The Sørlandsbanen stops at Snartemo in Hægebostad municipality, a small community hiding one of Norway's most spectacular archaeological finds. In 1933, two farmers preparing new farmland uncovered a Migration Period chieftain's grave dating to around 550 AD, three centuries before the Viking Age.
The grave held a gold-decorated sword with gilded silver plates showing mythological figures connected to Odin and the ruling warrior ideology of its time. A ring on the hilt likely symbolized the oath between a chieftain and his loyal men. The burial also contained weapons, tools, and a Roman glass drinking cup, suggesting far-reaching trade networks. The chieftain had been laid to rest on a bearskin.
During World War II, the German occupation forces attempted to seize the sword as part of their interest in Norse mythology. It was hidden along with other national treasures in a vault beneath a bank in Fagernes, where it remained safely out of reach until liberation.
A full-size replica stands at Bautaparken, a monument park right by the station. The original is in Oslo's Historical Museum. In early 2026, a hiker found a 1,500-year-old gold sword fitting beneath a fallen tree nearby, suggesting this area was once a significant power centre. The exhibition at Tingvatn Fornminnepark, a department of the Vest-Agder Museum about 10 km south, explores the Migration Period finds in depth.
The grave held a gold-decorated sword with gilded silver plates showing mythological figures connected to Odin and the ruling warrior ideology of its time. A ring on the hilt likely symbolized the oath between a chieftain and his loyal men. The burial also contained weapons, tools, and a Roman glass drinking cup, suggesting far-reaching trade networks. The chieftain had been laid to rest on a bearskin.
During World War II, the German occupation forces attempted to seize the sword as part of their interest in Norse mythology. It was hidden along with other national treasures in a vault beneath a bank in Fagernes, where it remained safely out of reach until liberation.
A full-size replica stands at Bautaparken, a monument park right by the station. The original is in Oslo's Historical Museum. In early 2026, a hiker found a 1,500-year-old gold sword fitting beneath a fallen tree nearby, suggesting this area was once a significant power centre. The exhibition at Tingvatn Fornminnepark, a department of the Vest-Agder Museum about 10 km south, explores the Migration Period finds in depth.
