Eyrarland Statue

The Eyrarland Statue is a small bronze statue, just about 6.7 centimeters tall, that shows a seated figure. It was found around the year 1815 or 1816 at a farm called Eyrarland near the city of Akureyri in Iceland. Today, this interesting piece is displayed at the National Museum of Iceland.

Some experts believe the statue might show the Norse god Thor. If this is true, Thor is holding his famous hammer, called Mjölnir, which looks like a cross. This idea comes from an old poem in the _Poetic Edda, called the _Þrymskviða, where Thor gets his hammer back while sitting down.

Another idea comes from an archaeologist named Kristján Eldjárn. He thinks the statue could have been part of a game called hnefatafl. He based this on a similar small figure made of whalebone that was found with game pieces and a die.