians play a prominent role in French historiography and national identity. When it comes to the ring, 39-year-old Lars Nielsen extracted it from the earth. After that, he gave it to the Museum Sønderjylland, in Haderslev. Afterwards, the institution gave the ring to Copenhagen’s National Museum of Denmark.

Kirstine Pommergaard of the National Museum examined the ring and found that its design is similar to those of rings worn by influential Merovingians. She goes on to say that the ring not only announces the arrival of a new family. Additionally, it links Emmerlev to one of the biggest European power centres throughout the Iron Age. The ring possibly belonged to a princess who wed a different prince in the area.

Gifts to diplomats often got crafted from gold. Pommergaard observes that the Merovingians were eager to form alliances with families that held sway over local trade and supplies. Also, she believes that the Emmerlev royal family would have been a suitable match. Certain unique features of the ring’s architecture validate its Merovingian ancestry. It has spiral patterns on the bottom and trefoil knobs that blend in with the stone as it moves from the ring rail to the socket.

What Does Red Gemstone Symbolise?

According to Pommersgaard, these are hallmarks of Frankish craftsmanship that are hard to replicate even in modern times. Additional discoveries unearthed in the same region, such as Frisian pottery and gold and silver coins, attest to contact with the Merovingians. This was probably via allies in Friesland, a territory located in present-day Belgium and the Netherlands.

Nordic people used the red gemstone as an emblem of authority. The Merovingian elite’s rings typically adorned a coin or a plaque, comparable to a signet ring. In an effort to ensure that the ring is carried down in the family, Nielsen had a duplicate made of it and gave it to his wife for Christmas.

Merovingian craftsmen had recognition for their skills in several areas. They were brought to England to revive glass-making there, as well as to build churches. They were known for their construction techniques, which were taken up by the Normans. The Pushkin State Museum for Fine Arts has considerable holdings of Merovingian arts, looted from Germany after World War II.