New Designs from The Silver Bough

The Silver Bough is happy to soon be introducing new pendant designs in fine silver.

We’ve been working hard to come up with new thoughts and ideas to offer to our wonderful public.

Currently we have put a silver Troll Cross up in our shop which is beautiful and has been receiving excellent reviews. Troll Crosses were originally ancient Norse amulets made in iron to protect against Trolls and Elves (as if we’d want to). Iron is traditionally abhorrent and dangerous to the faerie folk – not your usual traditional pretty little winged creatures but a race of peoples who do not follow the laws and morals of us mortals but adhere to their own laws which often has included some which can be defensive against the folk (us).

Our Troll Crosses are made of silver which means we cannot guarantee that any Trolls or Elves will be repelled but still they are beautiful.

Silver Troll Cross

Our second completed design is a stylised silver serpent. It is very fluid and loosely based on an actual artefact.  This serpent has a concealed ‘D’ ring behind his head which hangs beautifully on a cord (which we supply).

Silver Serpent Pendant

We have also made models for a new original design of a serpent. This delicate, smooth, flowing creature will be perfect as either a small pendant or a pair of earrings.

The second model is a simple Mjolnir (again based on an artefact) which will hang again with a concealed ‘D’ ring. This will reflect the Silver Bough's use of simplicity and fluidity creating a pendant which is tactile, simple and stylistic in nature.

The final model we have created was inspired by myself going mad at an odd hour of the night. Inspiration or a kick from my ‘muse’. Think I know who he is in this case.

Based again on my interpretation of Norse and Celtic wolf designs, we’ve created a rather complicated Fenris Wolf head, son of Loki and Angraboda of Norse Mythology. He is mean and meant to look that way which is reflected in the hours of sculpting and modelling. We hope to offer this pendant soon in silver. Any requests are welcome.

All of our new designs are inspired by artefacts and designs from the past and mythology.

And we’ve worked on our Silver Boughs. One made from layering silver on a tiny wooden bough – a one off. One moulded from again a natural tiny bough, which unlike the first is solid fine silver. Again, these are made with concealed hanging rings at the back.

More to follow.

Everything we make is in its way unique. There will be no two designs which are the same.

We hope you will like them.

Many thanks to Joanne Harris http://joanne-harris.co.uk/v3site/books/index.html for friendship and inspiration, Karl Seigfried http://www.norsemyth.org/ for support and interesting articles, of course to the Prose Edda and Poetic Edda for much of our inspiration and to all the love of Celtic and Norse mythology and history which we have the pleasure of offering to a wider scope of understanding and mutual lovers of our wonderful past.

Aesk Rune Pendant

Norse Dragon Pendant

Algiz Rune Pendant

Jera Rune Pendant

Yggdrasil Card

Thurisaz Rune Pendant

Kaen Rune Pendant

Sol Rune Pendant

Runes - Jewellery, symbols, or both?

Contemplating Orders and filling them. Also contemplating our perfection factor.

One must realise that runes are not high street bling. They are representative of the myths and history of ancient cultures. They are not meant to be perfect but individual pieces with individual feeling behind each rune pendant or rune set. These are items to be worn or used in daily life, although as they are quite elegant in their way (for men or women) they are at home with nothing on at all or with evening dress.

We don't infuse the pieces or sets with anything more than the dedication and belief in our work and that which we replicate in the symbols. The actual infusion or 'activation' (if you must get a bit, say, technical) is up to the owner... or not, as the case may be.

A rune is as much a mystical or sacred symbol as it is a thing of beauty. As they represent letters, they can simply reflect the owner's name. Though we hope our 'friends' look at the rune charts and reflect on a rune's meaning, which resonates.

We will sell the pendants on adjustable cords as we feel these complement the rune to its best advantage. Having worn my 'Kaen' on a chain for weeks, I have found the cord to be more 'comfortable' and appropriate, however this is our taste, it is not everyones. We can source chains for our customers if they so wish, although the best source we have found so far is in the USA, so there might be a slight delay in at least the shipping of the chains.

Runes and the stone rune sets are not just jewellery, or even symbols. They are hopefully our own art and things of beauty to be displayed proudly.

Rune of the day

Fehu

Modern letter - F

Fehu signifies 'cattle', which is a strong symbol for wealth and prosperity. A source of food, stability, security and growth.

With a little help from our friends

We are discovering that by simple enquiries we have developed excellent contacts (including friends) and cooperation from various suppliers.

The Silver Bough will include a prominent link to our friend Joanne's magnificent book, Runemarks (a great inspiration to us) and the sequel which fingers crossed shall be out very very soon! Joanne has offered to link The Silver Bough site to her website.

The publisher of Helrunar (by Jan Fries), a comprehensive reference book to the history, mythology, meaning and use of runes from prehistory to present has also said he will post a link to The Silver Bough on the Mandrake Publishing website along with the very kind offer of an online discount to our 'visitors'.

When enquiring about sundries (bags, cords, etc) we have found the cooperation of suppliers very enheartening. It proves that there is pride in quality and in customer service. The last offer of a sample of a velvet bag has been gratefully received. As our goal is top quality and prime customer service, we are sourcing only the best packaging and findings/cords we can.

Still waiting for a sample of goat suede which is currently out of stock. This is a very fine and soft suede which we hope will be ideal for the adjustable cords which we are including with our rune pendants. Unfortunately it seems that goats are extinct as weeks later they have not been able to restock. Maybe men have been staring at them too much.

We press on...