The Helgo Treasure: A Viking Age Buddha

Colm (Irish Archaeology, 12/28/13); Dhr. Seven, Pat Macpherson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Helgo Buddha (Swedish History Museum/Soren Hellgren)

A remarkable collection of religious items sourced from diverse lands was discovered during archaeological excavations on the Swedish island of Helgo.

Located in Lake Malaren, to the west of Stockholm, this small island was an important Viking trading and manufacturing center (6th-11th centuries AD). It has produced an enormous collection of artifacts, including numerous exotic finds such as Arabic coins, Frankish glass, and metalwork from across Western Europe.

Prominent urna on a Buddha from Gandhara

However, the most famous objects found were three precious items, now known as the "Helgö Treasure." Discovered close together, these artifacts included a Buddha statue from the Indian subcontinent, an elaborate crozier-head from Ireland, and a bronze ladle from North Africa.

Undoubtedly the most extraordinary find discovered during the excavations at Helgo was a small, bronze Buddha statue.

This figure dates from circa the 6th century AD and was probably made in Kashmir, on the Pakistan (Gandhara)-India (Bharat) border.

The Swedish Helgö Buddha

This Buddha has a silver urna on his forehead, symbolizing the third eye (dibba cakkhu), while the ears have long lobes, the insignia of royalty. He sits in a meditative pose upon a double lotus throne, the latter representing purity.

The Buddha probably arrived on Helgo Island via Swedish merchants whose eastern trade routes were concentrated along Russian rivers such as the Volga [where there exists Russian Buddhism, Central Asian Buddhism (from the former USSR empire), and Siberian Buddhism and the only indigenously Buddhist land in Europe, Kalmykia, and the Shaman-Buddhists of Buryatia]. More

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