The Transformative Dragon - The Construction of Social Identity and the Use of Metaphors during the Nordic Iron Age.

Abstract

This article deals with how people during the Iron Age constructed their social identity, how they matured and became men and women —a process connected with the ownership and cultivation of landed property. Three different types of ancient monuments - stone walls, hillforts and runestones - are discussed in this context. The theoretical point of departure is that monuments have visual messages of their own, not necessarily identical with how they have been used, and that the metaphor is a useful analytical tool.