Amulet-Charm Made from a Hare’s Hind Leg Bone

Archaeological excavations carried out in 2019–2020 on the site of the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania yielded numerous significant finds. These discoveries enriched the existing knowledge about the development of the Early Brick Castle of Vilnius (late 13th – early 14th century). Among the newly uncovered and previously unseen artifacts was a small bone pendant-amulet. This item was crafted from the astragalus (ankle bone) of a hare, with a hole drilled at one end for suspension.

 

The pendant-amulet was found in the cultural layer formed outside the southern defensive wall of the Early Brick Castle. The castle itself had been built at the southwestern foot of Castle Hill (also known as Gediminas Hill), on the former flat top of a hill. The slopes of the hill were reinforced with wooden structures. Using interdisciplinary research methods (dendrochronology and AMS C14 radiocarbon dating), it was determined that the southern slope was first reinforced in the 1270s–1290s. However, the cultural layer above the subsoil, where the construction was placed, may have begun forming decades earlier. A second wooden structure was built in the 1320s–1330s. The approximately 1–2 meter-thick heterogeneous soil layer that filled this construction formed a new surface of the southern slope. This fill layer is associated with the first phase of the Early Brick Castle's expansion, when during the early reign of Grand Duke Gediminas (1316–1341), masonry residential and representative buildings were erected. It is likely that during the expansion, previously accumulated cultural layers, along with artifacts such as this amulet, were removed from the former courtyard and dumped onto the slope.

 

Amulets made from hare astragali have not previously been documented in Lithuanian archaeological material. They are also rare in neighboring regions. Two analogies dated to the 11th–13th centuries are known from northeastern Estonia. At the Varbola hillfort, an astragalus pendant was found linked with a dog’s tooth by a chain. Another similar pendant was found at the Keava hillfort.

 

More commonly, amulets found in Lithuania and surrounding regions are made from animal teeth or claws—for example, dog or bear canines, bear claws, and others. In Estonia, pendants made from bones of pine martens and beaver feet have been discovered, as well as one made from an eagle’s claw. Amulets from beaver foot bones dated to the Viking Age have also been found in present-day Belarus. Additionally, bronze alloy pendants imitating animal bones, teeth, or claws are known.

 

Researchers note that the tradition of wearing pendants and amulets is ancient and deeply tied to the belief in the magical powers of nature and animals. It is believed that a selected amulet could represent a specific animal’s strength and transfer it to the wearer, or attract the favor of guardian deities. Amulets were also traditionally associated with magical protection against evil forces. Some scholars suggest that a particular amulet could represent the wearer’s occupation. For example, a pendant made from a fur-bearing animal’s bone might have been worn by someone who hunted or traded such animals.

 

What could a pendant-amulet made from a hare’s astragalus symbolize? One interpretation can be found in studies of ancient Lithuanian religion. In the 1261 myth of Sovijus, among the sovereign deities mentioned is Žvėrūna-Medeina. This dual-natured goddess represents both hunting and war—key pursuits of dukes and nobles. Žvėrūna-Medeina’s associations with wolves and hares (she bears the epithet “Goddess of Hares”) illustrate her duality, reflecting the existence of a warrior as both hunter and hunted. Dr. Vykintas Vaitkevičius has noted that the cult of Žvėrūna-Medeina held special importance within the religious traditions of the ruling dynasties forming the Lithuanian state. He also pointed out that the main area of sacred sites associated with Žvėrūna-Medeina corresponds closely with the core territory of the historical Lithuanian land and aligns with the geography of early ducal estates and state fortresses.