At Sletten, authenticity matters. When we created our modern logo, we realized that we not only wanted something modern to represent us, we also wanted something real, pulled straight out of the era we love so much. Something Viking. And we found it.
Why this Viking has two thumbs up
– and 1000 years of history

In the spring of 2023, detectorist Bent Hansen made an extraordinary find near Øster Lindet in Southern Jutland: a small, slightly curved disc made of copper alloy. It turned out to be a patrice: a press die used to stamp Viking-era jewelry. On the front, it shows a bearded human figure with wide-set legs, spiraled joints, flowing hair, and… two hands meeting in the middle with unmistakably upturned thumbs.
Yes, we’re serious. Two thumbs up. From the Viking Age.
Archaeologists are still debating what the figure represents – a god? A mythological figure? A symbolic guardian? No one knows for sure, but what’s certain is that this is a completely unique motif, not seen before in the archaeological record. There’s even a hint of playfulness in the pose, which reminds some of the Sheela-na-Gig figures from the British Isles, and others of Norse figures with magical or shapeshifting traits.
This ambiguity is exactly why we love it.
The “thumbs up man” is authentic, enigmatic, and a little bit cheeky – just like Sletten. He’s a reminder that history isn’t always solemn. Sometimes, it grins at you with a wild beard and throws you a double thumbs-up from across the centuries.

We’re proud to adopt this symbol, not as a joke, but as a tribute to the richness, weirdness, and beauty of Viking Age material culture. Our modern logo is here to stay, but if you’re coming to Sletten this year, you will get a closer relationship with this happy guy. When you see him you know you’re seeing the real deal: an archaeological find that connects us to the past in a uniquely Sletten way.
Thanks to Museet Sønderskov, Bent Hansen, and the original article by Lars Grundvad and Martin Egelund Poulsen for making this find known.
Our digital render is made by our very own Thomas Smith, with help from the talented Luciano Pezzoli.