Oooohh- I finally get to haul out my favorite obscure book on royal
regalia in Britain on this. According to the fellas who look after
the British crown jewels and stage all the ceremonies (and really get
into the history!) Sutton Hoo is the burial site of Raewald, The
Bretwalda of the East Angles. (Died 624 AD) They would become the
Anglo to the Saxons. No Scandinavians involved. Anyway, they came
from West Germany at the invitation of Vortigern as
merceneries,(sixth cent. AD) then stayed and formed a few little
kingdoms in Britain. The sword was a highly symbolic form
representing the kings power and its design and the use of garnet
(doubtless a stone of great significance) would probably be used
repeatedly over the centuries. Anyway- finding the same stuff in
Germany as Sutton Hoo makes sense after all. Same people, same basic
culture for at least a while, so the goldsmiths would be working in
the same styles with the same symbolism. Hopes this helps. Not too
shabby for the pile of books that happens to live by the computer
table,huh? ;D
Lizzy